Table 5 Attributes of PCA pertains to various variables

Eigen value

4.34

3.17

2.52

1.97

5.527

3.016

2.192

1.684

5.465

3.115

2.699

1.755

Variability (%)

35.44

22.69

14.86

11.61

39.51

25.74

12.89

9.90

36.77

24.27

15.87

10.32

Cumulative %

35.44

58.13

73.00

84.62

39.51

65.25

78.14

88.05

36.77

61.04

76.91

87.24

Richness

0.751 ^a

− 0.376

− 0.058

− 0.398

0.776 ^a

0.343

− 0.292

− 0.229

− 0.402

0.832 ^a

− 0.003

− 0.255

Shannon and Weaver index

0.813 ^a

− 0.428

0.062

− 0.296

0.888 ^a

0.330

− 0.073

− 0.202

− 0.402

0.743 ^a

0.067

− 0.284

Evenness

0.582

0.020

0.661

0.025

0.307

− 0.040

0.689

− 0.392

0.332

− 0.670

0.047

− 0.331

Organic carbon

− 0.109

0.608

− 0.209

− 0.461

0.294

0.588

0.008

0.399

− 0.165

0.509

− 0.326

0.643

Soil P

− 0.567

− 0.224

0.558

0.050

− 0.580

0.199

0.437

− 0.222

0.810 ^a

− 0.001

0.527

0.123

Soil nitrogen

− 0.749 ^a

0.130

0.411

− 0.261

0.048

− 0.641

0.481

0.026

0.161

− 0.232

0.534

0.309

Soil pH

0.547

0.019

− 0.422

0.375

0.569

0.385

0.363

0.535

− 0.680

0.066

0.337

− 0.004

Electric conductivity

0.089

− 0.475

− 0.064

0.566

0.388

0.575

0.212

0.145

0.022

− 0.041

0.878 ^a

− 0.172

Soil moisture

0.418

0.680

0.387

− 0.144

0.534

− 0.048

0.461

− 0.250

− 0.002

0.396

0.775 ^a

0.007

Removal of plant parts

0.230

0.565

− 0.168

0.053

− 0.467

0.708 ^a

− 0.332

− 0.080

0.683

0.316

− 0.146

− 0.526

Litter condition

− 0.241

− 0.158

0.361

0.786 ^a

− 0.422

0.203

0.552

0.569

0.846 ^a

0.038

− 0.411

0.120

Total herbage biomass gm ⁻²

0.144

− 0.742 ^a

− 0.119

− 0.376

0.665

0.380

− 0.086

− 0.481

− 0.415

0.345

0.005

− 0.550

Botanical species composition of climax vegetation

0.667

0.267

0.558

− 0.025

− 0.757

0.494

0.087

− 0.249

0.883 ^a

0.322

− 0.186

− 0.090

Relative importance value (RIV) of climax species

0.764 ^a

− 0.182

0.430

0.230

− 0.696

− 0.143

0.126

− 0.400

0.723 ^a

0.349

0.115

0.101

Carrying capacity (ACU/100 ha)

0.321

0.837 ^a

− 0.105

0.302

− 0.861 ^a

0.270

− 0.337

0.076

0.788 ^a

0.095

− 0.216

− 0.359

Grazing intensity

− 0.368

− 0.096

0.647

− 0.238

− 0.407

0.531

0.351

− 0.237

0.687

0.116

0.502

0.028

Density of un-palatable species

− 0.007

0.134

0.359

− 0.020

− 0.233

0.450

0.364

− 0.114

0.331

0.692

0.035

0.452