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Ecological Processes

Table 2 Within and between variations of plant diversity and structural attributes across the differently aged jhum fallows and the old-growth forest

From: Vegetation and ecosystem carbon recovery following shifting cultivation in Mizoram-Manipur-Kachin rainforest eco-region, Southern Asia

Plant diversity and structural attributes

Fallow category

Old-growth forest

P value

≤ 5 years old

6–10 years old

11–15 years old

16–20 years old

20–25 years old

Density (individuals ha−1)

Tree

27 (6)a

59 (2)a

99 (3)b

129 (12)b

163 (4)b

880 (51)c

0.001

Small tree (< 5 cm DBH)

1200 (210)

2705 (122)

3590 (534)

4370 (588)

6030 (600)

9022 (700)

0.001

Shrub (non-tree)

10,533 (1212)

7816 (258)

6650 (663)

4050 (332)

3050 (650)

1216 (187)

0.001

Liana

NP

NP

NP

11 (2)

24 (1)

152 (10)

0.001

Bamboo

1326 (123)

1841 (92)

2670 (115)

3326 (146)

3710 (60)

NP

0.001

Herb

148,541 (4791)

120,277 (3095)

97,500 (5962)

90,208 (2938)

67,291 (2916)

53,125 (3083)

0.001

Basal area (m2 ha-1)

Tree

0.11 (0.03)a

0.49 (0.27)a

1.49 (0.42)a

5.42 (0.15)b

11.19 (0.42)c

54.31 (1.81)d

0.001

Shrub

1.25 (0.17)

1.01 (0.11)

0.78 (0.09)

0.64 (0.13)

0.41 (0.02)

0.35 (0.04)

0.001

Liana

NP

NP

NP

0.71

1.10

2.05

0.001

Bamboo

0.09 (0.02)

0.22 (0.03)

0.76 (0.05)

1.30 (0.13)

2.11 (0.13)

NP

0.04

Simpson’s dominance index

Tree

0.21 (0.07)

0.15 (0.03)

0.09 (0.00)

0.09 (0.01)

0.07 (0.00)

0.02 (0.00)

0.02

Shrub

0.11 (0.02)

0.09 (0.01)

0.09 (0.01)

0.13 (0.01)

0.11 (0.01)

0.24 (0.02)

0.001

Liana

NP

NP

NP

0.51 (0.01)

0.34 (0.03)

0.28 (0.02)

0.001

Herb

0.03 (0.00)

0.05 (0.01)

0.05 (0.00)

0.05 (0.01)

0.08 (0.01)

0.11 (0.01)

0.001

Shannon’s diversity index

Tree

1.69 (0.33)

1.99 (0.24)

2.40 (0.04)

2.46 (0.05)

2.69 (0.08)

4.20 (0.08)

0.001

Liana

NP

NP

NP

0.92 (0.29)

0.68 (0.01)

1.46 (0.07)

0.05

Shrub

2.24 (0.15)

2.47 (0.11)

2.35 (0.06)

1.57 (0.55)

2.21 (0.08)

1.45 (0.08)

0.05

Herb

3.43 (0.02)

3.11 (0.17)

3.01 (0.05)

3.01 (0.10)

2.63 (0.12)

2.26 (0.12)

0.001

Evenness index

Tree

0.99 (0.01)

0.98 (0.01)

0.99 (0.01)

0.99 (0.00)

0.99 (0.01)

0.97 (0.00)

0.13

Liana

NP

NP

NP

0.99 (0.00)

0.75 (0.21)

1.00 (0.00)

0.33

Shrub

0.98 (0.01)

0.99 (0.00)

0.99 (0.00)

0.74 (0.25)

0.99 (0.00)

0.99 (0.00)

0.47

Herb

0.99 (0.00)

0.98 (0.00)

0.99 (0.00)

0.99 (0.00)

0.98 (0.00)

0.98 (0.01)

0.001

Margalef’s index

Tree

2.04 (0.57)

2.22 (0.64)

2.81 (0.08)

2.81 (0.21)

3.43 (0.36)

12.67 (0.67)

0.001

Liana

NP

NP

NP

0.72 (0.10)

1.04 (0.13)

0.81 (0.7)

0.15

Shrub

1.68 (0.25)

2.24 (0.28)

1.98 (0.14)

1.68 (0.23)

2.05 (0.04)

1.05 (0.06)

0.01

Herb

5.73 (0.13)

4.44 (0.73)

3.96 (0.21)

4.08 (0.45)

2.99 (0.36)

2.11 (0.33)

0.001

  1. NP not present
  2. Values in parentheses are standard errors of mean. Data showing the same letters are not statistically significant with each other (DF = 5)
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