Timeline: January 2025 - ongoing

People: Arpitha Jayanth, Bindu K, Himanshu Lad, Rohit Naniwadekar, Sharvani Deshpande, Vishal Sadekar

Collaborators: Navendu Page, Sartaj Ghuman, Anand Osuri, Divya Mudappa, T. R. Shankar Raman

Funding: Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, Rainmatter Foundation

What We Do?

The temporal and spatial patterns in plant communities are shaped by various biotic and abiotic factors. Globally, temperature and rainfall largely determine forest types, while within a region, topography influences how these forests are distributed. At finer scales, soil and topography together play an important role in predicting the distribution of forest types. In this study, we looked at what factors are correlated with evergreenness and deciduousness within a relatively small geographical area with broadly uniform precipitation levels and minimal human disturbance. We aim to better understand how climate,l soil and topographic conditions are associated with patterns of evergreenness and deciduousness.

Why This Matters?

This study controls for key factors influencing evergreenness, such as climate and anthropogenic disturbance, and examines local-scale correlates of evergreenness, highlighting the importance of studying local-level processes that can inform management and restoration efforts in the region.

Key Findings:

Evergreenness was associated with both soil and topographic variables, whereas deciduousness was associated with soil properties, particularly electrical conductivity and bulk density.

Soil electrical conductivity was consistently associated with both evergreenness and deciduousness.

Evergreen–deciduous composition formed a continuous gradient rather than distinct habitat clusters, with one evergreen-dominated cluster and another comprising a deciduous–evergreen gradient.