Functional Group Dynamics and Community Composition of Forests in the Northwestern Himalayan Foothills in Haryana, India
Authors & Affiliations
Article Dates
RECEIVED
April 11, 2026
REVISED
July 02, 2026
ACCEPTED
July 11, 2026
AVAILABLE ONLINE
July 22, 2026
Abstract
Forest ecosystems in the north-western Himalayan Shivalik foothills exhibit high environmental heterogeneity, resulting in complex patterns of species composition, vegetation structure, and ecological functioning. The present study investigated floristic composition, vegetation structure, and functional group dynamics across six forest types in the Yamunanagar (YFD) & Panchkula (PFD) Forest Divisions of Haryana, and assessed species diversity, community organisation, and population structure. A total of 137 plant species belonging to 61 families were recorded. Poaceae was the most species-rich family, followed by Asteraceae and Fabaceae. Dominance-diversity analysis identified Shorea robusta C.F. Gaertn. and Mallotus philippensis (Lam.) Müll. Arg., Senegalia catechu (L.f.) P.J.H. Hurter &Mabb., and Pinus roxburghii Sarg. as the dominant tree species across different forest types, while Lantana camara L. consistently dominated as the shrub layer. Heteropogon contortus (L.) P. Beauv. and Achyranthes aspera L. were the most abundant herb species, whereas Ichnocarpus frutescens (L.) W.T. Aiton and Pueraria tuberosa (Roxb. ex Willd.) DC. predominated among climbers. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H′) for trees ranged from 1.237 in subtropical pine forests to 2.510 in mixed deciduous forests of PFD, while Margalef's species richness index varied from 1.744 to 7.440. The concentration of dominance (Cd) ranged from 0.103 to 0.455, with lower values in mixed deciduous forests indicating greater species evenness. Dominance-diversity curves exhibited a log-normal distribution, reflecting balanced niche partitioning. The study demonstrates moderate to high species diversity and considerable compositional heterogeneity among forest types. These findings provide a valuable ecological baseline for long-term biodiversity monitoring, in the north-western Himalayan foothills.
Keywords
Floristic composition
Functional Biodiversity
Community Structure
Importance Value Index
species diversity indices
Classifications
Forest ecology
Climate change and ecology
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Cite As
Kumar, R., Kushal, Nandy, S., & Singh, B. (2026). Functional group dynamics and community composition of forests in the northwestern Himalayan foothills in Haryana, India. Indian Journal of Ecology, Online first publication. https://doi.org/10.55362/IJECOL/2026/0125