Tree occurrence in point-centred quarter (PCQ) plots in Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India

T. R. Shankar Raman; Divya Mudappa

doi:10.15468/4bcqeg

Tree occurrence in point-centred quarter (PCQ) plots in Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India

Citation

Raman T R S, Mudappa D (2022). Tree occurrence in point-centred quarter (PCQ) plots in Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India. Nature Conservation Foundation. Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/4bcqeg accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-06-09.

Description

Data on tree occurrence were collected between January 1998 and June 1999 using point-centred quarter plots in Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 21 transects were surveyed, including 14 in tropical rainforests and 7 in abandoned plantations and plantation forest edges as described elsewhere (Raman 2001, Mudappa 2001, Raman and Sukumar 2002, Raman et al. 2005).

Sampling Description

Study Extent

This study was carried out in Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (8° 25' to 8° 53' N and 77°10' to 77°35' E), Tamil Nadu, at the southern extremity of the Western Ghats mountain range in India. Study transects were established at the intensive study sites located around forest camps at Kannikatti (740 m asl, 8°37' N and 77°16' E), Sengaltheri (1040 m asl, 8°31' N and 77°26' E), and Kakachi (1220 m asl, 8°33' N and 77°24' E) in KMTR. These areas contain rainforests ranging in altitude between 500 m and 1,400 m. A total of 21 transects were surveyed once, including 14 in rainforests and 7 in abandoned plantations and plantation forest edges as described elsewhere (Raman 2001, Mudappa 2001, Raman and Sukumar 2002, Raman et al. 2005).

Sampling

Trees were surveyed along the 21 study transects using the point-centred quarter (PCQ) method. Along each transect, 13 PCQ plots were sampled (12 in the case of site P6), with successive plots spaced 50 m apart, giving a sample of 52 trees per site (48 trees in P6). Trees greater than 30 cm girth at breast height (GBH at 1.3 m) were recorded using the point-centred quarter method (PCQ). Using a tape measure, distance from plot centre to the middle of the bole and GBH were recorded for each tree. All trees in the PCQ plots were identified to species, or in a few cases to genus, using available field guides (Gamble 1935, Pascal and Ramesh 1997).

Quality Control

Data transcribed from field ledgers into worksheets were carefully verified and updated to current taxonomy using the species lookup tool on GBIF.

Method steps

Data were first uploaded to Data Dryad and then were converted to GBIF format using R code. Raman, T. R. S., Mudappa, D. and Jeganathan, P. (2022), Data on bird communities and vegetation in relation to altitude and habitat alteration in the Kalakad - Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India , Dryad, Dataset, https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.41ns1rngj

Additional info

Related theses and publications that have used the data are provided earlier.

Taxonomic Coverages

The study focused on trees, which were identified to species as far as possible or at least to Genus, except for a few unidentified individuals.

Plantae
common name: Plants rank: kingdom

Geographic Coverages

This study was carried out in Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (8° 25' to 8° 53' N and 77°10' to 77°35' E), Tamil Nadu, at the southern extremity of the Western Ghats mountain range in India. Study transects were established at the intensive study sites located around forest camps at Kannikatti (740 m asl, 8°37' N and 77°16' E), Sengaltheri (1040 m asl, 8°31' N and 77°26' E), and Kakachi (1220 m asl, 8°33' N and 77°24' E) in KMTR. These areas contain rainforests ranging in altitude between 500 m and 1,400 m. A total of 21 transects were surveyed, including 14 in rainforests and 7 in abandoned plantations and plantation forest edges as described elsewhere (Raman 2001, Mudappa 2001, Raman and Sukumar 2002, Raman et al. 2005).

Bibliographic Citations

Raman, T. R. S., Mudappa, D. and Jeganathan, P. (2022), Data on bird communities and vegetation in relation to altitude and habitat alteration in the Kalakad - Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India , Dryad, Dataset, - https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.41ns1rngj
Raman, T. R. S. 2001. Community ecology and conservation of mid-elevation tropical rainforest bird communities in the southern Western Ghats, India. PhD thesis, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. - https://archive.org/details/raman-2001-ph-d-thesis-iisc
Mudappa, D. 2001. Ecology of the brown palm civet Paradoxurus jerdoni in the tropical rainforests of the Western Ghats, India. Ph. D. thesis, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore. - http://hdl.handle.net/10603/101890
Raman, T. R. S., Joshi, N. V. & Sukumar, R. 2005. Tropical rainforest bird community structure in relation to altitude, tree species composition, and null models in the Western Ghats, India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 102: 145-157. - https://archive.org/details/biostor-151062
Raman, T. R. S. & Sukumar, R. 2002. Responses of tropical rainforest birds to abandoned plantations, edges, and logged forest in the Western Ghats, India. Animal Conservation 5: 201-216. - http://doi.org/10.1017/S1367943002002251

Contacts

T. R. Shankar Raman
originator
position: Senior Scientist
Nature Conservation Foundation
Mysuru
570017
Karnataka
IN
email: trsr@ncf-india.org
homepage: https://www.ncf-india.org
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1347-3953

Divya Mudappa
originator
position: Senior Scientist
Nature Conservation Foundation
Mysuru
570017
Karnataka
IN
email: divya@ncf-india.org
homepage: https://www.ncf-india.org
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9708-4826

T. R. Shankar Raman
metadata author
position: Senior Scientist
Nature Conservation Foundation
Mysuru
570017
Karnataka
IN
email: trsr@ncf-india.org
homepage: https://www.ncf-india.org
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1347-3953

Divya Mudappa
metadata author
position: Senior Scientist
Nature Conservation Foundation
Mysuru
570017
Karnataka
IN
email: divya@ncf-india.org
homepage: https://www.ncf-india.org
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9708-4826

T. R. Shankar Raman
author
Nature Conservation Foundation
IN
email: trsr@ncf-india.org
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1347-3953

Divya Mudappa
author
Nature Conservation Foundation
IN
email: divya@ncf-india.org
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9708-4826

T. R. Shankar Raman
administrative point of contact
position: Senior Scientist
Nature Conservation Foundation
Mysuru
570017
Karnataka
IN
email: trsr@ncf-india.org
homepage: https://www.ncf-india.org
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1347-3953

Divya Mudappa
administrative point of contact
position: Senior Scientist
Nature Conservation Foundation
Mysuru
570017
Karnataka
IN
email: divya@ncf-india.org
homepage: https://www.ncf-india.org
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9708-4826