Species Diversity of Vascular Plants in Herbal Conservation Area, Kumantong Forest Temple, Nadun District, Maha Sarakham Province

Abstract

Species diversity and some ecological aspects in Herbal Conservation Area of Kumantong Forest Temple, Nadun district, Maha Sarakham province were studied between November 2014 and October 2015. Twelve sample plots of 20×20 m and four of 500 m line transects were used. Results of the research were as follows: Ninety seven species in forty four families and eighty four genera were found in the forest of herbal conservation area. Local knowledge of seventy six herbal plants was collected.

            The plants in the area compost of 53 trees, 9 shrubs, 1 scandent shrub and 33 herbs. For diversity of tree, Shannon-Wiener Index and Simpson Index shown 2.24 and 0.19, respectively. The most important of trees are Shorea obtusa Wall. ex Blume, Dipterocarpus obtusifolius Teijsm. ex Miq., Xylia xylocarpa (Roxb.) Taub. var. kerrii (Craib & Hatch.) I.C. Nielsen, Canarium subulatum Guillaumin, and Sindora siamensis Teijsm. & Miq., the important value indexes are 77.33, 66.54, 34.24, 20.09 and 17.46, respectively. For diversity of ground flora, Shannon-Wiener Index and Simpson Index shown 2.39 and 0.21, respectively. Vietnamosasa pusilla (A. Chev. & A. Camus) Nguyen, Polyalthia debilis (Pierre) Finet & Gagnep., Trigonostemon reidiodes (Kurz) Craib, Polyalthia erecta (Pierre) Finet & Gagnep., and Leea thorelii Gagnep. are common ground flora in the forest with 7.63, 3.19, 1.03, 0.79 and 0.69 plants per square meter, respectively.