VEGETATION OF BELLARY DISTRICT, MY.;ORE STATE

II. Vegetation Types

Y. SATYANARAYAN AND K. A. SHANKARANARAYAN

Basic Resources Studies Division

Central Arid Zone Be-search Institute, Jodhpur

( Continued from p. 149, Vo!. 2, No.2)

A. SOUTHERN THORN FOREST

I. PROSOPIS SPICIGERA-ACACIA LATkONUM COMMUNITY

Occurrence: This is the most common type in the plains of Bellary district,generally at altitude3 of 300 to 485 meters. Occasionally, the type occurs on lowdetached hills at Tornagallu, but Prosopis is replaced by Alhizzia amara.

Structure and Composition: It is an open, widely scattered, low forestin which spiny species predominate. The trees are shortboled, gnarled, and low'branched. The lacunae are interspersed with a few widely scattered shrubs andgrasses. The principal species are Pro.sopis spicigera L , Acacia latrbnum Willd.,Dichrostachys cinerea W. &. A., Randia dumetorum Lamk., Securineqa leucopyros(Wi lid. , Muel!., Capparis dl:varicata Lamk., Flncour.ia in-lica Merr., EVLdia roxbur-ghiana Benth., Ba1thinia mr!laburicn Roxb., Cordin ohli'lua Willd.; Oordia gharalEhrenb. and Asch. and cultivated trees like Tamarindus indica L., Azadirachtaindica A. Juss., Sapindus emarginat'us Vah!., and Delonix elata Gamble.

The most common shrubs on roadsides as well as in the fields are Cassiaauriculata L., Jatropha glandullfera Roxb., Opuntia dillenii Ham., Euphorbia tinwalliL., Zizyphus nummularia W. & A., Grewia tenax Fiori. Cildaba fruticosa Druce,Balanites aegyptiaca (Linn.) De Lisle, and Euphobi(! antiq1wl'um L.

Grass cover is generally sparse on the red soils and consis{s of Chrysopogonlulvus Chiov., Andropogon pumilu8 Roxb., A ri8!7:d 'I, 8etaCe'l Retz ,Aristl:drt adscen-sionis L. On black soils grasses are more luxuriant with Dichanthium annulatumSbJ.f, a3 the dom:nant grass besides 18eilemfl an'hp.7Jhnr"iries Hack, Chloris bOllrneiR -'-fig-. et Tad. , Tetrapogon tenellu8 Chiov., Cenchl'us ciliwis L., Heter(Jpogon contortu.,(L). Beauv., Ischaernum ciliare Retz., Digitarin adsce:/dens Henr., Sporobolu8coro "ondelianu8 Kunth., and Brachiaria enwljormis Griseb. Under irrigatedconditl( ns, Dinebra retroflexa Panz., and Dactyloctenimn aegyptium Beauv. are morecommon. Aristida mutabilis Trin. et Rupr. OCCUrsin overgrazed areas.

VEGETATION OF BELLARY DISTRICT 55

There ar'e numerous annuals but the principal weed species are Androgra.-phis ech.ioides Nees., Ru~llia prostrata Poir" Aerua monsoniae Mart., Pulicariaangustifolia DC., Alysicarpus longifoU us W. & A, Heylandia 'latebrosa DC.,lndigofera cordifolia Heyne., Desmodium gangeticum DO, Enicostemma littorale Bl.,Rhyncosia aurea DC., Rhyncosia minima DC., and Borreria stricta K. Sch.,

II. ALBIZZIA AMARA-ACACIA LATRONUM COMMUNITY

Ocwrrence: This type occurs throughout thelidry areas from the plains ofBelJary to Tornagallu, at altitudes· of 450 to 600 metres, generally on ferruginous,sandy loams.

Structure and Composition: There is no distinct stratificatioll of thecommunity. The trees are generally stunted, hardly attaining 6 metr~s heightwith small girth. They are low branched, and leaves are microphyllous.Spiny species are predominant in the ill-ddined lower story. Legris and Viart(1961) classify the Albizzia a'mara type as "scrub woodland" which corresponds toChampion's Southern Thorn Forest climax.

The principal species constituting this type are Albizzia amara Boivin.Associated species are Acacia latronum Willd., Euphorbia ca.ducifolia Haines,Acacia chunira Willd., Rhus mysorensis Heyne, Dichrostachys cinerea W. & A.,Carissa 8pinr.trum L., Securinega leucopyros (Willd.) Muel!. The ground coveris very sparse and gully erosion is conspicuous. The common herbaceous plants'are Aristida setacea Retz., Melanocenchris jacquemontii Jaub. et Spach., Tragusmcemosus Hook. f, lndigofera linnaei Ali. Eremopogon foveolatus (Del.) Stapf.,Perotis indica O.Kze., Tribulus terrestris L., Tephrosia purpurea Pers.,' and Ruelliaprostrata Poir. Common climbers are Pe1'gularia 4aemia (!i'orsk.) Chiov., andSarco8temma acidum ( Roxb. ) Voigt.

III. EUPHORBIA SCRUB

Occurrence: ThiS' type occurs at Moka, Dammur and parts of Hampiand appears to be restricted to the rounded bosses of the Closepet granites.

Struct1tre and Composition: There is no structure as the only dominantspecies is Euphorbia caducifolia Haines or Euphorbia antiquorum L. At times bothspecies are present. The rock crevices are colonised by Cymbopogon coloratusStapf., and Heteropogon contortU8 ( L. ) Beauv. Other plants occasiona-lly occurringare Dodon lea visc:Jsa L., Barleria acuminata Wt., Opuntia dilleni Ham., andCara luma attenuata Wt.

IV. GYROCARPUS JACQUINII COMMUNITY

Occu'rrence,' This type was encountered only in the Hampi ruins on thegranite boulders. Apparently it is restricted in its distribution.

56 Y. SATYANARAYAN AND K. A. SHANKARANARAYAN

Stlucture and Compo.,ition: This is a very open scattered type of forest,witll GY1'ocarpus jacguinii Gaertn. as the dominant species. Legris- and Vi art (1961)consider this community as a transiti0nal facies to the Albizziu amara community.The principal species are Cochlospermum religiosum Alston., Commiphora. cuudata(W. & A.) Rngl., and Givotia rottleriformis: Griff. The undergrowth consists ofCipadessa baccifera Mlq., Batleria acuminata Wt., and Ar,istida funiculata Trin. et

Rupr.

(B) SOUTHERN DRY DECIDUOUS FOREs'r

V. TECTONA GRANDIS-A~OGEISSUS LATIFOLIA COMMUNITY

OCC1J,rren('e: This community is met with both on the eastern and westernslopes of the Sandur hills, at altitudes of 600 to 750 metres but is more prevalenton the eastern slopes.

Structure and Compo,~ition ': The trees are generally 9 to 15 metres highwith crowns rather far apart. Trees are short-boled and often twisted. Thetrunks branch rather low and the species are mostly megaphyllom. Teak ispEesen.t but not a.bundant because it is over-exploited. The development of thistype, according to Legris and Viart (1961) stems: from shifting cultivation Afew hardViiood economic trees are left hehind which try to colonise the open spaces.The d~seontinuous tree story is more or less open according to local conditionsand past treatment. Tall tough, grasses are generally dominant in the under-

story.The principal species of the ecodominant layer are: Tectona gmndis L.,

Adina cordi/olia Hk" 1l1itrrJgyna parvifolia Korth., Tenninalia tomentosa W. & A.,Hardwickia binata Roxb., and Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. The sub-canopyconsists of Schleichera oleosa (Lour.) Oken., Careya arborea Roxb., Gmelina arboreaRoxb., Cassia fistula L, Wrightia tinctoria Br., 1l1orinda citrifolia L., and Gymno-sporia ernarginata Law.

The undergrowth consists of Dodonaea viscosa L., Helicte1'es iso1'a L.,Glycosmis pentaphylla Corr., Barleria gibsoni Dalz., Sopubia trifida Ham, Sehimanervos'um Stapf., and Cymbopogon coloratus Stapf. A few lianas like Acacia tortaCraib., Hiptaye madablota Gaert , Acacia lntsia Willd. are are also present.

VI. ANOGEISSUS LATIFOLIA-HARDWICKIA BINATA COMMUNITY

Occurrence: On the plains below Sandur Hills, generally at elevations of525 metres, with a westerly exposure.

Struct'lne and Composition: This corresponds to Champion's dry deciduousforest type, V. Miscellaneous pole forest, recorded for the Anantapur division.

VEGETATION OF BELI,ARY DISTRICT 57

eco-dominant layer are AnogeissU8 latiJoliaAssociated species are Terminalia tomentosa

Erythroxylon monogynum Roxb., and Soymida

The trees are 6 to 9 metres high and their crowns are far apart. Thorny pla,ntsare common and tend to increase in proportion to the cutting to which the typeis subjected to. Bamboos are absent but grasses are conspicuous. Climbersare few.

The principal species of theWall., and Hardwickia binata Roxb.W. & A.. BosUJellia se?'rata Roxb.,ebrlJuga Juss.

The sub-canopy consists of Gardenia lati/olia L.f., Semecarpus anacardiumL.f., Schleichera oleosa Oken, Stereospermum chelonioides DC., and Acacia chundraWilld. The latter forms a link with the thorn forest of the plains.

The undergrowth cc>nsists of Capparis divaricata Larnk., Erythroxylonmonogynum Roxb., Supubia trifida Ham., and Striga lutea Lour. The most commongrasses are Cymhopogon coloratus Stapf., Sehima nervos'U,m Stapf., and Iseilemalaxum Hack.

VII. HARDWICKIA BINATA COMMUNITY

Occurrence: This community is very common on the eastern exposure ofthe plateau, on the Sandur hills al'd Ramandurg hills. It is also common on thegently undulating plains at Bijikere l:l.!1dMolakalamuru.

Provision> lly the HardlOickia bin'LtfL community can be considered as theclimatic climax community of the region, though the term edaphic climax maybe more appropriate, as stated by Champion ( t936). The present type corres-ponds to Champion's Dry Tropical Forest, Subsidiary Edaphic Type 3. >

Structur'c and Composition: Among the forest types of Bellary, the Hardwickiacommunity is the one .•which is most mal-treated and there is not a single treein the tract which has escaped the grazier's hook. Due to const~nt lopping andburning as at Bijikere, the trees· are stunted, gnarled and hardly attain 10 metr.es.Stratification can be observed but the undergrowth is very sparse and sporadic. Toetype forms virtually pure colonies at Bijikere while at Ramandurg hills, it has amixed c.omposition.

The principal species of the eco-dominant layer is Hardwickia binata, theother common associates being Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb., and Albizzia stipula aBoiv. The sub-canopy is formed of Gardenia latifolia L. f., Decaschist'ia cmtoniJoliaW. & A., Oareya arbm'ea Roxb., and Dolichimdrone falcata Seem., Dich7'ostachy~cinerea W, and A, Zizyphus xylopyros Willd., Zizyphus oenl)plia Mill., Oarissa con-gcsta W. & A. and Gyntnosporia emnrginlJta Law. rfhe undergrowth is sparse andconsists of Ohrysopogon f1tlvus Chiov., AndrlJgr.:Jphis paniculrtta Nees., Sopubia trifida

,58 Y. SATYA NARAYAN AND K. A. SHANKARANARAYAN

Ham " H eteropogon contortus (L.) Beauv. and A1'istida adscen8ionis L. Gissus quadran-gularis L. is very cO,mmon as al~o Viscum articulatam Burm., which is a parasite onGardenia latifolia Ait. Common climbers are Smilax zeylanica L. and Sarcostemmaacidum (Roxb.) Voigt.

VIII. BAMBOO BRAKE

Occurrence: This type occurs along margins of the rivers in the valley ofSandur hills.

Structu1'e and Composition: This is a type developed entirely due to theedaphic conditions and corresponds to Champion's' Secondary Dry DeciduousForest Type, D. Tr.j2Sjl. Legris and Viart (1961) claim that it is a transitionalfacies of the Anogeissus-Pterocm'pus-Teclona series, appearing in forest fallow, aftershifting cultivation. The forest is generally dense and the sfecies are gregarious,overlapping one' another. The height of the forest is about 9 to 12 metres. Theconspicuous elements are the bamboos. Three distinct strata, an upper canopy,

• a sub-canopy and an undergrowth can be distinguished. The latter is denseand impenet~able. The principal species of the eco-dominant layer are Bambusaarund.inacea Willd., Terminalia belerica Roxb., Pongamia pinnatft Pier., Pterocarpuq

marsupium Roxb., Pteroc'Lrp16s santalinus L. f., La1erstroemia lanceolata Wall., andA'bianthu., xcelsa Roxb. Lagerstroemia indicates a relationship to the evergreen type.Here the ed aphic factor, in particular, a better moisture status has compensated thehigher rainfall requirement of the evergreen dements. On slightly drier soils,DendrocalrLmus strictus Nees makes its appearance.

The sub-cariopy consists of Santa/urn album L., COLhlospermum religiosum (L.)Alsto'n. Ganthium'didymum Gaertn., and Chloroxylon swietenia DC. The impenetrablethicket consists of Zizyphus oenoplia Mill., Jatropha cu.rcas L., Lantana camara L.,Anisomeles ovala Br., Justicia simplex Don. and Cryptolepis buchanani Roem. & Sch.The presence of Santalum album L. is an interesting feature, for Legris and Viart(1961) accord it the rank of a separate facies of the dry deciduous forest type.At Sandur, Santalum merges imperceptibly with the bamboo brake.

IX. BOSWELLIA SERRATA COMMUNITY.

Occurrence: This type occurs in the south-west exposure on the Sandur hillsnear Dharampura where trap dykes are pr~sent. The soils are generally poor andshallow.

Structure and Composition: It is an open forest in which Bosw;llia formsthe top canopy with a slight admixture of species of the dry deciduous type. The

VEGETATION OF BELLARY DISTRICT 59

trees are 12 to 15 metres high and 1 to 2 metres in girth. Bambobs rarely occur.Grass cover is fairly abundant.

The principal species of the eco-dominant layer is Baswellia .serrata Roxb.Associated species are Anogeissus pendula Edgew., Garuga pinnata Roxb., Sterculiaurens Roxb., and Syzygium cumini Skeels. The indistinguishable sub-canopyconsists of Oochlospermum religiosum (L.) Alston" Lannea coromandelica (Houf.)Mer. and Emblica officinalis Gaertn. which regenerate freely, especially along theborders,of the forest. Dendrocalamus strictus Nees rarely occurs. Shrubs are pra<;tically absent while grass growth is very abundant and comprises of Cymbopogoncoloratus Stapf., and Sehima nervosum Stapf. The tree shade is colonised by Oplis-menus burmanni Beauv., Lavandu,la bipinn'Lt'l O.Kze., The most common liana isHiptage madablota Gaertn.

X. ANOGEISSUS LATIFOLIA-DALBERGIA LATlFOLIA'COMMUNITY.

Occurrence: This type occurs two miles away from the Sandur hills and onthe south-eastern expo:mre.

Structure and Oomposition: This is an open forest with scattered trees about9 to 12 metres high. Anageis8u8 is abundant int,imately associated with Dalbergia

"latifolia. A sub-canopy is distinguishable. Grass cover is luxuriant. The typescorresponds to Champion's South Indian Dry Deciduous Forest except that teakis absent.

The principal species of ,tbe eco-dominant layer are An()gies8us latifoliaWall., Dalbergia lati/olia R6xb., Dalbergil. paniculaia Roxb., and Hardwicka bin'LtaRoxb. The presence of Dalbergia lati/alia indicates a relationship to the moistdeciduous type. The sub-canopy consists of Schleichera oleosa (Lour.) Oken , aas,~iafi~tula L., Butea mono8perma (Lamk.) Taub.,Santalum album L ,Morinda citrifoliaTrin., Acacia ferruginea DC , and Hymenodictyon excelsum Wall. The undergrowthconsists of Zizyphu$ oenoplia Mill., &ymnosporia emarginata Law., Erythroxylonmonogynum Roxb., and Grewia hir.suta Vahl. The dominant grasses are Cymbopogoncoloratu8 Stapf., and Sehima ner'l108Um Stapf. The prominent liana is Acaciaconcinna DC.

Xl. BUTEA MONOSPERMA·TECTONA GRANDIS COMMUNITY.

Occurrence: This type occurs at Gauripuram and Muraripura on theeastern exposure.

Structure and Compo8ition: This is an open forest in which 'the trees arestunted and gnarled never attaining more than 6 metres height. Butea is the dominanttree while Tectona is rather infrequent although coppice shoots of the latter are

fairly common. This may be ascribed to biotic factors due to which most of thetree saplings are eliminated Butea is lopped heavily for its leaves and. therefore,remains stunted. According to Misra and Joshi ( 1952 ) Butea monosperma ispresent throughout the forests of the dry deciduous type and "can withstandbiotic disturbances to a high degree. Indeed their high incidence in all the typesis suggestive of the universal effects of anthropogenic factors." The Buteacommunity can be considered to be a biotic climax. The type, however,corresponds only to a seral stage of Champion's dry deciduous forests.

The principal species are Butea monosperma ( Lamk. ) Taub., and Tectonagrandis L., the latter being ra ther sparsely distributed. Stratification is absent.The associated species are Cassia fistula L., Adina cordifolia Hook. f. Morindatinctoria Roxb., Acacia fer·ruginea DC., and Gymnosporia emarginata Law. :Dodonaeaviscosa L. is a very common shrub. The grass cover consists primarily ofCymbopogon coloratus Stapf. and Iseilema laxum Hack. Common herbaceousspecies are Sopubia. trifida Ham., Tr'icholepis radicans DC., and Anisomeles ovata Br.

The dry deciduous forest types are met with barely 32 km away fromBellary town, where the prevalent vegetation is a thorn forest type. While it ispossible that precipitation may be slightly higher at Sandur on account of its•altitude it is more probable that it is the edaphic factor which is direql yresponsible for the development of a dry deciduous type, the overall climatic effectbeing uniform over tht': tract.

60 Y. SATYANARAYAN AND K. A. SHANKARANARAYAN

SUMI\1ARY

The flora and vegetation types of Bellary District, Mysore State areddcribed. A brief account of the location, climate, geomorphology, geology andS6)ilsof the district is also given.

The flora which is grouped under the Deccan phytogeographical. province.consists of 285 species, belonging to 228 genera and 68 families. There are 180genera with 221 species of dicots and only 48 genera and 64 species of monocotsThe dominant families are Leguminosae, Gramineae, Compositae and Euphor-

biaceae.

The forests of the district are categorized into (a) Southern Thorn Forestand (b) ~ou.thern Dry Deciduous Forest. Within these major formations, thefollowing communities have been distinguished:- (i) Prosopis spicigera-Acacialm,tronum community; (2) Albizzia amara-Acacia latronum community; (3) Euphorbiascrub community; (4) Gyrocarpus jacquinii community; (5) Tectona grandis-Anoge-issu8 latifolia community; (6) Anogeissus latifolia-Hardwickia binata community;(7) Hardwickia binata community; (13) Bamboo brake; (9) Boswellia serrata CQm-

VEGETATION OF BELLARY DISTRICT 61

munity; (10) Ano(leissus latifolia-Dalber(lia latifolia community; and (11) Buteamonosperma-Tectona (lrandis community. The structure and floristic compositionof these communities are described in detail.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors desire to thank Dr. P. C. Raheja, Director, Central Arid ZoneResearch Tnstitute, Jodhpur, for evincing keen interest in this work and- for hisconstant encouragement. They also desire to express their thanks-to Dr. K. ,Subra-manyam, Deputy Director, Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta, for going throughthe manuscript and making many valuable suggestions. Thanks are also due toShri K. Venkoba Rao, Soil Conservation Centre, Bellary, for his help in field-work.

REFERENCES

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Champion, H.G., 1936, A Preliminary Study of the Forest Types of India and Burma,Dehra Dun, Indian For. Rec. (N.S.)

Gamb]e, J.S 1957, Flora of the Presidency of Madras, Vo]s. 3, (Reprinted), Calcutta,BotanicaH-urvey of India.

Hooker, J.D. 1907, Botany: Imperial-Gazetteer of India.

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Legris. P. and Viart, N. ]961. Bioclimates of South India and Ceylon, Pondichery,Travaux Sec. Sci. et Tech. Inst. Francais.

Misra, R. and Joshi, N.K. 1952, The forest complex of Patharia HilI, Sagar,J. Indian bot. Soc., 31, 154-170.

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Satyanarayan, Y. and Shankaranarayan, K. A. 1964. Contributions to the flora ofthe Rajasthan Desert, I. Lower Luni Basin, (in press)

Santapau, H. 1951. Acanthaceae of Bombay, Univ. Bombay Bot. Mem., 2, Bombay,Dnivel'Sity Press

Santapau, H. 1954, Annual excursion of the Indian Botanical Society, HyderabadDn., J. lndian bot. Soc. 33, 78-82.

Y. SATYA NARAYAN AND K •. A. SHANKARANARAYAN

Santapau, H. 1955, Excursion of the Indian Botanical Society to Pavagarh Hillnear Baroda, Ibid, 34, 158-189.

Subramaniam, A.R. and Subrahmanyam, V.P. 1962, Climates of Mysore St~te,Proc. Indian Sci. Qongr., Abst. p. 216.

Thornthwaite, C.W. 1948,An approach towards a rational classification of climate,Geog. Rev, 28, 55-94.

Wadia, D.N. 1926, Geology of India, London, Macmillan & Co.