COMPARATIVE PHENOLOGIES OF TWO TROPICAL DRY FORESTS IN SOUTHERN INDIA

Phenology of two seasonally dry tropical forests examined the influence of rainfall and temperature with different phenophases and common dominant species phenology and seasonality. All the woody individual of 277 reproductively matured trees belonging to 45 species in Bhadra and a total of 335 reproductively matured trees belonging to 55 species in Mudumalai were monitored. We report the phenology patterns observed for 60 months. Observations were made monthly for leafing, flowering and fruiting phenophases. The pattern of influence of environmental factors on different phenophases was analysed. Seasonality was computed to know the strength of phenophases in both forests. The duration of the dry season is relatively longer in Bhadra than in Mudumalai. Trees in Mudumalai remained leafless between December to February, while in Bhadra maximum number of species remained leafless in the month of March. Flower initiation was in the month of March in Mudumalai and in April in Bhadra. Fruit initiation in Mudumalai with two peaks one at May (end of the dry season) and the other one during July (mid-wet season), whereas in Bhadra, there were two distinct peaks, one in May (minor) and another in November (major). The various phenophases seasonality shows leaf senescence in bhadra has strong seasonality, pollinating flower and initiating fruit in Mudumalai. We analyzed the phenological pattern and seasonality in 11 species that were common between Mudumalai and Bhadra. Our results show the differences and overlapping of leafing, flowering and fruiting phenophases and the influencing factor at community and seasonality of common species and their relationship between forest types, probably this study will serve as a baseline data for ecologists to check for phenophases at community and common species to coordinate with their phenology and climate to address future consequences of changing climate.

The phenological studies of two forest types with known and unknown factors for the different species with available literature play a vital role in restoration of forest ecosystem in India and elsewhere.