Author : Siri Akaakara

Summary : Seventy-five 10 x10 m plots, 75 4 x 4 m plots, and 75 1 x 1 m plots were laid out in each burned and unburned study area to study the vegetation structure in tree, shrub, and herb layers, respectively. A 3 x 15 m transect was laid out in each area for vertical structure analysis. A series of nested plots was laid out in each area to determine the minimal sampling area. Finally, an existing trail was selected in each area to serve as transect for avifauna observation. Results showed a high similarity of floristic composition in the three layers of two areas and the index of similarity was 83 percent. A total of 43 species were found in the burned area and 49 in the unburned area. In the shrub layer, the total number of species was 31 in burned and unburned areas, but the index of similarity was 68 percent. The greatest difference in species composition as well as richness was found in the herb layer where the index of similarity was only 57 percent, and the total number of species were 42 and 25 species in burned and unburned areas, respectively. Dominant species did not differ remarkably in three layers of the two areas. The common dominant species were Tectona grandis, Lagerstroemia calyculata, Xylia xylocarpa, and Pterocarpus macrocarpus. Dominant species in shrub and herb layers, on the other hand, differed great. Lagerstroemia calyculata, Xylia xylocarpa, and Pterocarpus macrocarpus dominated the burned area, while Eupatoriam odoratum, Terminalia nigrovenulosa, Wrightia tomentosa, and Schoepfia acuminata dominated the unburned area. The dominant species common to both areas were Tectona grandis, Lagerstroemia balansae, Lygodium japonicum, and Cratoxylum sumatranum. The number of seedlings in burned area was much greater than in unburned area. Seedling densities were 18,796 and 7,666 trees/ha in burned and unburned areas, respectively. Conversely, less saplings were found in burned areas. The densities of saplings and trees in the burned area were 2,123 and 1,650 trees/ha.