Temporal changes in species composition of a tropical grassland under the influence of fluctuating environmental conditions

Abstract

In highly degraded ecosystems, we cannot usually hope for the spontaneous recovery of transformed sites because highly modified soil and hydrological factors, landscape homogenization, missing natural propagule sources, and exotic invasions upset the
expected recovery processes. Smaller site-injuries, however, may have the ability to recover naturally without human interventions. We need to determine whether to allow spontaneous processes to unfold naturally or if we require a more proactive approach through management techniques to intervene and reclaim control. In some cases, spontaneous succession can be more efficient than human activities at restoring degraded sites to a more natural state. Grassland plant composition was monitored for successive
three years across the gradient of temporal changes. The selected sites in the Bandheli grassland showed greater change in the plant species composition and their life span as well. The different environmental factors like change in amount and duration of annual
rainfall, erratic rainfall, abrupt rise in the temperature, etc. were showed direct correlation with degree of change in species composition.