Phytosociological Investigation and Medicinally Important Plants of Sanjay -Dubri Tiger Reserve Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh, India

Plant diversity is an important aspect of biodiversity, and in order to support effective planning and sustainable utilization of forest resources, a thorough examination of its component parts, structural traits, and operational mechanisms is required (Noss, 1990).The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) considers forests to be important repositories of terrestrial biological diversity. Numerous forest types, including tropical, temperate, and boreal forests, offer a variety of habitats for microbes, plants, and animals (FAO, 2020).For all of recorded time, woods have provided for humans' basic requirements. Developmental efforts and population growth put more strain on forests, which resulted in deforestation and other degradation of forest area. Thus, it becomes crucial to investigate plant diversity in order to comprehend how ecosystems function (Turnbull et al., 2016). India is separated under 12 bio-geographical provinces, 5 ecological zones, and 3 bioregion domains. It also has a vast range of ecosystems and habitats, such as those found in grasslands, lakes, wetlands, waterways, estuaries, and oceans; also, it has dry regions (Cox and Moore, 1993).With a total land area of 2.4% of the world's, the nation is home to 47,513 plant species, or 11.4% of the world's flora, out of the 0.4 million species that have been successfully identified so far (Singh & Dash, 2014). Madhya Pradesh is recognized as a prominent region of forested terrain within the country, encompassing an expansive area of approximately 4, 63,452 square kilometers. Many academics have previously conducted in-depth research on Madhya Pradesh botanical features. In 1830, Victor Jacquemont made the first records of the plant in the Madhya Pradesh districts of Sidhi, Rewa, Satna, and Panna. After the BSI explored some of the state's most important areas, it published a

Research on the Umaria district's flora in Madhya Pradesh was done by Shahu et al. (2012). 351 plant species in all, divided into 276 genera and 100 families, were identified by the researchers. A floristic survey was carried out in the Madhya Pradesh districts of Rewa, Alirajpur, Sidhi, and Satna (Sikarwar and Tiwari, 2014). Six angiospermic taxa were found and recorded as new additions to the Madhya Pradesh flora as a result of their investigation: Phyllocephalum phyllolaenum (DC.) Narayana, Spilanthes radicans Jacq., Physalis angulata L., P. lagascae Roem. & Schult., P. pruinosa L., and Brachiaria mutica (Forssk.) Stapf. A detailed description of the angiospermic species present in the Madhya Pradesh district of Sidhi was given byTiwari (2014). All 941 species, which are spread over 545 genera and are members of 132 families, have been identified by a thorough record.An investigation into the pteridophytic variety in Sanjay National Park was carried out by Singh et al. (2005). Pteridophytes make up the majority of the ground vegetation during the wet season.The "Sidhi" district of Madhya Pradesh and the "Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur" district of Chhattisgarh, India, are home to Sanjay National Park, a protected region. The tract is a crucial part of the Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve, covering 2,300 square kilometers (890 square miles) in total (Singh et al., 2005). The present research was conducted to study the biodiversity of medicinally important plants in Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve (M.P.).

A field survey was carried out at the Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve in Sidhi during the experimental years. Over the course of two years in a row (2021 to 2023), data was collected. All plant species were collected and identified using conventional floras and references, and their identities were then confirmed by consulting regional experts and the Botanical Survey of India's laboratories.

During the two research years (2021 to 2023), three successive seasons of phytosociological research on vegetation were conducted. According to Saxena and Singh (1982), a random selection of quadrats for the herb layer was used to do a quantitative evaluation of the study.Each tree's diameter at breast height (dbh) was noted for each species separately. Curtis and McIntosh's (1950) study protocol involved examining the frequency, density, and abundance of vegetation.

equation following determines the density calculation:

Raunkiaer (1934) first established the idea of frequency, which is the number of units of sampling in which a specific species of animal is recorded.

The study of abundance deals with the measurement of different species' populations within a specific ecological community, expressed as a function of area.

The surface area that the stems cover at ground level is referred to as the "basal area" and is used to measure the supremacy of a specific plant species.

By comparing a species' relative values of frequency, density, and dominance to those of other plant species in the community, the IVI metric can be used to evaluate a species' importance within that community. The IVI of each tree species was calculated by;

Relative density is a quantitative measure of a species' population size in relation to the total population size of every species in a given area.

The ratio of the distribution of each species within a certain area to the total number of species found there.

A species' dominance cannot be determined until its basal cover value has been determined.

The subtropical climate of the region provides a wealth of floral diversity. There are 142 species of plants of higher elevation from 119 genera and 48 families found within the research zone. Fabaceae has the most species i.e. 20 followed by Poaceae (26), then followed by Rutaceae (7 species), Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Combretaceae, Convolvulaceae, Malvaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae, Moraceae, Araceae, Asparagaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Cyperaceae, Lythraceae, Rubiaceae, Solanaceae, Anacardiaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Meliaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Oleaceae, Rhamnaceae, Zingiberaceae, Acanthaceae, Amaranthaceae, Annonanceae, Arecaceae, Aristolochiaceae, Brassicaceae, Burseraceae, Colchicaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Ebenaceae, Elaeocarpaceae, Getianaceae, Hypoxidaceae, Menispermaceae, Musaceae, Myrtaceae, Papavereaceae, Phyllanthaceae, Polypodiaceae, Santalaceae, Sapotaceae, Verbenaceae and Vitaceae. Table 1. Lists the plants that were collected during the study period in alphabetical order.

Upon taxonomic classification of the families, genera, and species, it was seen that the flora was dominated by dicots, with 126 species, while the monocots were represented by 16 species.

Classifying the plant species found in a research area based on their division and life form provides important information about the ecological characteristics and diversity of the community of plants. Therophytes, which comprise 39 species, and Macrophanerophytes, which comprise 51 species, are the most common life forms found in the environment. Chamaephytes, which consist of 10 species, and Geophytes, which consist of 20 species.The co-occurrence of Liana/Climber (9 species) and Epiphytes (1 species) serves as an indication of the presence of species that are adapted to climbing and inhabiting the canopy, hence emphasizing the complex vertical structure of the vegetation.

With basal areas ranging from 2.54 m2 to 4.52 m2, some of the important tree species that made a substantial contribution to the ecosystem's base area were Terminalia arjuna, Shorea robusta, Tecton grandis, and Ficus benghalensis. The basal area and climbers such as Urginea indica, Tinospora cardifolia, and Mucuna pruriens had a major influence on it. Additionally, the lower basal portions of a number of herbs, including Imperata cylindrical, Zingiber officinale, and Eclipta prostrata, added to the overall variety of the study area. Table 2. provides detailed information on the average diameter and basal areas.

Shorea robusta was found to have the greatest frequency of 77 in the Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve, according to the results. Lagerstroemia parviflora was the tree that was founded the second most frequently (63). Diospyros melanoxylon showed the next frequency pattern, with a frequency of 53; Ficus racemosa and Madhuca indica were observed to have the same frequency of 50 from both target area sites. Similarly, Bombax ceiba was found to have the highest abundance in the tree category, with a value of 18.6. Diospyros melanoxylon (26.64), Shorea robusta (26.26), Terminalia arjuna (22.91), and Bombax ceiba (19.42) were the trees with the highest reported IVI.

The table 4 provides a concise display of the results of the regional herb analysis. The species with the highest density was Ageratum conyzoides, which had 6.3 individuals per square meter. It also showed the highest abundance, with a count of 15 individuals, and frequency, with 48 instances overall. It also contributed significantly to the Importance Value Index (IVI) at 33.8%, having the highest values in respect to relative density (13.1%), relative frequency (8.4%), and relative dominance (12.3%). Other notable species found in the research region include Andrographis paniculata, which has an Importance Value Index (IVI) of 29.5% and a population density of 5.3 individuals per square meter. In addition, Mimosa pudica has a high frequency of 53 occurrences, resulting in an IVI of 22.3%. The plant composition of the environment under study shows a diversity of species that serve

In Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve, many medicinal plants were identified. Out of them 20 were extensively used in medicines or were used by the locals in traditional ways. The following table 5 shows the medicinal importance of each species:

To sum up, the phytosociological study conducted in Madhya Pradesh's Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve has provided important new understandings of the variety of plant species that live there. In total 142 species of plants were identified over there. 22 species of medicinally significant plants found in the region's great biodiversity have long been used by The results conveyed that among trees Diospyros melanoxylon and in herbs Mimosa pudica had high frequency. The findings revealed that Lagerstroemia parviflora (16.11), Madhuca indica (18.42), Acacia arbica (16.41), and Tamarindus indica (19.42) were the trees with the highest reported IVI. In case of herbs, the species with the highest density was Ageratum conyzoides, which had 6.3 individuals per square meter. It also showed the highest abundance, with a count of 15 individuals, and frequency, with 48 instances overall. It also contributed significantly to the Importance Value Index (IVI) at 33.8%, having the highest values in respect to relative density (13.1%), relative frequency (8.4%), and relative dominance (12. 3%). In addition, medicinal importance of the 20 species is highlighted in this article. Overall, this research article shed light in flora of Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve. The present investigation has facilitated a substantial augmentation in the botanical understanding of this crucial ecological niche.

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Govt. SGS College, Sidhi (M.P.)