Vegetation Types and Floristic Composition of the Buffer Zone of Silent Valley National Park, Palakkad, Kerala.

Abstract

Silent Valley National Park, located in Palakkad district in the Southern Western Ghats, which is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot in India. To ensure the conservation of the National Park an additional 148 km² of forest land has been designated as a buffer zone. The study carried out during 2019 to 2024 for identifying and assessing plant species diversity within the buffer zone of Silent Valley National Park. The natural forest within the buffer zone comprises of various vegetation types, including West Coast Tropical evergreen forests, West Coast Semi-evergreen forests, South Indian moist deciduous forests, Southern montane wet temperate forests, Grasslands and Riparian vegetation. This buffer zone is drained by two significant rivers namely, Bhavani and Kunthipuzha. The present work reports 1,077 plant species including two subspecies and two varieties from 671 genera, classified within 141 families, along with two gymnosperms. The enumeration has led to identify 121 edible plant species, 276 species with potential ornamental values, 168 endemic species, and 84 threatened species as per IUCN. The recorded plant species are grouped into 277 trees, 186 shrubs, 83 climbers, 20 climbing shrubs, 44 woody climbers, and 467 herbaceous species.