Angiosperms, tree species in tropical forests of southern Eastern Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

We provide a list of tree species enumerated from a total of 60 ha area sampled in the tropical forests of southern Eastern Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 272 tree species (Ā 30 cm girth at breast height) representing 181 genera and 62 families were recorded. Euphorbiaceae with 25 species was the most speciose family, followed by Moraceae (17 species), Rubiaceae (17), Rutaceae (14) and Lauraceae (12). At the generic level, Ficus dominated with 12 species, followed by Diospyros (9), Acacia (6), Terminalia (6) and Grewia (5). Anthropogenic activities such as hill cultivation, construction of dams, roads, buildings, etc. affect the already fragmented southern Eastern Ghats, and underline the need for effective conservation measures.