Table 1 Vegetation attributes and diversity indices under traditional Piper agroforestry systems and nearby natural forest stand in Cachar district, Assam, North-Eastern India
From: Piper agroforestry in the Indian Himalayas: indigenous peoples’ practices, policies and incentives
Parameters | Piper agroforestry stand age (years) | Natural forest | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
< 5 | 5–15 | 15–25 | 25–35 | > 35 | ||
Plantation cycle | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | – |
Piper production status | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | – |
Stand density (stems ha−1) | 860 | 930 | 1010 | 1130 | 1020 | 1170 |
No. of species | 30 | 34 | 35 | 39 | 49 | 39 |
Total basal area (m2 ha−1) | 13.1 | 22.6 | 28.7 | 30.4 | 42.8 | 29.0 |
Shannon–Wiener diversity index (H) | 3.02 | 3.03 | 3.04 | 3.35 | 3.65 | 3.14 |
Margalef richness index (R) | 6.51 | 7.28 | 7.37 | 8.04 | 10.38 | 7.98 |
Species evenness index (E) | 0.89 | 0.86 | 0.85 | 0.92 | 0.94 | 0.86 |