The present investigation deals with the floristic richness
of the area the area along the National Highway (NH-2). The National Highways
form a very important part of the economic backbone of the country. All over
the world, especially in developing countries, roads are continuously
increasing at a flat rate, and roadsides occupy a very broad area in most
countries. Floristic investigation on national highway sides enables the
identification of many types of vegetation, like tree species, shrub species, herb
species, climber species, and grass species. Many types of medicinal plants are
found along the national highways. Floristic survey analysis of busy NH-2
(National Highway-2), Dhanbad district, Jharkhand, India. It is located around
12 kilometres from the main city of Dhanbad. Dhanbad city is the coal capital
of India, very rich in various types of natural resources. The diversity of
plant life is an essential underpinning of most of our terrestrial ecosystems.
Humans and most other animals are almost totally dependent on plants, directly
or indirectly. Floristic inventory of floral diversity along the National
Highway 2 (National Highway-2), Dhanbad, Jharkhand state, India, has revealed a
total of 139 angiosperm taxa under 121 genera and 50 families, 2 gymnosperm
taxa under 2 genera and 2 families, and 2 pteridophyte taxa under 2 genera and
2 families. Overall, among the angiosperms, the Fabaceae family was recorded as
the dominant family. All thirty recorded families were monotypic (a family
represented by a single species). Among genera, Solanum (5 spp.); Cassia (4
spp.); Euphorbia, Ficus, and Ipomoea (3 spp., each); Acacia, Cleome,
Calotropis, Murraya, and Ocimum (2 spp., each) were dominant along the national
highway, and other genera represented single species. Among the total flora,
the tree was reported by 45 (33% of the total floral diversity), (S) Shrub 17
(11%), (H) Herb 51 (36%), (ST) Small Tree 7 (5%), (F) Fern 2 (1%), (CT) Cactus
Tree 1 (1%), (SS) Small Shrub 8 (5%), (CS) Cactus Shrub 1 (1%), (C) Climber 7
(5%), (B) Bulb 1 (1%), and (SP) Stem Parasite 1 (1%). A total of 122 plant
species under 104 genera belonging to 46 families were recorded in aspect A (42
tree species, 14 shrub species, 42 herb species, small tree species 6, small
shrub species 7, climber species 6, bulb species 1, stem parasite 1, fern 1,
cactus tree 1, and cactus shrub 1), and in aspect B, a total of 126 plant
species under 111 genera under 48 families were recorded (42 tree species, 16
shrub species, 48 herb species, small tree species 5, small shrub species 7,
climber species 4, bulb species 1, stem parasite was not recorded in aspect B,
fern 1, cactus tree 1, and cactus shrub 1), during the floral diversity and
quantitative analysis. Floristic inventory and diversity assessments are
necessary to understand the present diversity status of National Highway side
vegetation. National highways, state highways, highways, and roadside
vegetation can be managed and used to reduce road impacts not only along the
roadside but also on adjoining landscapes by acting as a barrier to pollutant
movement and by reducing the spread of invasive species. Quantitative analysis
of plant diversity is important to understand in relation to environmental
health. The proposed methods for the field survey are very simple and easy to
understand. This floristic analysis investigation can help focus conservation
efforts and provide a framework for research, protection, and policy
applications for the road, highway, and national highway side flora, especially
for endemic and threatened plants.
Author(s) Details
Jitin Rahul
Department of Environmental Sciences, Sharda School of Basic Sciences &
Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh-201310, India.
Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mono/978-93-48006-42-4
