Multivariate analysis of elements from the microhabitats of selected plateaus in the Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

The Western Ghats represents a small part of the Deccan Traps continental flood basalt province that erupted about 65 million years ago. It is an area of outstanding scenic beauty and has attracted the attention of geologists, naturalists and geomorphologists for over a century. One of the unique habitats in the Western Ghats are the rocky plateaus. Previous studies have covered plant species composition, geological and geomorphological status of the rocky plateaus. An analytical study of microhabitats and associated therophytes of four rocky plateau sites was conducted. The study sites were Durgawadi Plateau, Naneghat Plateau which are basalt outcrops and Zenda plateau and Amba Plateau, which are laterite outcrops on the escarpment of the northern Western Ghats. The results revealed a correlation between basalt and lateritic rock outcrops as well as ephemeral plant elements. All four outcrops are similar in their nutrient status but the microhabitats of these plateaus are extremely different from each other.

Keywords

• basalt
• ephemeral
• geology
• laterite
• rock outcrop
• therophytes