Diversity and Ecological Status of Major Lac Host Species in the Village Commons of the Periphery of Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary of Odisha

An ecological study was carried out in village commons of fringe forests (i.e. 05 Km) in the tropical deciduous forests of the periphery of Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary of Odisha during 2018–19. This paper has endeavoured to assess the diversity and distribution pattern of trees vis-à-vis major lac host species in the outer peripheral region of Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary in the Garadihi Gram Panchayat of Nilgiri Block, Balasore, Odisha. An attempt was made to present floral diversity in the study site and estimated diversity index using Simpson's Diversity Index were determined to draw a comparative inference. Stratified random samplings were laid in the field. A total of 44 tree species consisting of 31 genera and 17 families were recorded. Fabaceae was the most dominant family with 13 species. Butea monosperma, a major lac host species, recorded the highest tree density (120.00 individual's ha⁻¹) and the lowest tree density (10 individual's ha⁻¹) was observed forNeolamarckia cadamba and Ficus religiosa. Shorea robusta had the highest basal area ha⁻¹ of 164.56. The Importance Value Index (IVI) of trees was the highest for Shorea robusta (20.74) followed by Schleichera oleosa which was also a major lac host species (16.15) and Holarrhena antidysenterica (15.07) while the lowest was for Neolamarckia cadamba (1.82). Species evenness for trees was (0.951). Abundance/Frequency ratio (A/F) for trees of 44 species exhibited mostly random distribution patterns for 26 species, 13 species contagiously and 5 species were regularly distributed.