ABSTRACT:

Several Amorphophallus species are cultivated for their edible tubers. Nine of their congenerics are present in the Western Ghats. The abundance, spatial distribution patterns, and ecology of these species were studied. Based on abundance the habitat preference for these species in decreasing order is as follows: open scrub, mesa, Acacia auriculiformis plantations, disturbed evergreen forests, cashew and eucalyptus plantations, casuarina plantations, and betelnut orchards. Within a particular habitat, the spatial distribution patterns were clumped. The reasons behind such clumping could lie in their dispersal, reproductive ecology, and species associations. The implications of such distribution patterns on in situ conservation measures for these plant species are discussed. AmorphophalIus species seem to be plants of humid habitats preferring an intermediate level of dis· turbance but not large scale habitat transformations. Large scale habitat transformations seem to be breaking their ecological links with their pollinators and dispersal agents resulting in reduction of their populations.