Page:The Journal of Indian Botany.djvu/513

ECOLOGICAL STUDY OF DECCAN GRASSLAND. 85 carrying away soil. A preliminary survey was made for the sake of ascertaining the above-mentioned contours, and another, more accurate, was made latter on, for a map. Approximately one-third of the whole area, consisting of a strip in the middle 250 feet broad, running from end to end of the area, was ploughed and harrowed in April 1920, and in June seeded with the grasses mentioned in Appendix B. The idea of this sowing was to see whether by seeding we could hasten the production of good grass on the area, and the extirpation of the existing poor grasses. In addition, three strips of land at right angles to this seeded strip were sown with bajri (Pennisetum typhoideum). This seed was broadcasted on the strips, and no cultivation was given except that which had been already given for the other grass seeding. Bajri is the natural crop of such poor land in the Deccan, and seeds were put in as it was thought that the growth of the plant in succes- sive years might give an indication of the improvement of the soil.

The vegetation was studied by —

(1) marking out and charting quadrats in typical spots.

(2) watching certain individual plants.

(3j studying the plant societies of the area.

The method of investigation by quadrats is now well known to all ecological workers. To make our meaning clear, we venture, however, to give a brief explanation of it.

A quadrat is a square plot. It may be of any size, but is usually one metre square. It is sub-divided into 100 decimetre squares. All plants in the quadrat are plotted on to paper squared to represent the lines marked on the soil. Ciements' method of laying out a quadrat is by tapes. We have constructed a wire grid of a metre side with cross wires at the decimetres. This grid when laid on the ground marks out the quadrat at once. In tall vegetation this grid is apt to be unhandy, but in low vegetation it is easily handled.

Six quadrats were studied inside the area and two outside it for comparison. Each was located in a different consocies, to use Clements' term. The quadrats were permanently marked by driving in pegs at the corners. Certain typical plants were transferred to the Agricultural College and there planted for further study.

The rains broke on June 2. Appendix C gives an idea of the season's rainfall. There was, as will be seen, a good preliminary fall, a long break, another good fall, another break, and finally rain in time to save the vegetation. On June 15, there was general greenness, and

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