Page:The Journal of Indian Botany.djvu/517

ECOLOGICAL STUDY OF DECCAN GRASSLAND. 89 Andropogon contortus appeared on the cultivated area but in patches only. Andropogon monticola was prominent in the cultivated area, some of this from the sown, and some from the original seeds probably. The same remark applies to A. annulatus and A. caricosus. Other grasses of the strip were Paspalum sanguinalc, Manisuris granularis, Iseilema anot/iophoroidcs, Aristida tedacta, A. adscc?isio?iis A.ftmicidata, Panicum ramosum, P. javanicum, Elcusine aegyptiaca, and Thclepogon elegans.

The bajri appeared very late, and then only as a few scattered dwarf plants.

We have followed for one rainy season the behaviour of a small piece of bad land in the Deccan. We are struck with the variation of vegetation in so small an area, the soil conditions determining the species. In rocky and eroded soil found on high levels certain poor grasses dominate, in the deeper and moister soils of the lower levels, the vegetations consists of good fodder grasses.

Even in the higher and rocky parts however, the good fodder grasses Iseilema laxum and Andropogon monticola, have firmly estab- lished themselves. Loth are perennials. It is not too much to hope that they will gradually dominate the higher levels, thereby fixing the soil, and gradually producing the conditions suitable for the more tender Andropogon annulatus and Andropogon caricosus.

There is nothing in the climate, except when the rains fail to pre- vent these excellent fodder grasses establishing themselves if the land conditions are right. The question appears to resolve itself into one of permanent land improvement.

The question arises : What stage of the succession are we at ? It can hardly be the climax, in an area so trampled, burned and grazed as this is. Is it the very first stage of the sere, to use Clements' term ? It is difficult to say, but in certain parts of the area we cannot be far off the initial stage, marked in this case by the small short-lived and xerophytic grasses Oropetium Thomaeum and Tripogon Eoxburghanus. Future years will enable us to pronounce on this point with more decision.

What may we expect as the climax, woodland or grassland ? The climate is typically neither a woodland nor a grassland climate/ Rainfall is confined to five months of the year. In the hot months all the aarial parts of grasses die. Trees have to be of the most xerophytic character to stand these dry months also. From observa- tions of the neighbourhood, it would appear likely that the climax is Acacia arabica forest. Acacia arabica is checked in its young stages