AUTECOLOGICAL ANALYSIS FOR CERTAIN ECOLOGICALLY WEAKER UNDERSTOREY PLANTS IN THE SHOLAS OF NILGIRIS, THE WESTERN GHATSS. PADMAVATHY, S. PAULSAMY, K.K. VIJAYAKUMAR1 AND P. SENTHILKUMARAbstract The present autecological studies were carried out to find out the seed out put, survivability rate, germination rate, reproductive capacity, aggressive capacity, biomass allocation and reproductive efficiency for six weakly established species, Acme//a calm, Cayratia pedata, Fragaria vesca, Lycianthes bigeminata, Clinopodium umbrosum and Cynoglossum zeylanicum in four sholas at Nilgiris such as Thaishola, Korakundah, Kammand and Kolacombai for a period of one year from April 2003 to March 2004. The fruit types of these species are achene in Acmella calva and Fragaria vesca, berry in Cayratia pedata and Lycianthes bigeminata, verticils in Clinopodium urnbrosum and nutlet in Cynoglossum zeylanicum. The seed out put in Cayratia pedata is found to be 3696 per plant. In other species viz., Lycianthes bigeminata, Fragaria vesca, Clinopodium umbrosum and Cynoglossum Zeylanicum, it was 2555, 910,176, 136 and 38 respectively. The per cent survival of seedlings and the germination percentage were generally less than 50% for all the six species. The reproductive and aggressive capacities were also poor except for the species, Cayratia pedata. The allocation of biomass to reproductive parts and reproductive efficiency were determined to be lower in all the species studied.
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