Asian Plant Research Journal

Background: College campuses can function as important urban green spaces by supporting tree diversity and contributing to environmental quality, biodiversity conservation and educational activities. However, information on tree species composition and diversity within institutional campuses of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands remains limited. Assessing campus tree diversity is therefore useful for establishing baseline information and guiding future planting and biodiversity management.

Aims: To document the tree species diversity of the Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya (JNRM) campus, compare diversity across different parts of the campus, and assess the share of native and introduced species.

Study Design: Complete enumeration (census) of all planted trees, arborescent shrubs and palms on the campus.

Place and Duration of Study: Campus of Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya, Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair), South Andaman, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, between January and April 2024.

Methodology: The 2.22 ha campus was divided into seven sites and every tree was counted and identified. Relative abundance, Shannon diversity index (H′), Simpson diversity index (1 − D), Pielou evenness (J′) and Margalef richness (Dmg) were calculated for each site and for the whole campus. Species were classed as native to India or introduced based on their native range.

Results: A total of 227 individuals belonging to 22 species, 21 genera and 11 families were recorded, giving a density of about 102 trees per hectare. Fabaceae was the richest family with 9 species. Casuarina equisetifolia was the most abundant species, accounting for 55.9% of all individuals. Campus-wide H′ was 1.86, 1 − D was 0.67 and J′ was 0.60. The two ornamental gardens were the most diverse sites (H′ = 2.17 and 2.15), while sites along the seafront and boundary were dominated by Casuarina (H′ = 0.22 to 0.84). Eleven species were native and ten were introduced, but native species made up 86.3% of individuals. One introduced species, Cascabela thevetia, is listed as invasive in the islands.

Conclusion: The campus depends heavily on a single species, far above the common urban guideline of 10% for any one species. Future planting should favour a wider range of native island trees. QR codes linking each species to basic information were prepared to raise awareness among students and visitors.