A field study was conducted around two coal-fired thermal power plants
(TPP) to analyse the impact of their emission on the structure of her
baceous communities in a dry tropical area. Phytosociological studies
reflected that Cassia tora, Cynodon dactylon and Dichanthium annulatum
dominate at heavily polluted sites. Alsycarpus monilifer, Convolvulus
pluricaulis, and Desmodium triflorum are uniformly distributed, where
as Paspalidium flavidum, Phyllanthus simplex, and Rungia repens are do
minant at less polluted sites. On the basis of Importance Value Index,
the species were classified as sensitive, intermediate and resistant
to TPP emissions. Shannon-Wiener Index of species diversity, species r
ichness and evenness were inversely related, whereas concentration of
dominance was directly related to the pollution load in the area. Sign
ificant negative correlation between ambient SO2 concentration and spe
cies diversity suggested selective elimination of sensitive species fr
om the heavily polluted sites.