Mitigating people-park conflicts on resource use through ecotourism: A case of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, Indian Himalaya

Ecotourism aims to deliver the philosophy of sustainable development through environmental conservation as well as socio-economic development. Areas with rich biodiversity and scenic beauty, like the Indian Himalayan region, have been one of the major destination centers for nature lovers from historical time. In view of conserving the rich biodiversity and natural heritage of the Himalayan region 92 protected areas have been set aside, of these Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR) is a well known world heritage site. Over a period of time establishing NDBR has invited conflicts between the local people and reserve authorities on the management approaches and utilization criteria of the natural resources, especially banning the traditional bio-resource collection rights of local community, expeditions, trekking, and other anthropogenic activities in the core zones. The present study aims to understand and analyze the various people - park conflicts, and also to suggest ways to mitigate such conflicts in view of biodiversity conservation and improvement of economic status of local people by promoting ecotourism. With this view the study further discusses the various aspects of ecotourism, its pros and cons, and the avenues of developing appropriate strategies for promotion of ecotourism in buffer zone areas of NDBR.     

Population ecology of the endangered Himalayan Yew in Khokhan Wildlife Sanctuary of North Western Himalaya for conservation management

The Himalayan Yew （Taxus baccata subsp, wallichiana） is an endangered native high value medicinal plant of the Himalayan Region. The several medicinal properties of the bark and leaves of this species have increased its risk of extinction due to pressures for utilization. It is also subjected to harvest for fuelwood. The species does not regenerate well from seed and that is another risk factor. The objective of this research was to investigate the population ecology of the species as a foundation for its conservation. Six forest communities in the Khokhan Wildlife Sanctuary where the species is present were sampled. The abundance of the species, impacts of harvesting and its current regeneration patterns indicate that it may soon be extirpated from the Sanctuary. A plan for conserving the remaining sub-populations is presented. It could provide a template for conservation in other locations where the species is at risk.     

Assessment of diversity, distribution, conservation status and preparation of management plan for medicinal plants in the catchment area of parbati hydroelectric project stage — III in Northwestern Himalaya

The developmental activities, particularly the construction of hydroelectric projects are causing a great loss of biodiversity in the Indian Himalayan Region. The Himachal Pradesh, a part of IHR is well known for the development of hydroelectric projects. The Parbati H.E. Project is amongst the major projects of the State. The different stages of the project are all causing loss of biodiversity of the area. Stage III of the Parbati H.E. Project is a run of the river scheme on the Sainj River downstream of Power House of Parbati H.E. Project Stage II. The project shall utilize regulated discharge of Parbati H.E. Project Stage II and inflow of River Sainj for power generation, and has been contemplated as a peaking station operating in tandem with Stage II. The present study has been undertaken to see the impact of hydroelectric project on the biodiversity, particularly on medicinal plants. A total of 104 species of medicinal plants, belonging to different life forms, i.e., trees (23 spp.), shrubs (22 spp.), herbs (57 spp.) and ferns (2 spp.) were recorded. The species have been analyzed and studied for their distribution, classification, altitudinal zones, part (s) used, indigenous uses, nativity, endemism and rarity. DDifferent parts of these species, such as whole plants, roots (including rhizomes and tubers), leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, stems, barks, spikes, nuts and insect galls are used by the inhabitants for curing various diseases and ailments. 30 species are native to the Himalayan region, 9 species native to the Himalayan region and adjacent countries also and 65 species are non-natives. 9 species are near endemics. Considering the whole Himalaya as a biogeographic unit (sensu lato), the near endemics are endemic to the Himalaya. Among these species, Zanthoxylum armatum is categorized as Endangered and Valeriana wallichii as Vulnerable. Hedychium spicatum, Rhus javanica, Berberis lycium, Thalictrum foliolossum, Salvia lanata, Rubia cordifolia and Bergenia ligulata may be considered as threatened species due to their over exploitation for trade. 90 species are propagated by seeds, 8 species by seeds and rhizomes/roots/tubers, 4 species by seeds and cuttings, and 2 species by sori. A management plan for the cultivation and conservation of the medicinal plants in the dam submergence area, and the commercially viable medicinal plants with high value in the catchment area is suggested.     

A survey of fodder plants in mid-altitude Himalayan rangelands of Uttarakhand,India

Himalayan rangelands, the crucial but by and large the neglected ecosystems, are an integral part of mountain farming systems. The present investigation is based on the extensive survey and collection of mid-altitude range plants from Almora and Champawat districts of Kumaun division in the Uttarakhand Himalaya in India, from September 2003 to June 2007. The rangelands studied were oak types, chirpine types, grass types and mixed ones. Some 300 species of grasses, other herbaceous plants, trees and shrubs were found in the mid-altitude rangelands. A sizeable number of species belonged to the family of Poaceae. The grass-dominated rangelands especially harboured a variety of grass species of good fodder value. The diversity of fodder plants is a proportion of the enormous biodiversity occurring in the parts of the Himalaya. A panorama of the biodiversity emerged in this study, which is of both intangible value and direct value for the livestock- and rangeland- dependent mountain communities, suggests a very high scope of the utilization of this natural and uncultivated biodiversity for supporting livestock- based livelihoods of the region. This biodiversity also has enormous bearing on the cultivated area of the region.     

On-farm Conservation of Landraces of Rice （Oryza Sativa L.） through Cultivation in the Kumaun Region of Indian Central Himalaya

The Himalayan region is a known hot spot of crop diversity. Traditional varieties (usually called primitive cultivars or landraces), having withstood the rigors of time (including harsh climatic conditions as well as attacks of insects, pests and diseases), can still be found in crop fields in rural parts of Indian Central Himalaya (ICH). These landraces harbor many desired traits from which, for example, varieties that are tolerant/resistant to abiotic/biotic stresses could be developed. In addition to the above benefits, landraces provide a basis for food security and a more varied and interesting diet. Some landraces are also known to be of medicinal value. These, along with some lesser known hill crops, are often referred to by different names such as under exploited crops, crops for marginal lands, poor person crops, and neglected mountain crops. The Himalayan region continues to be a reservoir of a large number of landraces and cultivars whose economic and ecological potential is yet to be fully understood and/or exploited. Indians have had a history of rice cultivation since ancient times. Farmers, including tribals inhabiting the IHR, still cultivate a plethora of landraces of rice and thus directly contribute towardson-farm conservation of valuable germplasm and help in the preservation of crop diversity. The present paper looks at the on-farm conservation of rice germplasm, which is still practised in the Kumaun region of ICH.     

The potential contribution of wildlife sanctuary to forest conservation: A case study from binsar wildlife sanctuary

Forest vegetation of a protected area(Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary) in Kumaun region(west Himalaya) was analysed for structure,composition and representativeness across three different altitudinal belts,lower(1,600-1,800 m a.s.l.),middle(1,900-2,100 m a.s.l.) and upper(2,200-2,400 m a.s.l.) during 2009-2011 using standard phytosociological methods.Four aspects(east,west,north and south) in each altitudinal belt were chosen for sampling to depict maximum representation of vegetation in the sanctuary.Population structure and regeneration behaviour was analysed seasonally for two years to show the establishment and growth of tree species.A total of 147 plant species were recorded from the entire region of which 27 tree species were selected for detailed study.Highest number was recorded at upper(18 species),and lowest at lower altitudinal belt(15 species).The relative proportion of species richness showed higher contribution of tree layer at each altitudinal belt.The population structure,based on the number of individuals,revealed a greater proportion of seedling layer at each altitudinal belt.The relative proportion of seedlings increases significantly along altitudinal belts(p<0.05) while opposite trends were observed in sapling and tree layers.The density of sapling and seedling species varied non-significantly across seasons(p>0.05).The density values decreased in summer and increased during rainy season.As far as the regeneration status is concerned,middle and upper altitudinal belts showed maximum number of species with fair regeneration as compared to lower altitudinal belt.Overall density diameter distribution of tree species showed highest species density and richness in the smallest girth class and decreased in the succeeding girth classes.This study suggests that patterns of regeneration behaviour would determine future structural and compositional changes in the forest communities.It is suggested that the compositional changes vis-à-vis role of ‘New’ and ‘Not regenerating’ species need priority attention while initiating conservation activities in the sanctuary.This study calls for exploring other less explored Wildlife Sanctuaries in the Himalaya and across the world,to achieve overall biodiversity status in these protected areas and thus to justify their role in conserving biodiversity in the region.     

Alpine Ecosystems of Northwest Yunnan, China： an Initial Assessment for Conservation

Implementing conservation actions on-the-ground is not a straightforward process,especially when faced with high scientific uncertainty due to limited available information. This is especially acute in regions of the world that harbor many unique species that have not been well studied,such as the alpine zone of the Hengduan Mountains of Northwest Yunnan (NWY),a global biodiversity hotspot and site of The Nature Conservancy’s Yunnan Great Rivers Project. We conducted a quantitative,but rapid regional-level assessment of the alpine flora across NWY to provide a broad-based understanding of local and regional patterns of the alpine flora,the first large-scale analysis of alpine biodiversity patterns in this region. Multivariate analyses were used to classify the major plant community types and link community patterns to habitat variables. Our analysis indicated that most species had small distributions and/or small population sizes. Strong patterns emerged with higher diversity in the more northern mountains,but beta diversity was high,averaging only 10% among sites. The ordinations indicated that elevation and geographic location were the dominant environ-mental gradients underlying the differences in the species composition among communities. The high beta diversity across the alpine of these mountains implies that conservation strategies ultimately will require the protection of large numbers of species over a large geographical area. However,prioritiza-tion should be given to areas where potential payoffs are greatest. Sites with high species richness also have a greater number of endemic species,and,by focusing efforts on these sites,conservation investments would be maximized by protecting the greatest number of unique species.     

Changes in Agricultural Biodiversity： Implications for Sustainable Livelihood in the Himalaya

Himalayan mountain system is distinguished globally for a rich biodiversity and for its role in regulating the climate of the South Asia.Traditional crop-livestock mixed farming in the Himalaya is highly dependent on forests for fodder and manure prepared from forest leaf litter and livestock excreta. Apart from sustaining farm production, forests provide a variety of other tangible and intangible benefits, which are critical for sustainable livelihood of not only 115 million mountain people, but also many more people living in the adjoining plains. Extension of agricultural landuse coupled with replacement of traditional staple food crops by cash crops and of multipurpose agroforestry trees by fruit trees are widespread changes. Cultivation of Fagopyrum esculentum,Fagopyrum tataricum, Panicum miliaceum, Setaria italica and Pisum arvense has been almost abandoned. Increasing stress on cash crops is driven by a socio-cultural change from subsistence to market economy facilitated by improvement in accessibility and supply of staple food grains at subsidized price by the government. Farmers have gained substantial economic benefits from cash crops. However, loss of agrobiodiversity implies more risks to local livelihood in the events of downfall in market price/demand of cash crops, termination of supply of staple food grains at subsidized price, pest outbreaks in a cash crop dominated homogeneous landscape and abnormal climate years. Indigenous innovations enabling improvement in farm economy by conserving and/enhancing agrobiodiversity do exist, but are highly localized. The changes in agrobiodiversity are such that soil loss and run-off from the croplands have dramatically increased together with increase in local pressure on forests. As farm productivity is maintained with forest-based inputs, continued depletion of forest resources will result in poor economic returns from agriculture to local people,apart from loss of global benefits from Himalayan forests. Interventions including improvement in traditional manure and management of on-farm trees,participatory development of agroforestry in degraded forest lands and policies favoring economic benefits to local people from non-timber forest products could reduce the risks of decline in agricultural biodiversity and associated threats to livelihoods and Himalayan ecosystems.     

Diversity, Distribution Pattern and Conservation Status of the Plants Used in Liver Diseases/Ailments in Indian Himalayan Region

Introduction The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is known for its unique, natural, representative biodiversity (Samant et al. 1998a). This biodiversity is being utilized by the inhabitants of the IHR in various forms, i.e., medicine, food (wild edibles), fuel, fodder, timber, making agricultural tools, fiber, religious and various other purposes (Samant and Dhar 1997, Samant et al. 1998b). In the remote areas of the IHR where primary health centers are located far from the villages, the in…     

Diversity, distribution and prioritization of fodder species for conservation in Kullu District, Northwestern Himalaya, India

In the Indian Himalayan Region predominantly rural in character, livestock is one of the main sources of livelihood and integral part of the economy. Livestock mostly rely on fodder from wild. The diversity, distribution, utilization pattern, nativity, endemism, rarity, seasonality of availability, nutritive values, perceived economic values and pressure use index of livestock have not been studied. The present study attempts to enumerate 150 species of fodder representing trees (51 spp.), shrubs (54 spp.) and herbs (45 spp.). Poaceae (19 spp.) and Fabaceae (13 spp.) amongst families and Salix (6 spp.), Ficus, Clematis, and Desmodium (5 spp., each) amongst genera are rich in species. Maximum species were found in the 1801 ~ 2600 m zone, and the remaining two zones showed relatively low diversity. Out of the 150 species, 109 are used in summer, 5 winter and 36 throughout year. During rainy season, mostly grasses are used as fodder. Only 83 species are native to the Himalayan region, one species, Strobilanthus atropuroureus is endemic and 35 species are near endemic. The nutritive values of the fodder species were reviewed, and economic values and status of the species were also assessed. The pressure use index of the species was calculated on the basis of cumulative values of the utilization pattern, altitudinal distribution, availability, status, nativity and endemism. Amongst the species, Grewia oppositifoilia, Morus serrata, Indigofera heterantha, Quercus leucotrichphora, Ulmus villosa, U. wallichiana and Aesculus indica showed highest PUI indicating high preference and pressure. Season wise prioritization of the species for different altitudinal zones has been done. Appropriate strategy and action plan have been suggested for the conservation and management of fodder species.     

2010-2015年中国生物多样性保护优先区域人类干扰程度评估

生物多样性是人类赖以生存与发展的基础。中国生物多样性保护优先区域集中分布着中国绝大多数的生物物种,如何保护好这些区域的生态系统和生物多样性,是实现可持续发展急需解决的问题。本文基于2010年和2015年的2期土地利用/覆被数据,应用人类干扰指数,分析了中国生物多样性保护优先区域人类干扰的程度及变化。结果表明：① 2015年中国生物多样性保护优先区域人类干扰程度以微度和轻度为主,15个优先区处于微度干扰,占优先区总面积的84.10%,13个处于轻度干扰,占优先区总面积的6.65%;华北平原黄土高原区和华东华中丘陵平原区人类干扰程度较高,而西南高山峡谷区、蒙新高原荒漠区和青藏高原高寒区人类干扰程度很低;② 2010-2015年,占优先区总面积84.54%的区域人类干扰程度基本持衡,人类干扰程度发生增加和下降的面积大致冲抵,生物多样性保护优先区域整体变化不大,华南低山丘陵区和东北山地平原区人类干扰程度较高,且升幅超过1%,华北平原黄土高原区降幅最大,为0.15%;③ 人类干扰程度较高且变化幅度大的区域,主要受经济发展对生态系统干扰及土地利用程度加深的影响,对农田、居民点及工矿交通用地的需求增加,退耕还林等部分生态工程实施有利于减少人类对生态系统的干扰程度。总体上看,全国32个生物多样性保护优先区域整体上人类干扰程度较低且变化幅度较小,且人类干扰程度高的区域分布较集中,说明国家生态保护各项政策与措施的实施对生物多样性保护起到了良好的促进作用,有利于生物多样性的保护。     

Applying systematic conservation planning to constitute a protection strategy for broad-leaved Korean pine forests in Changbai Mountains,China

The broad-leaved Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) forest is one of the most biodiverse zonal communities in the North Temperate Zone and an important habitat for many endangered species. Broad-leaved Korean pine forests (BKPFs) are shrinking quickly due to deforestation and rapid urbanization. Thus, scientific protection strategies are urgently needed to change this status. Changbai Mountains contains one of the largest BKPFs and is considered a priority biodiversity conservation area in China. Guided by systematic conservation planning (SCP) methods and procedures, we chose representative species and communities in BKPFs ecosystem as priority conservation objects, and set quantitative conservation target, which is in the light of the biodiversity characteristic of BKPFs. The watershed area is used as planning unit. We used C-Plan software to calculate the irreplaceability (Ir) value of each planning unit and the contribution value (T _i ) of each conservation object to (1) assess the conservation efficiency; (2) identify the conservation gap of the existing conservation network. Then we calculated a human disturbance index (HDI) for planning units in the conservation gaps and combine this with the Ir value to design three conservation scenarios to optimize the conservation network. Results show that planning units with high conservation value 14.16% of the total area, with 3084.36 km² were covered by the existing conservation network. 79.28% of planning units with high conservation value have not been protected which were concentrated mainly in the eight gap areas. Only 25.3% of protection objects achieved their conservation target with the existing conservation network. Conservation efficiency is low. Three conservation scenarios are constituted, each prioritizing a different aim: (1) ecological value; (2) species rescue; and (3) economical avoidance. The three conservation schemes potentially enable 93%, 88% and 51% of conservation objects, respectively, to achieve identified conservation targets, thereby improving conservation efficiency significantly.     

Plant studies in the first Himalayan Biosphere Reserve: a review

Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve(NDBR) was declared as the first Himalayan Biosphere Reserve owing to its unique biological and cultural wealth. Its core zones, Nanda Devi National Park and Valley of Flowers National Park, are a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. In spite of lying at a high altitude, interplay of factors such as unique geographical location, climate, topography and wide altitudinal variations have endowed NDBR with a rich and diverse flora. Proportionately high percentage of endemic and near endemic plants makes NDBR a very important protected area from conservation point of view. However, its floristic wealth is facing unprecedented threats in the form of climate change and growing anthropogenic pressure. Hence, a need was felt to assess the directionality, quality and sufficiency of past and ongoing research for the conservation of floral and ethnobotanical wealth of NDBR in the absence of any such previous attempt. Based on an extensive review of more than 150 plant studies on NDBR, this communication provides a detailed account of the current state of knowledge and information gaps on flora, vegetation ecology, rare, endangered, threatened(RET) and endemic plants and ethnobotany. Priority research areas and management measures are discussed for the conservation of its unique floral wealth. Incomplete floral inventorization, lack of biodiversity monitoring, meagre studies on lower plant groups, population status of medicinal plants, habitat assessment of threatened taxa and geo-spatial analysis of alpine vegetation were identified as areas of immediate concern.     

Plant studies in Himachal Pradesh,Western Himalaya: a systematic review

Owing to a predicted rise in temperature, increase in precipitation and the escalating anthropogenic stresses, the Himalayan ecosystems are the most threatened non-polar regions of the world. In the past, there have been racing extinctions and range shifts of several life forms in this region, particularly of the plant species. Therefore, consistent qualitative and quantitative records on botanical baseline data on a regular basis are indispensable. The current communication attempts to provide a detailed account on the current state of knowledge and research gaps in floristic studies of Himachal Pradesh, Western Himalaya. Based on an extensive review of more than 140 studies in the form of scientific peer reviewed literature on floristics, medicinal and aromatic plants(MAPs), rare, endangered, threatened and endemic species and ethno-botany, it is revealed that the number of floristic studies in Himachal Pradesh have surged in the past years but studies pertaining to the lower plants remain meagre. Unfortunately, the remote valleys including micro-watersheds lying in the coldarid regions are relatively less studied in terms of available growing stock and population status of MAPs. Depleting traditional ethno-botanical knowledge has been the major concern and, many threatened MAPs need to be accessed globally following IUCN standards. Thus, documentation of the conservation status of key MAPs, setting aside conservation areas around viable populations of threatened species, developing germplasm banks of the priority MAPs and monitoring the impacts of climate change has been suggested.     

Benefitting from Geoinformatics: Estimating Floristic Diversity of Warwan Valley in Northwestern Himalaya,India

The Himalaya harbor rich floristic diversity which is of immense scientific interest and socio-economic importance.In this study, floristic diversity of a remote alpine valley has been studied based on information extracted from remotely sensed satellite data along with field surveys undertaken during 2008-2014.Analysis of vegetation information from satellite data revealed that ~75% of the area is covered with natural vegetation which comprises lush green coniferous forests, alpine pastures and alpine scrub lands.With inputs from vegetation information extracted from satellite data, comprehensive field surveys were planned to document the floristic diversity of the region.Analysis of species composition showed a total of 285 plant species,belonging to 191 genera in 60 families.Of these, 250 species are herbs, 14 shrubs, 2 sub-shrubs and 19 trees.The dicotyledons are represented by 240 species, monocotyledons 30, gymnosperms 04, andpteriodophytes 11 species.Asteraceae is the largest family with 35 species.During the present study, 5species(Corydalis cashmeriana, Hippophae rhamnoides, Primula minutissima, Saussurea sacra and Inula orientalis) have been recorded for the first time from this Himalayan region.The study demonstrates the benefits of geo-informatics in floristic studies, particularly the robustness of remotely sensed data in identifying areas with potentially high species richness, which would be otherwise difficult in a complex mountainous terrain using traditional floristic surveys alone.The present study is expected to provide baseline scientific data for cutting edge studies relating to long term ecological research, bioprospecting, possible impacts of changing climate on vegetation and sustainable use of plant resources in this Himalayan region.     

Spatial correlation and ecological characteristics analysis of management area for biodiversity conservation and relevant regionalization

Formulation of different ecological zone plans according to the corresponding protection targets and the necessity of proper conservation policy is one of the measures to achieve the goal of ecological conservation in China.In order to clarify the interrelation among key ecological zone plans,this paper carried out the research on spatial relation of priority areas of biodiversity conservation and three key ecological areas（key ecological function areas,key regions of ecological service function,national nature reserves） and the research on ecological conditions,based on multi-scale ecological spatial theme information,which incorporates elements like ecologi-cal quality and type,and by the aid of spatial information analysis and GIS modeling.The results showed a contrastively fine spatial consistency with 68.8% of priority areas of biodiversity conservation overlapping with three key ecological areas.Although the envi-ronment in priority areas of biodiversity conservation were in good conditions,protection pressure is also increasing,powerful supervi-sion and protection should not be ignored.The environmental conditions in the overlapping areas,as a whole,were superior to those in the non-overlapping areas.Since two areas have different characteristics,targeted protection measures should be formulated based on this difference,which will be very important for biodiversity conservation in priority areas of biodiversity conservation.     

Optimizing hotspot areas for ecological planning and management based on biodiversity and ecosystem services

The significance of biodiversity and ecosystem services are gradually recognized by human as an approach towards sustainability, so it is important to understand relationships and congruence between them to support conservation planning, especially in the hotspot areas with a prominent role in conservation. However, the management of most conservation hotspots mainly focused on biodiversity, and rarely concerned with ecosystem services. With the aim of proposing criteria for conservation strategies that contribute to the optimization of biodiversity and ecosystem services, in this study, a Geographic Information System(GIS)-based approach was designed to estimate and map the biodiversity and ecosystem services in Chongqing Municipality of China. Furthermore, the distributions of hotspot areas for biodiversity and ecosystem services were mapped based on the relationship between cumulative ecosystem services and areas. Finally the statistical analysis was processed focused on specific conservation objectives. The results showed that hotspot areas can conserve the most biodiversity but with the least ecosystem services under the conservation plans target to biodiversity conservation. In contrast, depending on the ecosystem services of interest, hotspot areas can conserve the largest ecosystem services but with the least biodiversity. By integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services into conservation plan, we found that the conservation and regeneration of these small areas, would contribute to a conservation of 44% of the biodiversity hotspot and 14%–42% of the ecosystem services hotspot. Moreover, the current nature reserve selection was not maximize the biodiversity and ecosystem services compared to integration strategy, indicating that hotspot areas conservation and selection is vital for optimization protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services, and has practical significance for natural resources and ecosystem management.     

生物多样性保护优先区人类干扰遥感监测与评价方法

本文利用遥感数据时空分辨率高、覆盖面积大、获取便捷的特点,构建优先区人类干扰状况的评价指标体系和计算方法,提取人类干扰类型的空间分布数据,借助地理信息系统的空间分析功能对人类干扰数据进行栅格运算,建立生物多样性保护优先区人类干扰指数（Human Disturbance Index）,定量评价了优先区内人类干扰程度的空间分布特征及动态变化,并以桂西黔南生物多样性保护优先区为例进行了方法验证。结果表明,该方法能有效地进行优先区内人类干扰状况定量评价,数据易获取、过程易操作,具有较强的业务推广价值。生物多样性保护优先区人类干扰指数定量评价方法的建立,可为优先区制定合理、有效的保护措施,为优先区保护和日常监管提供技术支持。     

Assessing Conservation Values of Forest Communities in Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve: Plant Diversity,Species Distribution and Endemicity

Present study has been conducted in a biodiversity rich Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve between 2000-3800 m in two different forest physiognomy holding sites to analyze the structure and composition of the forest communities including richness of native, non native and endemic species,and suggest conservation values at community and reserve level.A total of 60 sites were sampled and grouped in 11 and 8 communities for two representative sites Pindari-Sunderdhunga-Kafni(PSK) and Lata-Tolma-Phagti(LTP) respectively.From the sampled sites, 451 species(11.8%, 53 trees;17.71%, 80 shrubs; and 70.51%, 318 herbs) have been recorded.In general, PSK site represented 73.6% and LTP site represented only 54.9% of the total plant species recorded in the study area.Out of total species in PSK site, native species contributed 59.6%(198spp.) and 24.7% species were endemic and near endemic.In LTP site, 66.5% species were Himalayan natives and 33.5% were endemic and near endemic.The species richness ranged from 4-23 ind ha-1(tree),3-18 ind ha-1(sapling), 5-19 ind ha-1(seedling) in PSK site and 4-18 ind ha-1(tree), 4-11 ind ha-1(sapling), 4-16 ind ha-1(seedling) in LTP site.The density ranged from 260-535 ind ha-1(tree), 145-633 ind ha-1(sapling), 1450-8170 ind ha-1(seedling) in PSK site and 599-1211 ind ha-1(tree), 70-951 ind ha-1(sapling),470-1665 ind ha-1(seedling) in LTP site.Species diversity for trees ranged from 0.73-3.37, saplings,0.64-2.67, seedlings, 0.70-2.51, shrubs, 1-2.34 and herbs, 2.02-3.21 in PSK site and 0.63-1.61, saplings,0.76-1.36, seedlings, 0.35-1.79, shrubs, 0.98-2.73 and herbs, 2.48-3.61 in LTP site.These recorded values were almost comparable with the studies conducted in sub-tropical, temperate and sub-alpine regions of the west Himalaya.In some cases the values were slightly higher than the reported values.The important communities with high conservation values have been identified based on different ecological parameters and species distribution.Among all the prioritized communities, Mixed Silver firRhododendron-Maple community in PSK site and Taxus wallichana- A.pindrow mixed community in LTP site supports maximum richness and density of native and endemic species.This study calls for development of adequate strategy and action plan for the conservation and management of habitats, species,and communities under changing climate and socioeconomic scenarios, so that sustainable utilization of the species could be ensured.     

Vertical patterns in plant diversity and their relations with environmental factors on the southern slope of the Tianshan Mountains (middle section) in Xinjiang (China)

The investigation of distribution patterns of species diversity is significant for successful biodiversity conservation. The spatial patterns of vegetation and different life-forms species diversity along an elevation gradient in the middle section of the southern slope of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, China were explored, using the detrended canonical correspondence analysis(DCCA) and the generalized additive model(GAM) methods based on a field survey of 53 sampling plots. In this work 158 species of seed plants were recorded, including 141 herbaceous, 14 shrub, and 2 tree species, in which the woody plants are very limited. 53 sampling plots were classified into 9 major plant communities. The results indicate that the herb communities were the most sensitive to changes in elevation gradient. The diversity indices of the community as a whole presented bimodal patterns. The peak values for the species diversities were found in the transition region between mountain steppe desert and mountain desert steppe(2,200–2,300m), and in the alpine grassland region(2,900–3,100m), while maximum species diversities were in the areas of intermediate environmental gradient. The main environmental factors on the distribution patterns in plant diversity were the elevation, soil water, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, organic matter, and total salt. The response tendency of the four diversity indices for the whole community to the soil environment was the same as that of the herb layers.