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This paper reports Blascoa ephedraeAskew, 1997, from Kashmir Himalaya, which is first record of this insect species from Asia. To validate this new record, a brief diagnosis, photographic illustrations and distributional map of the species are provided. In addition, the present study first time describes a novel interaction between B. ephedraeand a gymnosperm plant Ephedra intermedia,wherein the insect forages the female cones and completes life cycle by overwintering within the seeds of this plant species. Such a phytophagous behavior suggests the role of B. ephedraein retarding the reproductive potential of E. intermediain Kashmir Himalaya.

ABSTRACTIn this study, we investigated the reproductive biology of Trillium govanianum— a medicinally important endangered plant species endemic to the Himalaya. We specifically aimed to unravel the key floral traits that aid and/or limit the species’ reproduction, including the breeding strategies and modes of pollination. We studied qualitative and quantitative floral traits, and conducted different breeding experiments to understand reproductive biology of this plant species for its conservation and sustainable utilization. Our results show no temporal separation between anther dehiscence and stigma receptivity in the species, though essential organs are spatially separated. The absence of nectar secretion in the flowers and lack of pollenkitt in the pollen wall indicates anemophily is operative in the species; nevertheless, some flies and beetles were observed to occasionally visit the plants. The pollen/ovule ratio indicates a value between facultative-xenogamy to xenogamy. Our pollination experiment results reveal that the species undertakes both self- and cross-pollination. We observed a significant difference in fruit set between the supplemented and open-pollinated controls, indicating that the species might be pollen-limited. Although both self- and cross-pollinations are operating in the species, yet the fruit set was low, which may be due to the inefficient pollination system and meiotic abnormality found in the species. Overall, our results suggest that the reproduction in T. govanianumis limited by some inherent biological traits in combination with environmental conditions. Looking ahead, we highlight how our findings can help in guiding conservation of this endangered species in the Himalaya.

The ethnic communities living near protected areas are critically dependent on medicinal plants for their healthcare. Although several ethnomedicinal studies are available from the Himalaya, quantitative studies focusing on protected areas in this region are largely overlooked. In this study, we aimed to document the ethnomedicinal plants of the Overa-Aru wildlife sanctuary in Kashmir Himalaya. We conducted a systematic field survey in the study area during 2020 – 2021 to collect primary data from 110 participants through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The data was analyzed using quantitative indices and Pearsonʼs correlation. We recorded 64 plant species used against 8 human disease categories, including some first-time reports from the region. Asteraceae and Lamiaceae were the most dominant families and herbs were the dominant growth form. The most common plant part used were leaves, and the main method of preparation was decoction. Plant species with the highest relative frequency of citation was Achillea millifolium (0.83). Informant consensus factor for each disease category ranged from 0.94 to 0.97. We found a strong positive correlation between participantsʼ age and citations (r = 0.85), but a negative correlation between the participantsʼ education status and citations (r = − 0.11). Our results revealed that the younger generation possesses the least ethnomedicinal information. We recommend that the species with high use values and fidelity level merit priority in phytochemical and pharmaceutical studies. Our findings highlight that protected areas, besides their prime importance in biodiversity conservation, play a pivotal role in providing the healthcare provisioning ecosystem services to the ethnic communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTThe university campuses in the Global South (low- and middle-income countries of the world) harbour a significant proportion of the trees outside forests which furnish precious ecosystem services. In this study, we conducted field surveys to document the tree flora in the campus of Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak (Haryana), India. We documented 35,184 trees belonging to 66 species in 29 families from the campus. Eucalyptus globuluswas the most dominant tree species with 13,932 individuals and Fabaceae was the most speciose family. Nearly 60% of tree species in the campus were native. The mean height (m) and circumference at breast height (cm) for the tree flora were 6.51 ± 0.21 and 50.93 ± 1.11, respectively. The overall tree density on the campus was around 140 trees/ha, mean density 2.11 ± 0.87, and the average basal area 0.021 ± 0.0009 m2/tree. The values for Simpson’s, Shannon, Margalef’s and Pielou’s evenness indices were 0.18, 2.51, 6.21 and 0.6 respectively. The campus trees provide valuable ecosystem services with food and medicinal uses, ornamental and shade values being the dominant. Our findings will guide policy on urban environmental sustainability in the educational campuses in India – the second most populous country in the Global South.

Addressing the ecological impacts of transport corridors while planning any transport network is paramount for a better of understanding ecological processes, biodiversity distribution, and ecosystem resilience. Here, we evaluated the impacts of railway edges on edaphic parameters, plant diversity, and composition in the northwestern Himalaya as a function of perpendicular distance from the railway track. In 2014 and 2017, we sampled vegetation plots across 31 sites distributed along 119 km of the Kashmir railway to test the effect of railway tracks on edaphic and vegetative parameters in short-term periods. T-shaped plots were laid comprising four sub-plots, one parallel to the track and the other three perpendiculars to it. We adopted the Mountain Invasion Research Network road survey methodology for data collection. We found (i) an increasing trend in all soil parameters (electrical conductivity, salinity, organic carbon, available nitrogen, and available phosphorus), except pH, as the distance from the railway track increased; (ii) significant railway edge effects on the importance value index of plant growth forms, life span, nativity and taxonomic group across space (distance of plots from the track) and time (2014–2017); and (iii) a significant spatiotemporal railway edge effects on plant species composition. Our results are pioneering in showing that railway tracks crossing through different ecosystems alter the edaphic conditions, resulting in direct and indirect edge effects on key abiotic and biotic factors, which in turn impact the vegetation of the surrounding natural habitats on both sides of the railway track. Our study contributes toward a better understanding of the role of anthropogenic edges like railways on edaphic parameters and vegetation distribution.

ABSTRACTSeveral anthropogenic activities can impact forest carbon (C) dynamics. In the Himalaya, insufficient studies are available on the intensity and impacts of multiple anthropogenic activities on forest C stocks. Here, we studied the changes in tree C stock in temperate forest stands of Kashmir Himalaya due to anthropogenic disturbances. We sampled forest sites with High-Disturbance (HD) and Low-Disturbance (LD) by randomly generating points in Arc GIS 10.1. A total of 24 square plots (0.1 ha size), comprising 12 in each disturbance level, were laid for the estimation of tree C stock. The tree cutting and the mean basal area of cut stems per hectare was greater in HD sites as compared to LD sites. The rapid rate of tree cutting was indicated by a low stem/stump ratio of 1.7 on HD sites. At LD sites, the live trees contributed more to the C stock (94%) than in HD sites (80%). The intensity of tree cutting was far higher near human settlements, contributing with 28.9 Mgha−1of carbon loss at the HD sites. Our results reveal that the cumulative impacts of anthropogenic disturbances, especially near human settlements where road connectivity and ease of access lead to faster logging, may change the forest structure and C stock potential in the temperate forests of Kashmir Himalaya. Our findings have direct implications for the climate-smart forestry and forest restoration in the region.

The fruit morphology of eight species of the genus PotamogetonL. in Kashmir Himalaya was examined, using stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, in order to determine their utility in taxonomic delimitation. During the study, both macro- and micromorphological characters, including the fruit shape, size, color, and nature of the fruit beak, were investigated. The results reveal that the broad- and linear-leaved species have keeled fruits, whereas in filiform-leaved species the dorsal and lateral keels are either absent or obscure. The present study clearly shows the potential utility of fruit features as delimiting characters in order to distinguish different species of the genus Potamogetonin this Himalayan region.

In the alpine ecosystem of the Himalaya, an observation of species diversity with habitat heterogeneity predicts some important factors that govern them. Information theory-based species biodiversity at the community level and habitat heterogeneity at the landscape level were studied. Resourcesat-2 linear imaging self-scanning sensor (LISS-III and LISS-IV)-based spectral diversity indices and species diversity indices of four summits with increasing elevation gradients were estimated. The species richness decreased with an increase in elevation. The southern aspect of the sub-alpine zone has the highest biodiversity having a 3.5 Shannon’ entropy (H). Despite receiving higher insolation, the increase in elevation leading to coldness and dominance of a few species make the southern aspects less diverse at the higher elevation. Both elevational gradients and microclimatic conditions define biodiversity in the Himalaya. Resolution from coarser (LISS-III) to finer (LISS-IV) to micro (field) scale showed an increasing range of values, H= 0.1, 0.2 and 2.1, respectively. There is significantly less correlation between field and satellite measured biodiversity indices (r, −0.5 to 0.3). To go closer to the field level of biodiversity assessment, there is a need to use satellite data having a higher spatial resolution. Spectral variation hypothesis does not hold good in the alpine ecosystem of the Himalaya.

Aspicera hartigiDalla Torre, 1889 is reported for the first time from India. A brief diagnosis and photographic illustrations of the species are provided to validate this new faunal record for India from the Kashmir valley in Western Himalaya. In addition, the present study for the first time reports the feeding of Aspicera hartigion the pollination drop of the female cones in Ephedraplants, which provides novel insights about its foraging behavior and hint toward its role as pollination drop robber.

Both natural and anthropogenic disturbances are key drivers of forest dynamics that alter species composition and diversity, which in turn determine the successional trajectory of the forests. The present study aimed to investigate the community composition, population structure and regeneration status of tree species in relation to anthropogenic disturbances in temperate pure coniferous forests of Kashmir Himalaya. Comparable forest sites with varying degree of disturbance were selected and the regeneration status of the tree species was determined by measuring the population size of seedlings and saplings. The seedling, sapling and tree density were significantly greater in the less disturbed (LD) sites as compared to the highly disturbed sites (HD). Moreover, the LD sites showed highest frequency of lower tree girth classes, resulting in the formation of an inverse J-shaped curve, while as the HD sites showed unimodal distribution with maximum number of individuals in higher girth classes. Such a shift in forest structure from inverse J-shaped to unimodal distribution alters the niche space and facilitates the colonization of non-resident oak species (Quercus baloot, Q. incana), which otherwise are component of relatively low-altitude mixed temperate forests of the region. The results of the present study provide baseline ecological indicators in characterizing and quantifying the human-driven changes in forest composition and structure; and can help in developing scientifically-informed policy tools for the effective management and ecological restoration of human-modified forest landscapes in this Himalayan region.

The historical collections in herbaria are increasingly used for documentation of biodiversity. The use of herbarium reconstruction in the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot, using a case study from Srinagar city in Kashmir Himalaya has been shown. During the present investigation, a comprehensive and updated biodiversity database of 937 plant taxa has been developed, which is based on expert investigation of ca. 45,000 plant specimens deposited in the herbarium of University of Kashmir, and careful supplementation of field records in the study area made over the last one decade. The results indicate a clear dominance of herbaceous growth form as 602 species were herbs. Majority of the plant species possess perennial life span, as 610 plant species fall under this category. Inspite of being a rapidly urbanising centre, Srinagar city owing to its location in the global biodiversity hotspot of Himalayas exhibits a clear dominance of wild-growing plant species. In the database, 20 species fall under different threat categories. The present study is the documentation of plant biodiversity of this eco-fragile mountainous region and clearly demonstrates the precious value of biological collections in bridging the knowledge gaps in global biodiversity hotspots, including Himalayas. Looking ahead, the biodiversity database can serve as a baseline in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and more importantly, the database can provide the reference framework in assessing and monitoring the impending impacts of land use and climate change on the biodiversity of this Himalayan city.

The correct taxonomic delimitation of Nasturtium microphyllumRchb., previously misidentified as Nasturtium officinaleR. Br., in the Kashmir Himalaya, India, is reported. This species differs from its closely allied N. officinalein the shape, size, and arrangement of seeds in the fruit. A detailed taxonomic account, including complete description and photoplates of diagnostic characters are provided to resolve the misidentification of the taxa in the Kashmir Himalaya.

Rheum spiciformeRoyle (Polygonaceae) is reported as a new record from the Kashmir valley, India. A detailed taxonomic description and colored photographs of diagnostic features are provided to validate this new plant record for the region and to facilitate its easier field identification. The species shows rare distribution in the alpine regions of the valley and various factors pose threat to the existence of this important medicinal plant species. Therefore, the documentation of this species assumes significance for devising conservation strategies and sustainable management.

Invasive species are a major driver of global environmental change contributing to the loss of biodiversity, altering of ecosystem structure and functioning, and affecting provision of ecosystem services worldwide, including in India. In view of globalization of Indian economy and consequential increase in international travel and trade, introduction, establishment and spread of alien species is likely to escalate in India with serious ecological and socio-economic consequences. A recent study has reported the occurrence of 1,599 alien plant species belonging to 841 genera in 161 families in India, and the alien flora thus represents 8.5 % of the total Indian vascular flora. While the taxonomic inventory of alien species represents the first important step, but more detailed studies on characterization of alien species on the basis of their stage of invasion, identification of potentially invasible habitats/ecosystems, detection of introduction pathways and vectors of alien species, assessment, mapping and monitoring of invasive species using modern geo-spatial technology such as hyperspectral remote sensing, impact assessment, containment, control and restoration are still lacking in India and hence impede effective management of plant invasions in the country. It is in this context that an integrated research and policy framework for the management of alien plant invasions in India is proposed.Invasive species are a major driver of global environmental change contributing to the loss of biodiversity, altering of ecosystem structure and functioning, and affecting provision of ecosystem services worldwide, including in India. In view of globalization of Indian economy and consequential increase in international travel and trade, introduction, establishment and spread of alien species is likely to escalate in India with serious ecological and socio-economic consequences. A recent study has reported the occurrence of 1,599 alien plant species belonging to 841 genera in 161 families in India, and the alien flora thus represents 8.5 % of the total Indian vascular flora. While the taxonomic inventory of alien species represents the first important step, but more detailed studies on characterization of alien species on the basis of their stage of invasion, identification of potentially invasible habitats/ecosystems, detection of introduction pathways and vectors of alien species, assessment, mapping and monitoring of invasive species using modern geo-spatial technology such as hyperspectral remote sensing, impact assessment, containment, control and restoration are still lacking in India and hence impede effective management of plant invasions in the country. It is in this context that an integrated research and policy framework for the management of alien plant invasions in India is proposed.

Abstract: Taxonomy is the science which serves as the major tool in discovering, describing and classifying the diversity of life. However, the existence of impediments to taxonomy is recognized as one of the major obstacles in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The acute shortage of taxonomic expertise and resources has resulted into a poor knowledge and database of global biodiversity, particularly in the developing world. India, a mega-diverse country sharing four global biodiversity hotspots, is having several lacunae in taxonomic knowledge, which has serious implications on the growth of biodiversity science, conservation planning and policy making. It is in this context that the present article critically reviews the existing impediments to taxonomy in India, underscores the various causes responsible for the poor taxonomic knowledge of Indian biota; and also evaluates the country-level initiatives taken, so far. Looking ahead, the authors suggest a way-forward to infuse a fresh lease of life into the taxonomic research, that in turn could provide ‘bricks and mortar’ for building the National Biodiversity Information Infrastructure in the country.

The correct taxonomic identification assumes first and foremost priority in the scientific documentation of biodiversity. The Kashmir Himalaya, located in the north-western side of the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot, is well-known for its diverse flora which merits immediate scientific documentation. In this context, the present study reports Phalaris canariensisL. (Poaceae) as a new alien plant record to the flora of Kashmir Himalaya, India. In this paper, a detailed description, photographs, and comparison of diagnostic characters with allied species are provided to scientifically validate this alien plant record for this Himalayan region.

Globally, biodiversity-rich forest ecosystems are facing higher risk of climate and land-use changes. Therefore, understanding the role of anthropogenic factors in affecting forest community composition and vegetation patterns assume urgent research priority and are prerequisites for conservation and sustainable management of forest ecosystems. We used a systematic random sampling method to obtain data on floristic diversity within four forest compartments of Pir Panchal Range in Kashmir Himalaya. We characterized the comparative disturbance levels based on a visual assessment within and around each of the forest compartment. The importance value indices along with environmental data of the sampled compartments were obtained and analyzed using hierarchical cluster analysis and ordination techniques. Floristically, in all the compartments, we found 74 species distributed among 33 families and 4 life forms. The species number per hectare showed a declining trend with an increase in disturbance level. Plant community diversity indices were positively correlated with decreasing levels of anthropogenic disturbances. The phytosociological features such as tree basal area and density were negatively correlated with increasing levels of anthropogenic disturbance. Our study, using standard statistical methods, has empirically characterized the intensity of anthropogenic impacts in each forest compartment, and analyzed the relationship between these impacts and the forest vegetation patterns. Our results will help in a better understanding of the role of anthropogenic factors in affecting forest community composition, which in turn will foster the sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation in this Himalayan region.