Diversity, distribution and drivers of alien flora in the Indian Himalayan region

Wani, Sajad Ahmad; Ahmad, Rameez; Gulzar, Ruquia; Malik, Akhtar H.; Rashid, Irfan; Khuroo, Anzar A.

doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02246

Cited by 26 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…Here we have presented a comprehensive database of alien plant species in the Himalaya, extending a recently published database which documents 771 alien species, and shows that they have wider geographical ranges, on average, than natives (Wani et al, 2022(Wani et al, , 2023. We document 1471 alien species (14% of the described flora), and add estimates of elevational ranges.…”

Section: Species Richness Patternsmentioning

confidence: 89%

Constructing a database of alien plants in the Himalaya to test patterns structuring diversity

Rana,

Dangwal,

Rawat

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Differences in the number of alien plant species in different locations may reflect climatic and other controls that similarly affect native species and/or propagule pressure accompanied with delayed spread from the point of introduction. We set out to examine these alternatives for Himalayan plants, in a phylogenetic framework. We build a database of alien plant distributions for the Himalaya. Focusing on the well‐documented regions of Jammu & Kashmir (west) and Bhutan (east) we compare alien and native species for (1) richness patterns, (2) degree of phylogenetic clustering, (3) the extent to which species‐poor regions are subsets of species‐rich regions and (4) continental and climatic affinities/source. We document 1470 alien species (at least 600 naturalised), which comprise ~14% of the vascular plants known from the Himalaya. Alien plant species with tropical affinities decline in richness with elevation and species at high elevations form a subset of those at lower elevations, supporting location of introduction as an important driver of alien plant richness patterns. Separately, elevations which are especially rich in native plant species are also rich in alien plant species, suggesting an important role for climate (high productivity) in determining both native and alien richness. We find no support for the proposition that variance in human disturbance or numbers of native species correlate with alien distributions. Results imply an ongoing expansion of alien species from low elevation sources, some of which are highly invasive.

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Section: Species Richness Patternsmentioning

confidence: 89%

Constructing a database of alien plants in the Himalaya to test patterns structuring diversity

Rana,

Dangwal,

Rawat

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Herbs are an important part of the biodiversity of the forest ecosystem. Their species composition and structure are also important indicators of the natural recovery of forests and the healthy structure of the forest ecosystem (Chitale et al, 2014;Wani et al, 2022). Altitude has always been considered as the dominant factor affecting regional habitat differences.…”

Section: Differences Of Herbaceous Plants On the Shady And Sunny Slopesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vertical distribution differences of the understory herbs and their driving factors on shady and sunny slopes in high altitude mountainous areas

Han¹,

Yin²,

Xue³

et al. 2023

Front. For. Glob. Change

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The vertical distribution understanding of undergrowth herbaceous plants in high altitude mountain areas is of great significance to reveal the environmental gradient change law of plant diversity. However, the species composition of herbaceous plants at different altitude gradients and the relationship between diversity and environmental factors is still vague. This study takes the Sejila Mountain in southeast Tibet at an altitude of 2,000–3,300 m as the study area to analyze the vertical distribution differences of the understory herbs and their driving factors on shady and sunny slopes. The results showed that: (1) The number of families, genera and species of herbaceous plants on sunny slope is greater than that on shady slope. Asteraceae on shady and sunny slopes has the largest number of species; (2) The α diversity index of the herbs on shady slope shows a U-shaped trend. The Cody heterogeneity index (βC) is negatively correlated with the β diversity index. The herb richness index (R) on sunny slope is unimodal. The β diversity index displays the same as that of shady slope; (3) Different environmental factors have different effects on herb diversity. The correlation between environmental factors and diversity indicators indicates that there is a certain degree of clustering among samples. The environmental factors of shady slope and sunny slope are separated; and (4) The difference of water and heat conditions caused by altitude and slope aspect is an important driving factor for the diversity of herbage species, followed by soil clay content, silt content and slope gradient. This study will help to understand the species diversity and ecosystem characteristics of the region, and provide a reference for the study of plant community structure and function and rational utilization of understory plant resources in high-altitude mountain areas.

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Exploring Cheura [Diploknema Butyracea (Roxb.) H. J. Lam]: Unveiling its Ethnomedicinal Heritage, Phytochemical Composition, Pharmacological Properties, and Innovative Applications

Anand,

Maheshwari,

Singh Jangwan

et al. 2024

Chemistry & Biodiversity

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Diploknema butyracea (Roxb) H.J Lam, also referred as " Kalpavriksha", is commonly known as Gophal, Cheura, or Indian butter tree. It is a deciduous tree with straight trunks of 15‐20m in height and white‐yellow‐coloured fragile flowers with fragrance, found at altitudes of 300–1500 m in the sub‐Himalayan region of India, China, Nepal, and Bhutan. Diploknema have 11 taxa and 8 species, out of which 3 species are found in Uttarakhand hills, Sikkim, Darjeeling, Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam. The tree holds significant economic importance, serving various purposes within ethnic communities. Its high lipid content makes it valuable for food, medicine, construction, and the production of various value‐added products. The ethno‐pharmacological applications encompass treating rheumatism, burns, asthma, and skin conditions. The plant's different components—bark, leaves, flowers, seeds, and fruits—contain diverse array of phytoconstituents, including alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, steroids, terpenoids, and palmitic acid, along with essential nutrients like sodium, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and various sugars which shows diverse pharmacological and therapeutic activities. Beyond traditional uses, Diploknema is important for diverse industrial application in pharmaceuticals, confectionery, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics. Present paper is an attempt to understand comprehensive details on different aspects of this plant to explore new avenues for various value‐added products.

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Diversity, distribution and drivers of alien flora in the Indian Himalayan region

Cited by 26 publications

References 74 publications

Constructing a database of alien plants in the Himalaya to test patterns structuring diversity

Constructing a database of alien plants in the Himalaya to test patterns structuring diversity

Vertical distribution differences of the understory herbs and their driving factors on shady and sunny slopes in high altitude mountainous areas

Exploring Cheura [Diploknema Butyracea (Roxb.) H. J. Lam]: Unveiling its Ethnomedicinal Heritage, Phytochemical Composition, Pharmacological Properties, and Innovative Applications

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