Pattern of species richness and floristic spectrum along the elevation gradient: A case study from western Himalaya, India

Rawat, Diwan S.; Bagri, Ajendra Singh; Parveen, Mujahida; Nautiyal, M. C.; Tiwari, Priyanka; Tiwari, J. K.

doi:10.1016/j.chnaes.2021.03.012

Cited by 14 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Furthermore, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae and Ranunculaceae were the most dominant families in terms of number of species and have also been reported as the dominant families in the Himalayan region by other workers [ 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 ]. The Renyi diversity profiles calculated during the present study show that maximum species richness and diversity were found at lower and mid-elevations in comparison to higher elevations, coinciding with the results of Sharma et al [ 63 ], Bhat et al [ 64 ] and Rawat et al [ 65 ]. The present study revealed that trees and shrubs were represented up to a limited altitude of 3300 m asl, but cushion-forming shrubs such as Juniperus squamata and Rhododendron anthopogon were found up to elevation peaks.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Pattern of β-Diversity and Plant Species Richness along Vertical Gradient in Northwest Himalaya, India

Wani

Khan

Bhat

et al. 2022

Biology

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The structure and distribution patterns of Himalayan vegetation are poorly explored, and research on species composition along the elevation gradient in these mountain ranges is still deficient. The current study was undertaken to analyze the variation and pattern of plant species composition along a vertical gradient in northwestern Himalaya, India. A total of 18 sites were selected along an elevation gradient ranging from 2200 to 3900 m asl positioned at an interval of 100 m. The Renyi diversity profile, non-metric multidimensional scaling based on the Bray–Curtis dissimilarity metric and beta diversity components among the elevation belts were calculated. Furthermore, to study the influence of altitude on species richness and diversity, a generalized additive model was created. Two hundred and ten plant species representing 66 families and 147 genera were recorded. The Renyi diversity profiles show that the lower and mid-altitudes had rich species diversity. The results of the non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis show a considerable variation in the total plant species composition among the studied elevation belts. The observed multiple-site Sorensen dissimilarity index across the studied elevation belts was very high. The contribution of species replacement or the turnover component to the observed dissimilarity was much higher than the nestedness component. Furthermore, the herbaceous and tree richness showed a significant decrease with increase in elevation; however, the richness of shrubs showed a bimodal pattern. The present study increases our understanding of the trends and patterns of species richness along the vertical gradient in the Himalayan region.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Pattern of β-Diversity and Plant Species Richness along Vertical Gradient in Northwest Himalaya, India

Wani

Khan

Bhat

et al. 2022

Biology

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“…This method is easy and quick in estimating the effect of various grazing intensities on vegetation and soil parameters. Though these proxies are frequently used in determining grazing intensity around the world, their applicability in measuring true grazing intensity on the subcontinent is still unchecked [28], as there are few studies that have described the behavior and activity of livestock change with the gradient of human settlements, water points or resting camps [29,30]. Thus, in order to assess the relationship and variability among the proxies of grazing intensity within a Pakistani context, this study is designed to examine the suitability of grazing intensity proxy across landscape properties.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Human Settlements on Diversity of Range Vegetation

et al. 2022

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The rapidly increasing population of human beings in semi-arid areas is often considered as a major factor of land degradation. Only a few studies have examined the dynamics of human settlements on the composition, diversity, structure and palatability of range vegetation in Southern Punjab Pakistan. The current study aims to assess whether the distance from settlements had any effect on the range vegetation’s diversity and cover. In order to determine the impact of human settlements on the vegetation, the sampling area (Thal rangeland) was classified into three categories, i.e., Near (1–2 km from human communities), Away (2–4 km from human communities), and Far (4–6 km from human settlements). A total of 75 transects in all of the three sites were placed in the study sites. Along the transects, a quadrate of 1 m2 after every 10 m was randomly placed. The study site yielded floral diversity of a total of 29 species, representing 23 genera and belonging to 9 families. Results showed that the areas away from the human communities had higher species diversity (20), while the site near to human settlements depicted lower diversity (14). It was observed that, although the site near to communities had lower diversity, it depicted higher plant density, while the highest diversity along with the lowest plant density was observed in sites away from the communities. The study concluded that the diversity of range grasses, especially desirable species, was affected by distance to human settlements. These findings could be useful to detect flora changes, establish habitat protection priorities and improve efforts for conserving natural landscapes.

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“…The floral wealth of the area mainly consists of sub-montane and montane Himalayan plants. More than 650 flowering plants species are known from the Western Ramganga Valley [37][38] including 254 fodder yielding [39], 140 ethnomedicinal, and 82 wild edible resources [40][41]. The broad-leaved forest dominates in the area followed by Abies pindrow mixed forests towards ridge tops and Pinus roxburghii mixed forests at lower elevations [42].…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Physicochemical Properties of Soil under Different Forest Types in the Western Ramganga Valley (Uttarakhand Himalaya, India)

Rawat

Das

Tiwari

et al. 2021

APRJ

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The physicochemical properties of soils of six forests varying in elevation (lower, middle, and upper), slope, aspects, and floristic composition viz. L1 (Oak mixed), L2 (Chir pine), M1 (Rhododendron mixed), M2 (Rhododendron mixed), U1 (Abies mixed) and U2 (Abies mixed) from Western Ramganga Valley (Chamoli, Uttarakhand Himalaya, India) were scrutinized. The composite soil samples from three depths (0–10 cm, 11–20 cm, and 21–30 cm) were collected during the different seasons and the physicochemical parameters were analyzed using standard manual and protocol. Texture, bulk density, moisture content, water holding capacity, organic matter, organic carbon, pH, nitrogen content, available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium and C:N ratio of soil samples from each forest site were analyzed and discussed. It was observed that the physical properties of soils either do not vary across the three depths (0–10 cm, 11–20 cm, and 21–30 cm) or show slight changes whereas chemical properties show notable variations comparatively. The significant variation (ANOVA, P < 0.05) was observed in the soil texture (sand, silt, and clay contents), moisture content, water holding capacity, and nitrogen content across the six forest types (study sites). The soil texture ranged between loam and sandy loam which is considered supportive for plant growth. Besides, the lower bulk density and higher soil organic carbon and organic matter with other determined parameters in the studied soils indicate that the studied six forests have sustained nutritive soils. It can be concluded from the present results that the soil physicochemical properties vary with changes in the vegetation composition (forest types) at different elevations in Western Himalaya. Further elaborative study will be done to ascertain interrelationship among the vegetation and soils.

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Pattern of species richness and floristic spectrum along the elevation gradient: A case study from western Himalaya, India

Cited by 14 publications

References 50 publications

Pattern of β-Diversity and Plant Species Richness along Vertical Gradient in Northwest Himalaya, India

Pattern of β-Diversity and Plant Species Richness along Vertical Gradient in Northwest Himalaya, India

Impact of Human Settlements on Diversity of Range Vegetation

Physicochemical Properties of Soil under Different Forest Types in the Western Ramganga Valley (Uttarakhand Himalaya, India)

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