Research ArticleFloristic Diversity and Distribution Pattern of PlantCommunities along Altitudinal Gradient in Sangla ValleyNorthwest Himalaya

Pankaj Sharma1 J C Rana1 Usha Devi1 S S Randhawa2 and Rajesh Kumar3

1 National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources Regional Station Phagli Shimla 171 004 India2 State Council for Science Technology and Environment Shimla 171 009 India3 School of Basic Sciences and Research Sharda University Knowledge Park III Greater Noida Gautam Budh Nagar 201306 India

Correspondence should be addressed to J C Rana ranajc2003yahoocom

Received 30 June 2014 Revised 22 August 2014 Accepted 22 August 2014 Published 14 October 2014

Academic Editor Shixiong Cao

Copyright copy 2014 Pankaj Sharma et alThis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution Licensewhich permits unrestricted use distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original work is properly cited

Himalayas are globally important biodiversity hotspots and are facing rapid loss in floristic diversity and changing pattern ofvegetation due to various biotic and abiotic factors This has necessitated the qualitative and quantitative assessment of vegetationhere The present study was conducted in Sangla Valley of northwest Himalaya aiming to assess the structure of vegetation andits trend in the valley along the altitudinal gradient In the forest and alpine zones of the valley 15 communities were recordedStudy revealed 320 species belonging to 199 genera and 75 families Asteraceae Rosaceae Apiaceae and Ranunculaceae weredominant Among genera Artemisia followed by Polygonum Saussurea Berberis andThalictrum were dominant Tree and shrubrsquosdensity ranged from 205 to 600 and from 105 to 1030 individual per hectare respectively whereas herbs ranged from 2208 to 7895individualm2 Nearly 182 species were native to the Himalaya Maximum altitudinal distribution of few selected climate sensitivespecies was found to be highest in northeast and north aspectsThis study gives an insight into the floristic diversity and communitystructure of the fragile Sangla Valley which was hitherto not available

1 Introduction

Himalayas comprised of earthrsquos most multifaceted anddiverse montane ecosystems characterized by a harsh cli-mate a strong degree of seasonality and a high diversityof both plant communities and species [1 2] These aregeodynamic young mountains and have been recognized asone of the globally important biodiversity hotspots [3 4]In these mountains presence of often sharp environmentalgradients due to rapid geoclimatic variations generate diversevegetation and community types having high plant speciesdiversity [5] Here a wide range of altitude rainfall climategeological conditions river systems and topography havegiven rise to an immense diversity of ecosystems and ulti-mately to immense biological diversity

The structure composition and vegetative functions aremost significant ecological attributes of a particular ecosys-tem which show variations in response to environmental

as well as anthropogenic variables [6ndash8] Major threats toecosystems and biodiversity are habitat loss and fragmenta-tion overexploitation pollution invasions of alien speciesand global climate change [9] with disruption of communitystructure

The vegetation distribution pattern communities andpopulation dynamics in high altitude arid areas of the fragileHimalaya have seldom given the due attention by researchersand are hence poorly understood Furthermore altitude andaspect are the major topographic factors that control thedistribution patterns of vegetation in mountain areas Thesefactors determine the microclimate and thus the distributionof vegetation in the mountain areas [10] The anthropogenicpressures heavy grazing and the natural calamities haveled to degradation of natural habitats of many species Suchpractices are discouraging the moisture loving native speciesand promoting the hardy nonnative exotic species havinglittle value for the local ecosystem [11]

Hindawi Publishing Corporatione Scientific World JournalVolume 2014 Article ID 264878 11 pageshttpdxdoiorg1011552014264878

2 The Scientific World Journal

The rapid loss in floristic diversity and changing patternof vegetation due to various biotic and abiotic factors havenecessitated the qualitative and quantitative assessment ofvegetation However numbers of studies on communitydynamics and phytogeographic affinities have been con-ducted qualitatively [12ndash17] as well as quantitatively [5 18ndash24] and in northwest Himalaya [4 6 25ndash27] in particu-lar as well Nevertheless a very few studies incorporatingcomposition structural and functional diversity and nativityof the biodiversity have been carried out in northwestHimalaya [28ndash31] But not many studies that give detailedaccount of floristic diversity of Kinnaur [5] which forms atypical geographical entity of Himachal Pradesh and SanglaValley in particular are available till now Therefore thiswork is emphasized to study floristic composition to assessthe community structure of the vegetation by differentphytosociological methods and phytogeographic affinitiesof the species and to study the vegetation pattern inthe different aspects of the SV along an altitudinal gradi-ent

2 Materials and Methods

21 Physiographic Features of the Study Area The study areais commonly known as Sangla Valley (hereafter SV) andsituated at 31∘311015840ndash 361015840N and 77∘201015840minus271015840E along the BaspaRiver that flows through the middle of valley (Figure 1) Thevalley is oriented from southeast to northwest directionsThis is one of the most ecologically fragile biogeographicalzones [32] and inhabited by indigenous tribal communitieshavingMongolian features and Buddhist religion and cultureIt is surrounded by high mountains with elevation rangingfrom 1800 to 5480m above mean sea level The upper rangesof the valley are highly glaciered and receive most of itswater through dry precipitation (snow) in winters fromNovember to April The vegetation of the valley is temperatesubalpine and alpine types and forests are dominated byPinuswallichiana Betula utilis Abies pindrow and Cedrus deodaracommunities The livelihood of communities is based onagrihorticultural activities which are generally performedafter snow melt in April to October The communities haveclose affinity with plant resources not only to meet theirbasic requirements like food fodder fuel health and shelterbut also to perform several religious and cultural ritualsThough the environment of the valley is very close to natureseveral anthropogenic activities have successfully altered thenatural and traditional agroecosystem of the valley Severalnew climatic events such as increasing frequency of rainsin July-August (150ndash200mm in 1980s to 465mm in 2012)rising temperature frost and fog are being witnessed morefrequently than two decades ago

22 Sampling Plot and Estimation Design Representativeplots of 50 times 50m were selected in different aspects andhabitats 10 quadrats of 10 times 10m for trees 20 quadrats of 5times 5m for shrubs and 20 quadrats of 1 times 1m for herbs wererandomly laid within the plot Plots were selected based ondifferent topographical features such as habitat types altitude

aspects slope and different vegetation types (Table 1) Thehabitats were identified based on the physical charactersand dominance of the vegetation The plots facing highanthropogenic pressure were considered as degraded habitatsand sites having closed canopy with high percent of humusand moisture were considered as moist habitat whereas thoseof low percent of the same were considered as dry habitatThe site having gt50 boulders of the ground cover wereconsidered as bouldery habitat Geographical coordinatesof the sites were taken with the help of Global PositioningSystem (GPS) Slope was measured with the help of Abneyrsquoslevel

Sites were selected in each and every aspect between1950 and 4500m for the field study and analysis of floristicdiversity In various representative ecoclimatic zones of SV34 plots were sampled

23 Data Analysis The SV which falls under cold aridzone of Himachal Pradesh is diverse and rich in speciesCommunities were identified based on the importance valueindex and calculated as the sum of relative frequency relativedensity and relative basal arearelative abundance For diver-sity index Shannon-Wiener information index [33] was usedSpecies richnesswas considered as the total number of speciesin a growth form For the collection and analysis of datastandard ecological methods [20 24 34ndash39] were followedVegetation was analytically computed following [39 40] Thetaxa of Himalayan origin were considered as native and allothers as nonnative During qualitative assessment rapidsurveys and samplings were done in each season and taxaidentified on spot and with the help of floras and researchpapers [12ndash14 40ndash43]

3 Results and Discussion

Plots accessed were 34 in number and a total 15 communities(9 tree 5 shrub and 1 herb communities) were delineatedbased on importance value index for the tree communitiesand relative density for the shrub and herb communities

31 Vegetational Analysis Thedifferent habitats covered dur-ing the study were shady moist rocky bouldery dry alpinemeadow riverine moraines and so forth Among theseshady moist (12) followed by dry habitats (9) representedmaximum sites Because of unique topography and differentaltitudinal zones of western Himalaya vegetation varies fromaspect to aspect The sites were selected in every accessiblehabitat and aspect along an altitudinal gradient North andnortheastern aspects represented maximum sites (8 each)followed by southwest and northwest (5 each) (Table 1)

Within the communities so delineated we recorded 320species of plants belonging to 199 genera and 75 familiesDominant group reported was angiosperms (68 families190 genera and 302 species) gymnosperms represented by4 families 7 genera and 13 species and pteridophytes by 4families 3 genera and 5 species They were distributed indifferent life forms that is trees (29 spp) shrubs (43 spp)and herbs (248 spp) (Table 2)

The Scientific World Journal 3

31∘159984000998400998400

N31∘309984000998400998400

N31∘459984000998400998400

N32∘09984000998400998400

N

31∘159984000998400998400

N31∘309984000998400998400

N31∘459984000998400998400

N32∘09984000998400998400

N

77∘459984000998400998400E 77∘159984000998400998400E78∘09984000998400998400E 78∘309984000998400998400E 79∘309984000998400998400E78∘459984000998400998400E

77∘459984000998400998400E 77∘159984000998400998400E78∘09984000998400998400E 78∘309984000998400998400E 79∘309984000998400998400E78∘459984000998400998400E

9 45 0 9 18 27 36

(km)

EN

SW

Figure 1 Map of the study area

Among the angiosperm families Asteraceae (49 spp)Rosaceae (21 spp) Apiaceae (20 spp) and Ranunculaceae(18 spp) were dominant Among genera Artemisia and Poly-gonum (7 spp) Saussurea (6 spp) Berberis and Thalictrum(5 spp) and Geranium Juniperus Nepeta Potentilla PoaRosa and Salix (4 spp each) were dominant genera Twenty-eight (28) families were monotypic and represented only byone species The occurrence of 320 species in the quantifiedarea indicates that its environmental conditions particularlyshady moist and forest habitats are suitable for the growthand development of species Amongst the communities Pwallichiana community represented maximum sites (6 sites)followed by B utilis (5 sites) B utilis-P wallichiana mixed(4 sites) C deodara and P gerardiana (3 sites each) Ranthopogon H salicifolia and R anthopogon-S caliculatamixed (2 sites each) and the rest of the communities wererepresented by one site only Dominance of the Asteraceaein SV is also validated by floras of Lahaul-Spiti HimachalPradesh in high altitude regions ofwesternHimalaya [13 42]The affinity of vegetation towards the flora of the Lahaul-SpitiValley and Bhaba Valley [5 42] is apparent by the presenceof similar dominant families Moreover the major part ofthe valley is covered with snow throughout the year Pres-ence of number of herbaceous families (namely ApiaceaeBrassicaceae Ranunculaceae Rosaceae Polygonaceae andScrophulariaceae) is attributed to the temperate and alpinenature of the area Lesser Pteridophytes in the area maybe attributed to the more exposed arid nature of the valleywith low broad leaf forest cover and moisture Nonethelessas a whole the high diversity and richness of the speciesin the SV indicate the high conservation value of the areaOccurrences of 320 species in the 15 identified communitiesof 34 quantified plots validate this

32 Communities Composition and Structure Total tree den-sity ranged from 205 to 600 noha (number per hectare) andtotal basal area from 870 to 4241m2ha Shrubs and herbsdensities ranged from 1050 to 103000 noha and from 2208to 4873 nom2

respectively Shrub density is maximum in C

deodara-P smithianamixed community and herbs density ismaximum in Poa alpina-Agrostis stolonifera-Bistorta affinis-Aconitum violaceum community Among five major shrubcommunities Spiraea canescens-Lonicera hypoleuca mixedcommunity has highest shrub and herb density that is54000 noha and 4873 nom2 respectively (Table 3) Treedensity range is comparable to the other Himalayan studies[40 44] and European temperate forests [45] Similarlyshrub and herbrsquos density ranges (105ndash1030 noha and 2208ndash7895 nom2 resp) are in compliance with the earlier studiesof the Himalayan regions [46] However the lower range ofshrub densities in R anthopogon communities (105 nohaand 230 noha) in the valley is due to the presence of itsscanty patches near the subalpine areas and often the ruggedand arid and moraine topography

33 Species Richness and Diversity Index (H1015840) Species rich-ness in identified communities ranged from 19 to 96Among the communities it was highest in P wallichiana(96 spp) followed by B utilis-P wallichiana mixed (80spp) R anthopogon-S caliculata mixed (52 spp) and Pgerardiana (47 spp) communities Species diversity indexfor trees is maximum (128) for C deodara-P smithianamixed community and minimum (00) for Q floribunda andP wallichiana communities among shrubs it is maximum(238) for P wallichiana community and minimum (040) forQ floribunda community and for herbs it is maximum (401)

4 The Scientific World Journal

Table 1 Physical Characteristics of the plots assessed in Sangla Valley

S No Altitude (m) Habitat Slope Aspect Latitude Longitude1 1950 Degraded 35∘ S 31∘ 28040 N 78∘ 11209 E2 2000 Dry 60∘ NW 31∘ 28853 N 78∘ 10892 E3 2100 Dry 60∘ SW 31∘ 28823 N 78∘ 10962 E4 2250 Dry 50∘ S 31∘ 28045 N 78∘ 11111 E5 2550 Shady Moist 20∘ N 31∘ 25025 N 78∘ 16103 E6 2625 Riverine 50∘ NE 31∘ 24854 N 78∘ 16828 E7 2675 Bouldery 40∘ N 31∘ 25061 N 78∘ 16368 E8 2690 Dry 15∘ NE 31∘ 24913 N 78∘ 16085 E9 2750 Shady Moist 10∘ SW 31∘ 25758 N 78∘ 16746 E10 2770 Shady Moist 45∘ NE 31∘ 24342 N 78∘ 18038 E11 3120 Bouldery 20∘ NE 31∘ 23039 N 78∘ 21614 E12 3185 Dry 30∘ SW 31∘ 23631 N 78∘ 21370 E13 3250 Dry 45∘ S 31∘ 24342 N 78∘ 18038 E14 3320 Dry 35∘ SW 31∘ 21286 N 78∘ 24438 E15 3340 Shady Moist 55∘ SW 31∘ 23840 N 78∘ 21340 E16 3350 Rocky 60∘ S 31∘ 21756 N 78∘ 24029 E17 3385 Dry 45∘ N 31∘ 20992 N 78∘ 26287 E18 3399 Dry 40∘ N 31∘ 23640 N 78∘ 21558 E19 3400 Shady Moist 40∘ N 31∘ 20955 N 78∘ 26135 E20 3420 Shady Moist 40∘ NW 31∘ 23209 N 78∘ 25577 E21 3450 Bouldery 50∘ W 31∘ 23881 N 78∘ 21441 E22 3480 Shady Moist 50∘ NW 31∘ 20886 N 78∘ 26179 E23 3500 Shady Moist 40∘ NW 31∘ 23959 N 78∘ 21554 E24 3501 Moraine 45∘ SE 31∘ 20967 N 78∘ 27303 E25 3516 Rocky 40∘ SE 31∘ 21002 N 78∘ 27381 E26 3527 Moraine 45∘ SE 31∘ 21002 N 78∘ 27374 E27 3650 Shady Moist 40∘ N 31∘ 20636 N 78∘ 26224 E28 3700 Shady Moist 40∘ N 31∘ 20515 N 78∘ 26267 E29 3770 Shady Moist 35∘ NW 31∘ 20389 N 78∘ 26334 E30 3850 Shady Moist 30∘ NE 31∘ 20167 N 78∘ 26411 E31 4129 Alpine meadow 45∘ NE 31∘ 19310 N 78∘ 26151 E32 4205 Alpine meadow 25∘ N 31∘ 19242 N 78∘ 26049 E33 4330 Moraine 30∘ NE 31∘ 18831 N 78∘ 25888 E34 4500 Alpine meadow 20∘ NE 31∘ 18347 N 78∘ 25648 E

Table 2 Taxonomic account of floristic diversity

Taxonomic group Families Genera Species Herbs Shrubs TreesAngiosperms 68 190 302 243 39 20Gymnosperms 4 7 13 mdash 4 9Pteridophytes 3 3 5 5 mdash mdashTotal 75 200 320 248 43 29

for P wallichiana community and minimum (249) for Qfloribunda community (Table 3)

The species richness (19ndash96) in the communities washigher than the earlier reported values [47 48] but compa-rable to the [24 49] from high altitude areas of HimalayaThe high richness of trees and shrubs may be due to diversehabitats and suitable edaphic and climatic factors supporting

growth and survival of the species The diversity indexfor trees (00ndash128) is within the reported value from theother Himalayan areas [40 47 49 50] In P gerardianacommunity it is the only tree species which is present so itsdiversity index value is zero The diversity of shrubs (040ndash238) is comparable to the previous records from the higherHimalaya and also from the lower parts (051ndash133) [46 48

The Scientific World Journal 5

Table 3 Identified communities showing TBA species richness densities and diversity in Sangla Valley

Communities SR TBA (m2ha) Species richness Density Species diversity index (1198671015840)Trees (noha) Shrubs (noha) Herbs (nom2) Trees Shrubs Herbs

TreesBU 5 1117 47 480 330 3516 073 212 317CD 3 4241 38 40333 67333 3344 057 168 362QF 1 1417 19 340 290 2208 0 04 249PG 3 1209 47 490 60629 3520 082 116 311PW 6 8702 96 205 62583 3634 0 238 401BU-AP 1 1416 35 440 770 2503 102 152 316BU-PW 4 1228 80 420 3275 4036 093 222 369CD-PS 1 1798 41 600 1030 4240 128 207 298CD-PW 1 2199 29 400 420 3820 069 095 307

ShrubsHS 2 mdash 41 mdash 370 4539 mdash 163 321RA 2 mdash 40 mdash 105 3256 mdash 096 345RA-SC 2 mdash 52 mdash 230 3480 mdash 115 355SCa-CB-BJ 1 mdash 34 mdash 540 4873 mdash 153 287SCa-LH 1 mdash 33 mdash 630 2770 mdash 143 31

HerbsPA-AS-BA-AV 1 mdash 34 mdash mdash 7895 mdash mdash 291

SR = site represented TBA total basal area Ind = individual BU = Betula utilis CD = Cedrus deodara QF = Quercus floribunda PG = Pinus gerardiana PW= Pinus wallichiana BU-AP = Betula utilis-Abies pindrow mixed BU-PW = Betula utilis-Pinus wallichiana mixed CD-PS = Cedrus deodara-Picea smithianaCD-PW = Cedrus deodara-Pinus wallichiana mixed HS = Hippophae salicifolia RA = Rhododendron anthopogon RA-SC = Rhododendron anthopogon-Salixcaliculata mixed SCa-CB-BL = Spiraea canescens-Cotoneaster bacillaris-Berberis jaeschkeana mixed SCa-LH = Spiraea canescens-Lonicera hypoleuca mixedand PA-AS-BA-AV = Poa alpina-Agrostis stolonifera-Bistorta affinis-Aconitum violaceum

50] and (074ndash314) reported by [40 51] for subtropical andtemperate forests However for herbs diversity (249ndash401) itwas higher than earlier records The value of the total basalarea was found to bemaximum inC deodara andC deodara-P wallichiana mixed communities (4241 and 2199m2haresp) and average basal area is 1723m2ha which is very lowas compared to the other parts of the Himalaya where it isabove 70m2ha [52ndash54] This may be due to unscrupuloustree felling and logging pressure on the forest resources inaddition to the other natural causes like heavy erratic rainfallswhich leads to the massive landslides in the region

34 Species Dominance in the Identified CommunitiesAmong the various communities identified in SV we figuredout the maximum values of dominant species as 745 (Butilis) and 199 (P wallichiana) in B utilis community802 (C deodara) and 174 (P wallichiana) in C deodaracommunity 100 (Q floribunda) in Q floribunda commu-nity as it was the only tree species present in the community5714 (Pinus gerardiana) and 388(Quercus floribunda)in Pinus gerardiana community 909 (P wallichiana) and81 (C deodara) in P wallichiana community 431 (Butilis) and 409 (A pindrow) in B utilis-A pindrow mixedcommunity 625 (B utilis) and 298 (P wallichiana)in Butilis-P wallichiana mixed community 383 (C deodara)and 316 (Picea smithiana ) in C deodara-P smithianamixed community and 525 (C deodara) and 425

(P wallichiana) in C deodara-P wallichiana mixed commu-nity (Table 4)

Among shrubs maximum density percentages were ofthe species Berberis aristata Berberis jaeschkeana Cas-siope fastigiata Cotoneaster bacillaris Cotoneaster micro-phyllus Desmodium elegans Hippophae salicifolia Lonicerahypoleuca Rhododendron campanulatum Rabdosia rugosaRhododendron anthopogon Rubus ellipticus Salix calyculataSorbaria tomentosa Spiraea canescens and so forth Rabdosiarugosa (801) and Cotoneaster bacillaris (75) were hav-ing maximum and minimum density percentages in Quer-cus floribunda and Cedrus deodara communities respec-tively Among herbs assessed Aconogonum molle AgrostisstoloniferaBistorta affinisBromus japonicasCannabis sativaConyza sumatrensis CynoglossumwallichiiDelphinium cash-merianum Euphrasia officinalis Fragaria nubicola Impa-tiens thomsonii Morina longifolia Nepeta erecta Origanumvulgare Persicaria vivipara Poa alpina Polygonatum verti-cillatum Thalictrum cultratum Trifolium pratense and soforth were in abundance hence showing comparativelymore densities Herbs having maximum density recordedwere Poa alpina (253) followed by Cynoglossum wallichii(234) and Fragaria nubicola (195) in Poa alpina-Agrostisstolonifera-Bistorta affinis-Aconitum violaceum mixed Butilis-A pindrowmixed andRhododendron anthopogon-Salixcalyculatamixed communities respectively (Table 4)

Tree shrub and herb percentage covers within thecommunities showed a typical composition of theHimalayan

6 The Scientific World Journal

Table4Re

latived

ensitieso

fdom

inantspecies

invario

uscommun

ities

Com

mun

ities

Dom

inantelements

Trees

Shrubs

Herbs

Trees

BetulautilisD

Don

ButilisD

Don

(745

)P

wallichiana

AB

Jacks(19

9)and

Apind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle

(50)

Cassiopefastigiata

(Wall)

DD

on(285

)Rh

ododendron

campanu

latum

D

Don

(176

)andRo

sawe

bbiana

Wallex

Royle(97

)

Polyg

onatum

verticillatum

(L)All(114

)Geranium

wallichianu

mDD

onex

Sweet(57

)Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(56)and

Aconogonum

molle

(DD

on)H

Hara(

54

)

Cedrus

deodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(802

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(174

)andA

pind

row

(Royleex

D

Don

)Royle(25)

Rabdosia

rugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara(

313)Berberisaristata(298

)

andCo

toneasterb

acillarisWallex

Lind

l(75

)

Thalictrum

cultratum

Wall(111)Fnu

bicola

(74

)andNe

peta

erecta

(Royleex

Benth)B

enth(74

)

Quercus

florib

unda

Lind

lex

AC

amus

Qfloribun

daLind

lex

AC

amus

(100)

Rrugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara

(801

)Sorbaria

tomentosa

(Lindl)

Rehd

er(91

)

Cann

abissativaL(14

3)Dysphaniabotrys

(L)

MosyakinampClem

ants(109

)andTagetesm

inutaL

(95)

Pinu

sgerardianaWallex

DD

on

Pinu

sgerardianaWallex

DD

on(5714

)Qfloribun

daLind

lex

A

Camus

(388

)andOlea

europaea

L(41

)

Rrugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara

(559

)Desmodium

elegans

DC

(189

)andAr

temisiamaritimaL(132

)

Conyza

sumatrensis(SFB

lake)P

ruskiamp

GSancho

(94)C

sativ

aL(68)andCh

enopodium

album

L(54)

Pinu

swallichian

aAB

Jacks

Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(909)C

deodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(81

)

Rosa

macrophyllaLind

l(174

)Berberis

jaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(14

4)and

Cotoneasterm

icrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(128

)

Orig

anum

vulga

reL(61

)Morinalongifolia

Wall

(36)andMedica

golupu

linaL(33)

ButilisD

Don

-Ap

indrow

Roylee

xDD

on)R

oylemixed

ButilisD

Don

(431

)A

pind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle(409

)and

Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(159)

Cmicrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(325

)R

macrophyllaLind

l(220

)andB

jaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(117

)

Cynoglo

ssum

wallichiiG

Don

(234

)Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(182

)Trigonellaem

odi

Benthand

LotuscorniculatusL

(46

each)

ButilisD

Don

-Pw

allichianaAB

Jacksmixed

ButilisD

Don

(625

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(298)andA

pind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle(43)

Cfastigiata(W

all)

DD

on(333

)Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(100

)and

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(76

)

Persica

riavivipara

(L)Ro

nseD

ecr(68)Delp

hinium

cashmerianu

mRo

yle(45

)andLomatogonium

carin

thiacum

(Wulfen)

Rchb

(35

)

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

-Pice

asmith

iana

(Wall)

Boiss

mixed

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(383

)Piceasm

ithiana

(Wall)

Boiss

(316

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(200

)andJugla

nsregiaL

(103)

Rubu

sellipticu

sSm(155)B

aristata

DC

(146)andD

elegans

DC

(136

)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(161

)Trifoliu

mpratenseL(52)Tcultratum

Walland

Chaerophyllum

villosum

WallampDC

(38each)

Cdeodara

(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

-Pw

allichianaAB

Jacksm

ixed

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(525

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(425

)andPsm

ithiana

(Wall)

Boiss

(50)

BjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(595

2)S

canescensD

Don

(214

)R

webbiana

Wallex

Royle(190)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(82)T

linearis

Benth(63)andTalpinu

sL(55

)

The Scientific World Journal 7

Table4Con

tinued

Com

mun

ities

Dom

inantelements

Trees

Shrubs

Herbs

Shrubs

Hippophae

salicifolia

DD

onmdash

Hippophae

salicifolia

DD

on(58

)Sorbaria

tomentosa

(Lindl)

Rehd

er(132

)andRa

bdosia

rugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara(

94)

Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(156

)Ca

nnabissativaL(83)Polygonu

mavicu

lare

L(60)andNe

peta

erecta

(Royleex

Benth)B

enth

(45)

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

onmdash

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(572

)Salix

caprea

L(286

)and

Cotoneastermicrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(14

3)

Delp

hinium

cashmerianu

mRo

yle

(72

)Rh

odiola

himalensis

(DD

on)S

HFu

(57)Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(D

Don

)Greene

(53)La

ctucamacrorhiza

(Royle)H

ookf(48)

andIm

patiens

thom

soniiH

ookf(42)

Rhododendron

anthopogon

D

Don

-Salix

calyc

ulataHoo

kfex

And

ersson

mixed

mdash

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(4565)Salix

calyc

ulataHoo

kfex

And

ersson

(369

)andViburnum

cotin

ifoliu

mDD

on(87)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(195

)Bisto

rta

affinis(D

Don

)Greene(107)An

aphalis

triplinervis

(Sim

s)Simse

xC

BClarke

(67)Poaannu

aL

(62)Th

alictrum

cultratum

Wall(57)

andOxyria

digyna

(L)Hill

(53)

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

-Cotoneaste

rbacillaris

Wallex

Lind

l-BerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eidmixed

mdash

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(270

)Co

toneasterbacillaris

Wallex

Lind

l(115

)

andBerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid

(82)

Elsholtzia

eriosta

chya

(Benth)Be

nth

(172

)Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(154

)Eu

phrasia

officin

alisL

(77

)Orig

anum

vulga

reL(74

)and

Impatiens

thom

soniiH

ookf(35)

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

-Lonice

rahypoleu

caDecne

Mixed

mdash

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(444

)Lonicera

hypoleu

caDecne

(190)andBerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(111)

Brom

usjaponicusTh

unb

(105

)Cu

scutacapitata

Roxb

(96)Ac

onogonum

molle

(DD

on)H

Hara(

72)

andFragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(63)

Herbs

Poaalpina

L-Agrostis

stolonifer

aL-

Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(DD

on)

Greene-Ac

onitu

mviolaceum

Jacquem

exStapfm

ixed

mdashmdash

Poaalpina

L(2533)Ag

rostisstolonifer

aL

(132

)Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(D

Don

)Greene

(46)Ac

onitu

mviolaceum

JacquemexStapf(46

)andHeracleu

mthom

soniiC

BC

larke(43

)

8 The Scientific World Journal

region wherein shrubs Rabdosia rugosa and Cotoneasterbacillaris were having maximum and minimum densitypercentages respectively and herbs Poa alpina Cynoglossumwallichiiand Fragaria nubicola were abundant Dominanceof these species might be due to their high adaptability inaddition to their good capability to proliferate in the extremeclimatic conditions of this part of western Himalaya

35 Phytogeographic Affinities As a whole in all the com-munities 182 species were native to the Himalayan regionand the remaining were nonnatives as they are from differentbiogeographic domains of the world The trend of nativityof plants occurring in SV was as follows EuropeanOrientalregion (28) gt Asia (25) gt European region (16) gt Temperateregion (13) gt Indian region (10) gt IndiaOriental region (8)gt America (7) gt EuropeanOrientalAfrican and TemperateArctic (6 each) gt Cosmopolitan (5) gt Australian (4) gtAmphigean (3) gt Arctic EuropeanOrientalAmerican andOriental (2 each) and EuropeanAfrican (1) (Figure 2)

Natives are the species which evolved naturally in a par-ticular region before their human introduction To prioritizea species or habitat of the region for conservation statusof a species as to whether it is native or introduced in agiven area is required Species invasions beyond their nativerange constitute a global driver of change as nonnative speciesthreaten biodiversity and change ecosystem functioning [55]Like in other parts of the Himachal Himalaya [29 30] inSV also the percentage of native species increased with thealtitude There is a strong evidence from a scatter diagramthat a positive linear relationship exists between the nativespecies richness and altitude (119903 = 083 119875 lt 001 119899 = 34)(Figure 3)The high percentage of the native species at higherelevations may be due to low anthropogenic pressure andsevere climatic conditions compared to the lower elevationswhere high anthropogenic pressure and mild climatic con-ditions support the speciation of the nonnative species [30]Regular monitoring of the habitats and populations of thenative species facing high anthropogenic pressure even inhigher altitude is essentially required so that the adequateplanning for their conservation and management could bedone in time

36 Altitudinal and Aspectwise Distribution of Species Alti-tude and aspect are themost important determinants of vege-tation distribution due to their direct impact onmicroclimateof the habitat [56 57] The Himalayan region has typicaltopography and environment where biodiversity varies fromaspect to aspect and habitats of the communities [58]

Maximum altitudinal distribution of few selected climatesensitive species namely Bistorta affinis Fragaria nubicolaGeranium pratense Pleurospermum candollei Podophyllumhexandrum Rhodiola heterodonta Saussurea obvallata Sax-ifraga sibrica and Sedum ewersii was studied in the valley Itwas found to be highest in northeast followed by north southand southeast aspects (Figure 4) Species like Bistorta affinisreaching up to 4510m and 3890m in northeast and northaspects respectively are restricted to 3580m and 3429m in

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

182

28 25 16 13 10 8 7 6 6 5 4 3 2 2 2 1

320

Num

ber o

f spe

cies

Him

alEu

roO

rien A

sEu

roTe

mp

Ind

Ind

Ori

enA

mer

Euro

Orie

nA

frTe

mp

Arc

tC

osm

oA

ust

Am

phig

Arc

tEu

roO

rien

Am

erO

rien

Euro

Afr

Tota

l

Figure 2 Species showing their biogeographic realms Afr = AfricaAmer = America Amphig = Amphigean Arct = Arctic As = AsiaAust = Australia Cosmo = Cosmopolitan Euro = Europe Himal =Himalaya Ind = India Orient = Oriental and Temp = Temperate

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1800 2300 2800 3300 3800 4300 4800

Nat

ives

()

Altitude (m)

y = 0014x + 1257

R2 = 051 r = 070

P lt 001

Figure 3 Native species along the altitude gradient

south and southeast aspects resepectively Similar trend wasseen with all other climate sesitive species in the region

P wallichiana showed the broadest range from 2100 to3500m and almost reaching the tree line along with B utilis

In this valley northern and northeastern slopes havelower temperatures and higher soil and air moisture contentsas compared to southern and other slopes at the same altitudedue to less solar exposure and higher moisture content andevapotranspiration which is akin to the other Himalayanareas [59 60] In northern and northeastern slopes B utilisA pindrow and P wallichianawere recorded at the altitude aslow as 2200mwhereas on the south and southeastern aspectstheir altitudinal range started from 2300m

37 Final Considerations In northwesternHimalaya the highmountain plant communities support a rich biodiversity interms of ecological indicator species and nativesThey need apropermanagement against harsh climate and anthropogenic

The Scientific World Journal 9

300032003400360038004000420044004600

Alti

tude

(m)

NorthSouth

North eastSouth east

Bisto

rta

affini

s

Frag

aria

nub

icol

a

Ger

aniu

m p

rate

nse

Pleu

rosp

erm

um ca

ndol

lii

Podo

phyl

lum

hex

andr

um

Rhod

iola

het

erod

onta

Saus

sure

a ob

valla

ta

Saxi

fraga

sibi

rica

Sedu

m ew

ersii

Figure 4 Distribution range of species along altitudinal gradient indifferent aspects

pressure for continued future sustainability Regularmonitor-ing using random sampling by quadrat method is suggestedto understand the dynamics of the habitats and communitiesand accordingly plan for their management The climatesensitive species are required to be regularly monitored fortheir phenological attributes so that the baseline data can begenerated for future changes in the area The informationgenerated on these lines will provide a better insight aboutthe present status of floristic diversity and help in developingadequate strategies and action plan for the management ofsuch biodiversity-rich areas The state and central govern-ment agencies are suggested to encourage the native speciesso that the ambient regional ecosystems are protected for theposterity Further for in situ conservation of the economicallyand ecologically important species regular monitoring of thesites and complete protection of the habitats is suggestedIn addition seed germination protocols developed may beused for mass multiplication of the species and seedlingsshould be transplanted in comparable habitats so that viablepopulation of the species can be maintained Finally apragmatic and ameliorative conservational approach whichwas hitherto absent in this part of the Himalaya needs tobe implemented

Conflict of InterestsThe authors declare that there is no conflict of interestsregarding the publication of this paper

AcknowledgmentsThanks are due to Department of Science and TechnologyGovernment of India for providing funds to conduct thestudy The authors also thank and appreciate local commu-nities for their cooperation and patience in providing theinformation and hospitality while undertaking surveys

References

[1] C P Kala and V B Mathur ldquoPatterns of plant species distribu-tion in the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh Indiardquo Journalof Vegetation Science vol 13 no 6 pp 751ndash754 2002

[2] M A Oommen and K Shanker ldquoElevational species richnesspatterns emerge frommultiple local mechanisms in Himalayanwoody plantsrdquo Ecology vol 86 no 11 pp 3039ndash3047 2005

[3] J S Singh ldquoSustainable development of the Indian Himalayanregion linking ecological and economic concernsrdquo CurrentScience vol 90 no 6 pp 784ndash788 2006

[4] S M Khan S E Page H Ahmad and D M HarperldquoSustainable utilization and conservation of plant biodiversityinmontane ecosystems theWestern Himalayas as a case studyrdquoAnnals of Botany vol 112 no 3 pp 479ndash501 2013

[5] A Chawla S Rajkumar K N Singh B Lal A K Thukral andRD Singh ldquoPlant species diversity along an altitudinal gradientof Bhabha Valley in western Himalayardquo Journal of MountainScience vol 5 no 2 pp 157ndash177 2008

[6] H Shaheen Z Ullah S M Khan and D M Harper ldquoSpeciescomposition and community structure of western Himalayanmoist temperate forests in Kashmirrdquo Forest Ecology and Man-agement vol 278 pp 138ndash145 2012

[7] S Gairola R S Rawal and N P Todaria ldquoForest vegetationpatterns along an altitudinal gradient in sub-alpine zone ofWestHimalaya Indiardquo African Journal of Plant Science vol 2 no 6pp 42ndash48 2008

[8] N Timilsina M S Ross and J T Heinen ldquoA communityanalysis of sal (Shorea robusta) forests in the western Terai ofNepalrdquo Forest Ecology and Management vol 241 no 1ndash3 pp223ndash234 2007

[9] IUCN IUCN Red List of Threatened Species IUCN GlandsSwitzerland 2003

[10] R T Busing P S White and M D Mackenzie ldquoGradientanalysis of old spruce-fir forest of the Great Smokey Mountainscirca 1935rdquo Canadian Journal of Botany vol 71 no 7 pp 951ndash958 1993

[11] S Pant and S S Samant ldquoDiversity and regeneration statusof tree species in Khokhan Wildlife Sanctuary North-WesternHimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 53 no 3 pp 317ndash331 2012

[12] O Polunin and A Stainton Flowers of the Himalaya OxfordUniversity Press Delhi India 1984

[13] H J Chowdhery and BMWadhwa Flora of Himachal Pradeshvol 1ndash3 Botanical Survey of India Calcutta India 1984

[14] D S Dhaliwal andM Sharma Flora of KulluDistrict ( HimachalPradesh ) Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India1999

[15] S K Singh and G S Rawat Flora of Great Himalayan NationalPark Himachal Pradesh Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal SinghDehradun India 2000

[16] H Singh and M Sharma Flora of Chamba District (HimachalPradesh) Bishen Singh Mahinder Pal Singh Dehradun India2006

[17] S P Khullar An Illustrated Fern Flora of the West Himalaya VolII International Book Distributors Dehradun India 2000

[18] J S Singh and S P Singh ldquoForest vegetation of the HimalayardquoThe Botanical Review vol 53 no 1 pp 80ndash192 1987

[19] M S Mani ldquoThe Himalaya its ecology and biogeography areviewrdquo in High Altitudes of the Himalaya Y P S Pangtey andR S Rawal Eds Gyanodaya Prakashan Nainital India 1994

10 The Scientific World Journal

[20] U Dhar R S Rawal and S S Samant ldquoStructural diversityand representativeness of forest vegetation in a protected areaof Kumaun Himalaya India implications for conservationrdquoBiodiversity and Conservation vol 6 no 8 pp 1045ndash1062 1997

[21] B PNautiyal N Pandey andA B Bhatt ldquoAnalysis of vegetationpattern in alpine zone in North West Himalaya a case studyof Garhwal Himalaya with special reference to diversity anddistributional patternsrdquo International Journal of Ecology andEnvironmental Sciences vol 23 no 1 pp 49ndash65 1997

[22] C P Kala Ecology and conservation of alpine meadows inthe Valley of Flowers National Park Garhwal Himalaya [PhDthesis] Forest Research Institute Dehradun India 1998

[23] J S Singh ldquoThe biodiversity crisis a multifaceted reviewrdquoCurrent Science vol 82 no 6 pp 638ndash647 2002

[24] S S Samant and H C Joshi ldquoFloristic diversity communitypatterns and changes of vegetation in Nanda Devi NationalParkrdquo in Biodiversity Monitoring Expedition Nanda Devi 2003pp 39ndash54 Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India2003

[25] K N Singh A Kumar B Lal and N P Todaria ldquoSpeciesdiversity and population status of threatened plants in differentlandscape elements of the Rohtang Pass western HimalayardquoJournal of Mountain Science vol 5 no 1 pp 73ndash83 2008

[26] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoMedicinal plants in old-growthdegraded and re-growth forests of NWPakistanrdquo Forest Ecologyand Management vol 261 no 11 pp 2105ndash2114 2011

[27] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoDiversity of medicinal plantsamong different forest-use types of the Pakistani HimalayardquoEconomic Botany vol 66 no 4 pp 344ndash356 2012

[28] H C Joshi and S S Samant ldquoAssessment of forest vegetationand conservation priorities of communities in part of NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve West Himalaya part Irdquo InternationalJournal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology vol 11no 3 pp 326ndash336 2004

[29] M Lal Assessment of floristic diversity and conservation statusof plants in kais wildlife sanctuary of himachal pradesh in North-western Himalaya [PhD Thesis] Kumaun University NainitalIndia 2007

[30] M S Rana Assessment of floristic diversity and conservationprioritization of communities for conservation inManaliWildlifeSanctuary of Himachal Pradesh in Northwestern Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2007

[31] A Sharma Studies on Floristic diversity and prioritization ofcommunities for conservation in Hirb and Shoja CatchmentsDistrict Kullu of Himachal Pradesh North Western Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2008

[32] W A Rodgers and H S Panwar A Biogeographical Classifi-cation for Conservation Planning Wildlife Institute of IndiaDehradun India 1990

[33] E C Pielou Ecological Diversity JohnWiley amp Sons New YorkNY USA 1975

[34] E H Simpson ldquoMeasurement of diversityrdquo Nature vol 163article 688 1949

[35] C E Shannon and W Wiener The Mathematical Theory ofCommunication University of Illinois Press Urbana Ill USA1963

[36] J T Curtis and M Intosh ldquoThe interrelation of certain analyticand phytosociological charactersrdquo Ecology vol 31 pp 434ndash4551950

[37] P Greig-Smith Quantitative Plant Ecology Academic PressNew York NY USA 1957

[38] K A KersawQuantitative and Dynamic Plant Ecology EdwardArnold Limited London UK 2nd edition 1973

[39] D Muller-Dombois and H Ellenberge Aims and Methods ofVegetation Ecology JohnWilley and Sons New York NY USA1974

[40] A K Saxena and J S Singh ldquoA phytosociological analysis ofwoody species in forest communities of a part of KumaunHimalayardquo Vegetatio vol 50 no 1 pp 3ndash22 1982

[41] A E OsmastonA Forest Flora for Kumaun International BookDistributors Dehradun India 1927

[42] B S Aswal and B N Mehrotra Flora of Lahaul-Spiti (A ColdDesert in North-West Himalaya) Bishen Singh Mahendra PalSingh Dehradun India 1994

[43] S S Samant H C Joshi and S C Arya ldquoDiversity nativityand endemism of vascular plants in Pindari area of Nanda DeviBiosphere Reserve-IIrdquoHimalayan Biosphere Reserves vol 2 no1-2 pp 1ndash29 2000

[44] O P Chaturvedi and J S Singh ldquoThe structure and function ofpine forest in central himalaya I dry matter dynamicsrdquo Annalsof Botany vol 60 no 3 pp 237ndash252 1986

[45] C BindiuUnpublished PhD thesis Acadamic de stunte agricolesi silvice [PhD thesis] Acadamic de stunte agricole si silviceBucharest Romania 1973

[46] G P Raturi ldquoForest community structure along an altitudinalgradient of district Rudraprayag of Garhwal Himalaya IndiardquoEcologia vol 2 no 3 pp 76ndash84 2012

[47] B S Adhikari H C Rikhari Y S Rawat and S P Singh ldquoHighaltitude forest composition diversity and profile structure in apart of Kumaun Himalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 32 no 1 pp86ndash97 1991

[48] N S Bankoti R S Rawal S S Samant and Y P S PangteyldquoForest vegetation of inner hill ranges in kumaun centralhimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 33 no 1 pp 41ndash53 1992

[49] H C Joshi Assessment of habitat diversity forest vegetation andhuman dependence in the Buffer zone of Nanda Devi biospherereserve of West Himalaya [PhD thesis] Kumaon UniversityNainital India 2002

[50] J C Tewari and S P Singh ldquoVegetational analysis of a forestlying in transitional zone between lower and upper Himalayanmoist temperate forestsrdquo inThevegetational wealth of HimalayaS G Paliwal Ed Puja Publishers New Delhi India 1981

[51] S S Samant H C Joshi S C Arya and S Pant ldquoStudies onthe structure composition and changes of vegetation in NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve of west Himalayardquo Tech Rep Ministryof Environment and Forests New Delhi India 2002

[52] M Ahmed T Husain A H Sheikh S S Hussain and M FSiddiqui ldquoPhytosociology and structure of Himalayan forestsfrom different climatic zones of Pakistanrdquo Pakistan Journal ofBotany vol 38 no 2 pp 361ndash383 2006

[53] R M Kunwar and S P Sharma ldquoQuantitative analysis of treespecies in two community forests of Dolpa district mid-westNepalrdquo Himalayan Journal of Science vol 2 no 3 pp 23ndash282004

[54] S Shah A Tewari and B Tewari ldquoImpact of Human dis-turbance on forest vegetation and water resources of nainitalcatchmentrdquo Natural Science 2009

[55] J M Levine M Vila C M DrsquoAntonio J S Dukes K Grigulisand S Lavorel ldquoMechanisms underlying the impacts of exoticplant invasionsrdquo Proceedings of the Royal Society B BiologicalSciences vol 270 no 1517 pp 775ndash781 2003

The Scientific World Journal 11

[56] R S Rawal and Y P S Pangtey ldquoDistribution and structural-functional attributes of trees in the high altitude zone of CentralHimalaya Indiardquo Vegetatio vol 112 no 1 pp 29ndash34 1994

[57] H Singh M Kumar and AM Sheikh ldquoDistribution pattern ofOak and Pine along altitudinal gradients in Garhwal HimalayardquoNatural Science vol 7 no 11 pp 81ndash85 2009

[58] R E Shank and E N Noorie ldquoMicroclimate vegetation in asmall valley in eastern Tennesseerdquo Ecology vol 11 p 5319 1950

[59] C M Sharma and N P Baduni ldquoEffect of aspect on thestructure of some natural stands ofAbies pindrow in Himalayanmoist temperate forestrdquo Environmentalist vol 20 no 4 pp309ndash317 2000

[60] M P Panthi R P Chaudhary and O R Vetaas ldquoPlant speciesrichness and composition in a trans-Himalayan inner valley ofManangDistrict Central NepalrdquoHimalayan Journal of Sciencesvol 4 no 6 pp 27ndash39 2007

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

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Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology

2 The Scientific World Journal

The rapid loss in floristic diversity and changing patternof vegetation due to various biotic and abiotic factors havenecessitated the qualitative and quantitative assessment ofvegetation However numbers of studies on communitydynamics and phytogeographic affinities have been con-ducted qualitatively [12ndash17] as well as quantitatively [5 18ndash24] and in northwest Himalaya [4 6 25ndash27] in particu-lar as well Nevertheless a very few studies incorporatingcomposition structural and functional diversity and nativityof the biodiversity have been carried out in northwestHimalaya [28ndash31] But not many studies that give detailedaccount of floristic diversity of Kinnaur [5] which forms atypical geographical entity of Himachal Pradesh and SanglaValley in particular are available till now Therefore thiswork is emphasized to study floristic composition to assessthe community structure of the vegetation by differentphytosociological methods and phytogeographic affinitiesof the species and to study the vegetation pattern inthe different aspects of the SV along an altitudinal gradi-ent

2 Materials and Methods

21 Physiographic Features of the Study Area The study areais commonly known as Sangla Valley (hereafter SV) andsituated at 31∘311015840ndash 361015840N and 77∘201015840minus271015840E along the BaspaRiver that flows through the middle of valley (Figure 1) Thevalley is oriented from southeast to northwest directionsThis is one of the most ecologically fragile biogeographicalzones [32] and inhabited by indigenous tribal communitieshavingMongolian features and Buddhist religion and cultureIt is surrounded by high mountains with elevation rangingfrom 1800 to 5480m above mean sea level The upper rangesof the valley are highly glaciered and receive most of itswater through dry precipitation (snow) in winters fromNovember to April The vegetation of the valley is temperatesubalpine and alpine types and forests are dominated byPinuswallichiana Betula utilis Abies pindrow and Cedrus deodaracommunities The livelihood of communities is based onagrihorticultural activities which are generally performedafter snow melt in April to October The communities haveclose affinity with plant resources not only to meet theirbasic requirements like food fodder fuel health and shelterbut also to perform several religious and cultural ritualsThough the environment of the valley is very close to natureseveral anthropogenic activities have successfully altered thenatural and traditional agroecosystem of the valley Severalnew climatic events such as increasing frequency of rainsin July-August (150ndash200mm in 1980s to 465mm in 2012)rising temperature frost and fog are being witnessed morefrequently than two decades ago

22 Sampling Plot and Estimation Design Representativeplots of 50 times 50m were selected in different aspects andhabitats 10 quadrats of 10 times 10m for trees 20 quadrats of 5times 5m for shrubs and 20 quadrats of 1 times 1m for herbs wererandomly laid within the plot Plots were selected based ondifferent topographical features such as habitat types altitude

aspects slope and different vegetation types (Table 1) Thehabitats were identified based on the physical charactersand dominance of the vegetation The plots facing highanthropogenic pressure were considered as degraded habitatsand sites having closed canopy with high percent of humusand moisture were considered as moist habitat whereas thoseof low percent of the same were considered as dry habitatThe site having gt50 boulders of the ground cover wereconsidered as bouldery habitat Geographical coordinatesof the sites were taken with the help of Global PositioningSystem (GPS) Slope was measured with the help of Abneyrsquoslevel

Sites were selected in each and every aspect between1950 and 4500m for the field study and analysis of floristicdiversity In various representative ecoclimatic zones of SV34 plots were sampled

23 Data Analysis The SV which falls under cold aridzone of Himachal Pradesh is diverse and rich in speciesCommunities were identified based on the importance valueindex and calculated as the sum of relative frequency relativedensity and relative basal arearelative abundance For diver-sity index Shannon-Wiener information index [33] was usedSpecies richnesswas considered as the total number of speciesin a growth form For the collection and analysis of datastandard ecological methods [20 24 34ndash39] were followedVegetation was analytically computed following [39 40] Thetaxa of Himalayan origin were considered as native and allothers as nonnative During qualitative assessment rapidsurveys and samplings were done in each season and taxaidentified on spot and with the help of floras and researchpapers [12ndash14 40ndash43]

3 Results and Discussion

Plots accessed were 34 in number and a total 15 communities(9 tree 5 shrub and 1 herb communities) were delineatedbased on importance value index for the tree communitiesand relative density for the shrub and herb communities

31 Vegetational Analysis Thedifferent habitats covered dur-ing the study were shady moist rocky bouldery dry alpinemeadow riverine moraines and so forth Among theseshady moist (12) followed by dry habitats (9) representedmaximum sites Because of unique topography and differentaltitudinal zones of western Himalaya vegetation varies fromaspect to aspect The sites were selected in every accessiblehabitat and aspect along an altitudinal gradient North andnortheastern aspects represented maximum sites (8 each)followed by southwest and northwest (5 each) (Table 1)

Within the communities so delineated we recorded 320species of plants belonging to 199 genera and 75 familiesDominant group reported was angiosperms (68 families190 genera and 302 species) gymnosperms represented by4 families 7 genera and 13 species and pteridophytes by 4families 3 genera and 5 species They were distributed indifferent life forms that is trees (29 spp) shrubs (43 spp)and herbs (248 spp) (Table 2)

The Scientific World Journal 3

31∘159984000998400998400

N31∘309984000998400998400

N31∘459984000998400998400

N32∘09984000998400998400

N

31∘159984000998400998400

N31∘309984000998400998400

N31∘459984000998400998400

N32∘09984000998400998400

N

77∘459984000998400998400E 77∘159984000998400998400E78∘09984000998400998400E 78∘309984000998400998400E 79∘309984000998400998400E78∘459984000998400998400E

77∘459984000998400998400E 77∘159984000998400998400E78∘09984000998400998400E 78∘309984000998400998400E 79∘309984000998400998400E78∘459984000998400998400E

9 45 0 9 18 27 36

(km)

EN

SW

Figure 1 Map of the study area

Among the angiosperm families Asteraceae (49 spp)Rosaceae (21 spp) Apiaceae (20 spp) and Ranunculaceae(18 spp) were dominant Among genera Artemisia and Poly-gonum (7 spp) Saussurea (6 spp) Berberis and Thalictrum(5 spp) and Geranium Juniperus Nepeta Potentilla PoaRosa and Salix (4 spp each) were dominant genera Twenty-eight (28) families were monotypic and represented only byone species The occurrence of 320 species in the quantifiedarea indicates that its environmental conditions particularlyshady moist and forest habitats are suitable for the growthand development of species Amongst the communities Pwallichiana community represented maximum sites (6 sites)followed by B utilis (5 sites) B utilis-P wallichiana mixed(4 sites) C deodara and P gerardiana (3 sites each) Ranthopogon H salicifolia and R anthopogon-S caliculatamixed (2 sites each) and the rest of the communities wererepresented by one site only Dominance of the Asteraceaein SV is also validated by floras of Lahaul-Spiti HimachalPradesh in high altitude regions ofwesternHimalaya [13 42]The affinity of vegetation towards the flora of the Lahaul-SpitiValley and Bhaba Valley [5 42] is apparent by the presenceof similar dominant families Moreover the major part ofthe valley is covered with snow throughout the year Pres-ence of number of herbaceous families (namely ApiaceaeBrassicaceae Ranunculaceae Rosaceae Polygonaceae andScrophulariaceae) is attributed to the temperate and alpinenature of the area Lesser Pteridophytes in the area maybe attributed to the more exposed arid nature of the valleywith low broad leaf forest cover and moisture Nonethelessas a whole the high diversity and richness of the speciesin the SV indicate the high conservation value of the areaOccurrences of 320 species in the 15 identified communitiesof 34 quantified plots validate this

32 Communities Composition and Structure Total tree den-sity ranged from 205 to 600 noha (number per hectare) andtotal basal area from 870 to 4241m2ha Shrubs and herbsdensities ranged from 1050 to 103000 noha and from 2208to 4873 nom2

respectively Shrub density is maximum in C

deodara-P smithianamixed community and herbs density ismaximum in Poa alpina-Agrostis stolonifera-Bistorta affinis-Aconitum violaceum community Among five major shrubcommunities Spiraea canescens-Lonicera hypoleuca mixedcommunity has highest shrub and herb density that is54000 noha and 4873 nom2 respectively (Table 3) Treedensity range is comparable to the other Himalayan studies[40 44] and European temperate forests [45] Similarlyshrub and herbrsquos density ranges (105ndash1030 noha and 2208ndash7895 nom2 resp) are in compliance with the earlier studiesof the Himalayan regions [46] However the lower range ofshrub densities in R anthopogon communities (105 nohaand 230 noha) in the valley is due to the presence of itsscanty patches near the subalpine areas and often the ruggedand arid and moraine topography

33 Species Richness and Diversity Index (H1015840) Species rich-ness in identified communities ranged from 19 to 96Among the communities it was highest in P wallichiana(96 spp) followed by B utilis-P wallichiana mixed (80spp) R anthopogon-S caliculata mixed (52 spp) and Pgerardiana (47 spp) communities Species diversity indexfor trees is maximum (128) for C deodara-P smithianamixed community and minimum (00) for Q floribunda andP wallichiana communities among shrubs it is maximum(238) for P wallichiana community and minimum (040) forQ floribunda community and for herbs it is maximum (401)

4 The Scientific World Journal

Table 1 Physical Characteristics of the plots assessed in Sangla Valley

S No Altitude (m) Habitat Slope Aspect Latitude Longitude1 1950 Degraded 35∘ S 31∘ 28040 N 78∘ 11209 E2 2000 Dry 60∘ NW 31∘ 28853 N 78∘ 10892 E3 2100 Dry 60∘ SW 31∘ 28823 N 78∘ 10962 E4 2250 Dry 50∘ S 31∘ 28045 N 78∘ 11111 E5 2550 Shady Moist 20∘ N 31∘ 25025 N 78∘ 16103 E6 2625 Riverine 50∘ NE 31∘ 24854 N 78∘ 16828 E7 2675 Bouldery 40∘ N 31∘ 25061 N 78∘ 16368 E8 2690 Dry 15∘ NE 31∘ 24913 N 78∘ 16085 E9 2750 Shady Moist 10∘ SW 31∘ 25758 N 78∘ 16746 E10 2770 Shady Moist 45∘ NE 31∘ 24342 N 78∘ 18038 E11 3120 Bouldery 20∘ NE 31∘ 23039 N 78∘ 21614 E12 3185 Dry 30∘ SW 31∘ 23631 N 78∘ 21370 E13 3250 Dry 45∘ S 31∘ 24342 N 78∘ 18038 E14 3320 Dry 35∘ SW 31∘ 21286 N 78∘ 24438 E15 3340 Shady Moist 55∘ SW 31∘ 23840 N 78∘ 21340 E16 3350 Rocky 60∘ S 31∘ 21756 N 78∘ 24029 E17 3385 Dry 45∘ N 31∘ 20992 N 78∘ 26287 E18 3399 Dry 40∘ N 31∘ 23640 N 78∘ 21558 E19 3400 Shady Moist 40∘ N 31∘ 20955 N 78∘ 26135 E20 3420 Shady Moist 40∘ NW 31∘ 23209 N 78∘ 25577 E21 3450 Bouldery 50∘ W 31∘ 23881 N 78∘ 21441 E22 3480 Shady Moist 50∘ NW 31∘ 20886 N 78∘ 26179 E23 3500 Shady Moist 40∘ NW 31∘ 23959 N 78∘ 21554 E24 3501 Moraine 45∘ SE 31∘ 20967 N 78∘ 27303 E25 3516 Rocky 40∘ SE 31∘ 21002 N 78∘ 27381 E26 3527 Moraine 45∘ SE 31∘ 21002 N 78∘ 27374 E27 3650 Shady Moist 40∘ N 31∘ 20636 N 78∘ 26224 E28 3700 Shady Moist 40∘ N 31∘ 20515 N 78∘ 26267 E29 3770 Shady Moist 35∘ NW 31∘ 20389 N 78∘ 26334 E30 3850 Shady Moist 30∘ NE 31∘ 20167 N 78∘ 26411 E31 4129 Alpine meadow 45∘ NE 31∘ 19310 N 78∘ 26151 E32 4205 Alpine meadow 25∘ N 31∘ 19242 N 78∘ 26049 E33 4330 Moraine 30∘ NE 31∘ 18831 N 78∘ 25888 E34 4500 Alpine meadow 20∘ NE 31∘ 18347 N 78∘ 25648 E

Table 2 Taxonomic account of floristic diversity

Taxonomic group Families Genera Species Herbs Shrubs TreesAngiosperms 68 190 302 243 39 20Gymnosperms 4 7 13 mdash 4 9Pteridophytes 3 3 5 5 mdash mdashTotal 75 200 320 248 43 29

for P wallichiana community and minimum (249) for Qfloribunda community (Table 3)

The species richness (19ndash96) in the communities washigher than the earlier reported values [47 48] but compa-rable to the [24 49] from high altitude areas of HimalayaThe high richness of trees and shrubs may be due to diversehabitats and suitable edaphic and climatic factors supporting

growth and survival of the species The diversity indexfor trees (00ndash128) is within the reported value from theother Himalayan areas [40 47 49 50] In P gerardianacommunity it is the only tree species which is present so itsdiversity index value is zero The diversity of shrubs (040ndash238) is comparable to the previous records from the higherHimalaya and also from the lower parts (051ndash133) [46 48

The Scientific World Journal 5

Table 3 Identified communities showing TBA species richness densities and diversity in Sangla Valley

Communities SR TBA (m2ha) Species richness Density Species diversity index (1198671015840)Trees (noha) Shrubs (noha) Herbs (nom2) Trees Shrubs Herbs

TreesBU 5 1117 47 480 330 3516 073 212 317CD 3 4241 38 40333 67333 3344 057 168 362QF 1 1417 19 340 290 2208 0 04 249PG 3 1209 47 490 60629 3520 082 116 311PW 6 8702 96 205 62583 3634 0 238 401BU-AP 1 1416 35 440 770 2503 102 152 316BU-PW 4 1228 80 420 3275 4036 093 222 369CD-PS 1 1798 41 600 1030 4240 128 207 298CD-PW 1 2199 29 400 420 3820 069 095 307

ShrubsHS 2 mdash 41 mdash 370 4539 mdash 163 321RA 2 mdash 40 mdash 105 3256 mdash 096 345RA-SC 2 mdash 52 mdash 230 3480 mdash 115 355SCa-CB-BJ 1 mdash 34 mdash 540 4873 mdash 153 287SCa-LH 1 mdash 33 mdash 630 2770 mdash 143 31

HerbsPA-AS-BA-AV 1 mdash 34 mdash mdash 7895 mdash mdash 291

SR = site represented TBA total basal area Ind = individual BU = Betula utilis CD = Cedrus deodara QF = Quercus floribunda PG = Pinus gerardiana PW= Pinus wallichiana BU-AP = Betula utilis-Abies pindrow mixed BU-PW = Betula utilis-Pinus wallichiana mixed CD-PS = Cedrus deodara-Picea smithianaCD-PW = Cedrus deodara-Pinus wallichiana mixed HS = Hippophae salicifolia RA = Rhododendron anthopogon RA-SC = Rhododendron anthopogon-Salixcaliculata mixed SCa-CB-BL = Spiraea canescens-Cotoneaster bacillaris-Berberis jaeschkeana mixed SCa-LH = Spiraea canescens-Lonicera hypoleuca mixedand PA-AS-BA-AV = Poa alpina-Agrostis stolonifera-Bistorta affinis-Aconitum violaceum

50] and (074ndash314) reported by [40 51] for subtropical andtemperate forests However for herbs diversity (249ndash401) itwas higher than earlier records The value of the total basalarea was found to bemaximum inC deodara andC deodara-P wallichiana mixed communities (4241 and 2199m2haresp) and average basal area is 1723m2ha which is very lowas compared to the other parts of the Himalaya where it isabove 70m2ha [52ndash54] This may be due to unscrupuloustree felling and logging pressure on the forest resources inaddition to the other natural causes like heavy erratic rainfallswhich leads to the massive landslides in the region

34 Species Dominance in the Identified CommunitiesAmong the various communities identified in SV we figuredout the maximum values of dominant species as 745 (Butilis) and 199 (P wallichiana) in B utilis community802 (C deodara) and 174 (P wallichiana) in C deodaracommunity 100 (Q floribunda) in Q floribunda commu-nity as it was the only tree species present in the community5714 (Pinus gerardiana) and 388(Quercus floribunda)in Pinus gerardiana community 909 (P wallichiana) and81 (C deodara) in P wallichiana community 431 (Butilis) and 409 (A pindrow) in B utilis-A pindrow mixedcommunity 625 (B utilis) and 298 (P wallichiana)in Butilis-P wallichiana mixed community 383 (C deodara)and 316 (Picea smithiana ) in C deodara-P smithianamixed community and 525 (C deodara) and 425

(P wallichiana) in C deodara-P wallichiana mixed commu-nity (Table 4)

Among shrubs maximum density percentages were ofthe species Berberis aristata Berberis jaeschkeana Cas-siope fastigiata Cotoneaster bacillaris Cotoneaster micro-phyllus Desmodium elegans Hippophae salicifolia Lonicerahypoleuca Rhododendron campanulatum Rabdosia rugosaRhododendron anthopogon Rubus ellipticus Salix calyculataSorbaria tomentosa Spiraea canescens and so forth Rabdosiarugosa (801) and Cotoneaster bacillaris (75) were hav-ing maximum and minimum density percentages in Quer-cus floribunda and Cedrus deodara communities respec-tively Among herbs assessed Aconogonum molle AgrostisstoloniferaBistorta affinisBromus japonicasCannabis sativaConyza sumatrensis CynoglossumwallichiiDelphinium cash-merianum Euphrasia officinalis Fragaria nubicola Impa-tiens thomsonii Morina longifolia Nepeta erecta Origanumvulgare Persicaria vivipara Poa alpina Polygonatum verti-cillatum Thalictrum cultratum Trifolium pratense and soforth were in abundance hence showing comparativelymore densities Herbs having maximum density recordedwere Poa alpina (253) followed by Cynoglossum wallichii(234) and Fragaria nubicola (195) in Poa alpina-Agrostisstolonifera-Bistorta affinis-Aconitum violaceum mixed Butilis-A pindrowmixed andRhododendron anthopogon-Salixcalyculatamixed communities respectively (Table 4)

Tree shrub and herb percentage covers within thecommunities showed a typical composition of theHimalayan

6 The Scientific World Journal

Table4Re

latived

ensitieso

fdom

inantspecies

invario

uscommun

ities

Com

mun

ities

Dom

inantelements

Trees

Shrubs

Herbs

Trees

BetulautilisD

Don

ButilisD

Don

(745

)P

wallichiana

AB

Jacks(19

9)and

Apind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle

(50)

Cassiopefastigiata

(Wall)

DD

on(285

)Rh

ododendron

campanu

latum

D

Don

(176

)andRo

sawe

bbiana

Wallex

Royle(97

)

Polyg

onatum

verticillatum

(L)All(114

)Geranium

wallichianu

mDD

onex

Sweet(57

)Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(56)and

Aconogonum

molle

(DD

on)H

Hara(

54

)

Cedrus

deodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(802

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(174

)andA

pind

row

(Royleex

D

Don

)Royle(25)

Rabdosia

rugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara(

313)Berberisaristata(298

)

andCo

toneasterb

acillarisWallex

Lind

l(75

)

Thalictrum

cultratum

Wall(111)Fnu

bicola

(74

)andNe

peta

erecta

(Royleex

Benth)B

enth(74

)

Quercus

florib

unda

Lind

lex

AC

amus

Qfloribun

daLind

lex

AC

amus

(100)

Rrugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara

(801

)Sorbaria

tomentosa

(Lindl)

Rehd

er(91

)

Cann

abissativaL(14

3)Dysphaniabotrys

(L)

MosyakinampClem

ants(109

)andTagetesm

inutaL

(95)

Pinu

sgerardianaWallex

DD

on

Pinu

sgerardianaWallex

DD

on(5714

)Qfloribun

daLind

lex

A

Camus

(388

)andOlea

europaea

L(41

)

Rrugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara

(559

)Desmodium

elegans

DC

(189

)andAr

temisiamaritimaL(132

)

Conyza

sumatrensis(SFB

lake)P

ruskiamp

GSancho

(94)C

sativ

aL(68)andCh

enopodium

album

L(54)

Pinu

swallichian

aAB

Jacks

Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(909)C

deodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(81

)

Rosa

macrophyllaLind

l(174

)Berberis

jaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(14

4)and

Cotoneasterm

icrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(128

)

Orig

anum

vulga

reL(61

)Morinalongifolia

Wall

(36)andMedica

golupu

linaL(33)

ButilisD

Don

-Ap

indrow

Roylee

xDD

on)R

oylemixed

ButilisD

Don

(431

)A

pind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle(409

)and

Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(159)

Cmicrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(325

)R

macrophyllaLind

l(220

)andB

jaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(117

)

Cynoglo

ssum

wallichiiG

Don

(234

)Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(182

)Trigonellaem

odi

Benthand

LotuscorniculatusL

(46

each)

ButilisD

Don

-Pw

allichianaAB

Jacksmixed

ButilisD

Don

(625

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(298)andA

pind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle(43)

Cfastigiata(W

all)

DD

on(333

)Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(100

)and

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(76

)

Persica

riavivipara

(L)Ro

nseD

ecr(68)Delp

hinium

cashmerianu

mRo

yle(45

)andLomatogonium

carin

thiacum

(Wulfen)

Rchb

(35

)

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

-Pice

asmith

iana

(Wall)

Boiss

mixed

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(383

)Piceasm

ithiana

(Wall)

Boiss

(316

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(200

)andJugla

nsregiaL

(103)

Rubu

sellipticu

sSm(155)B

aristata

DC

(146)andD

elegans

DC

(136

)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(161

)Trifoliu

mpratenseL(52)Tcultratum

Walland

Chaerophyllum

villosum

WallampDC

(38each)

Cdeodara

(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

-Pw

allichianaAB

Jacksm

ixed

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(525

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(425

)andPsm

ithiana

(Wall)

Boiss

(50)

BjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(595

2)S

canescensD

Don

(214

)R

webbiana

Wallex

Royle(190)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(82)T

linearis

Benth(63)andTalpinu

sL(55

)

The Scientific World Journal 7

Table4Con

tinued

Com

mun

ities

Dom

inantelements

Trees

Shrubs

Herbs

Shrubs

Hippophae

salicifolia

DD

onmdash

Hippophae

salicifolia

DD

on(58

)Sorbaria

tomentosa

(Lindl)

Rehd

er(132

)andRa

bdosia

rugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara(

94)

Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(156

)Ca

nnabissativaL(83)Polygonu

mavicu

lare

L(60)andNe

peta

erecta

(Royleex

Benth)B

enth

(45)

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

onmdash

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(572

)Salix

caprea

L(286

)and

Cotoneastermicrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(14

3)

Delp

hinium

cashmerianu

mRo

yle

(72

)Rh

odiola

himalensis

(DD

on)S

HFu

(57)Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(D

Don

)Greene

(53)La

ctucamacrorhiza

(Royle)H

ookf(48)

andIm

patiens

thom

soniiH

ookf(42)

Rhododendron

anthopogon

D

Don

-Salix

calyc

ulataHoo

kfex

And

ersson

mixed

mdash

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(4565)Salix

calyc

ulataHoo

kfex

And

ersson

(369

)andViburnum

cotin

ifoliu

mDD

on(87)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(195

)Bisto

rta

affinis(D

Don

)Greene(107)An

aphalis

triplinervis

(Sim

s)Simse

xC

BClarke

(67)Poaannu

aL

(62)Th

alictrum

cultratum

Wall(57)

andOxyria

digyna

(L)Hill

(53)

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

-Cotoneaste

rbacillaris

Wallex

Lind

l-BerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eidmixed

mdash

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(270

)Co

toneasterbacillaris

Wallex

Lind

l(115

)

andBerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid

(82)

Elsholtzia

eriosta

chya

(Benth)Be

nth

(172

)Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(154

)Eu

phrasia

officin

alisL

(77

)Orig

anum

vulga

reL(74

)and

Impatiens

thom

soniiH

ookf(35)

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

-Lonice

rahypoleu

caDecne

Mixed

mdash

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(444

)Lonicera

hypoleu

caDecne

(190)andBerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(111)

Brom

usjaponicusTh

unb

(105

)Cu

scutacapitata

Roxb

(96)Ac

onogonum

molle

(DD

on)H

Hara(

72)

andFragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(63)

Herbs

Poaalpina

L-Agrostis

stolonifer

aL-

Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(DD

on)

Greene-Ac

onitu

mviolaceum

Jacquem

exStapfm

ixed

mdashmdash

Poaalpina

L(2533)Ag

rostisstolonifer

aL

(132

)Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(D

Don

)Greene

(46)Ac

onitu

mviolaceum

JacquemexStapf(46

)andHeracleu

mthom

soniiC

BC

larke(43

)

8 The Scientific World Journal

region wherein shrubs Rabdosia rugosa and Cotoneasterbacillaris were having maximum and minimum densitypercentages respectively and herbs Poa alpina Cynoglossumwallichiiand Fragaria nubicola were abundant Dominanceof these species might be due to their high adaptability inaddition to their good capability to proliferate in the extremeclimatic conditions of this part of western Himalaya

35 Phytogeographic Affinities As a whole in all the com-munities 182 species were native to the Himalayan regionand the remaining were nonnatives as they are from differentbiogeographic domains of the world The trend of nativityof plants occurring in SV was as follows EuropeanOrientalregion (28) gt Asia (25) gt European region (16) gt Temperateregion (13) gt Indian region (10) gt IndiaOriental region (8)gt America (7) gt EuropeanOrientalAfrican and TemperateArctic (6 each) gt Cosmopolitan (5) gt Australian (4) gtAmphigean (3) gt Arctic EuropeanOrientalAmerican andOriental (2 each) and EuropeanAfrican (1) (Figure 2)

Natives are the species which evolved naturally in a par-ticular region before their human introduction To prioritizea species or habitat of the region for conservation statusof a species as to whether it is native or introduced in agiven area is required Species invasions beyond their nativerange constitute a global driver of change as nonnative speciesthreaten biodiversity and change ecosystem functioning [55]Like in other parts of the Himachal Himalaya [29 30] inSV also the percentage of native species increased with thealtitude There is a strong evidence from a scatter diagramthat a positive linear relationship exists between the nativespecies richness and altitude (119903 = 083 119875 lt 001 119899 = 34)(Figure 3)The high percentage of the native species at higherelevations may be due to low anthropogenic pressure andsevere climatic conditions compared to the lower elevationswhere high anthropogenic pressure and mild climatic con-ditions support the speciation of the nonnative species [30]Regular monitoring of the habitats and populations of thenative species facing high anthropogenic pressure even inhigher altitude is essentially required so that the adequateplanning for their conservation and management could bedone in time

36 Altitudinal and Aspectwise Distribution of Species Alti-tude and aspect are themost important determinants of vege-tation distribution due to their direct impact onmicroclimateof the habitat [56 57] The Himalayan region has typicaltopography and environment where biodiversity varies fromaspect to aspect and habitats of the communities [58]

Maximum altitudinal distribution of few selected climatesensitive species namely Bistorta affinis Fragaria nubicolaGeranium pratense Pleurospermum candollei Podophyllumhexandrum Rhodiola heterodonta Saussurea obvallata Sax-ifraga sibrica and Sedum ewersii was studied in the valley Itwas found to be highest in northeast followed by north southand southeast aspects (Figure 4) Species like Bistorta affinisreaching up to 4510m and 3890m in northeast and northaspects respectively are restricted to 3580m and 3429m in

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

182

28 25 16 13 10 8 7 6 6 5 4 3 2 2 2 1

320

Num

ber o

f spe

cies

Him

alEu

roO

rien A

sEu

roTe

mp

Ind

Ind

Ori

enA

mer

Euro

Orie

nA

frTe

mp

Arc

tC

osm

oA

ust

Am

phig

Arc

tEu

roO

rien

Am

erO

rien

Euro

Afr

Tota

l

Figure 2 Species showing their biogeographic realms Afr = AfricaAmer = America Amphig = Amphigean Arct = Arctic As = AsiaAust = Australia Cosmo = Cosmopolitan Euro = Europe Himal =Himalaya Ind = India Orient = Oriental and Temp = Temperate

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1800 2300 2800 3300 3800 4300 4800

Nat

ives

()

Altitude (m)

y = 0014x + 1257

R2 = 051 r = 070

P lt 001

Figure 3 Native species along the altitude gradient

south and southeast aspects resepectively Similar trend wasseen with all other climate sesitive species in the region

P wallichiana showed the broadest range from 2100 to3500m and almost reaching the tree line along with B utilis

In this valley northern and northeastern slopes havelower temperatures and higher soil and air moisture contentsas compared to southern and other slopes at the same altitudedue to less solar exposure and higher moisture content andevapotranspiration which is akin to the other Himalayanareas [59 60] In northern and northeastern slopes B utilisA pindrow and P wallichianawere recorded at the altitude aslow as 2200mwhereas on the south and southeastern aspectstheir altitudinal range started from 2300m

37 Final Considerations In northwesternHimalaya the highmountain plant communities support a rich biodiversity interms of ecological indicator species and nativesThey need apropermanagement against harsh climate and anthropogenic

The Scientific World Journal 9

300032003400360038004000420044004600

Alti

tude

(m)

NorthSouth

North eastSouth east

Bisto

rta

affini

s

Frag

aria

nub

icol

a

Ger

aniu

m p

rate

nse

Pleu

rosp

erm

um ca

ndol

lii

Podo

phyl

lum

hex

andr

um

Rhod

iola

het

erod

onta

Saus

sure

a ob

valla

ta

Saxi

fraga

sibi

rica

Sedu

m ew

ersii

Figure 4 Distribution range of species along altitudinal gradient indifferent aspects

pressure for continued future sustainability Regularmonitor-ing using random sampling by quadrat method is suggestedto understand the dynamics of the habitats and communitiesand accordingly plan for their management The climatesensitive species are required to be regularly monitored fortheir phenological attributes so that the baseline data can begenerated for future changes in the area The informationgenerated on these lines will provide a better insight aboutthe present status of floristic diversity and help in developingadequate strategies and action plan for the management ofsuch biodiversity-rich areas The state and central govern-ment agencies are suggested to encourage the native speciesso that the ambient regional ecosystems are protected for theposterity Further for in situ conservation of the economicallyand ecologically important species regular monitoring of thesites and complete protection of the habitats is suggestedIn addition seed germination protocols developed may beused for mass multiplication of the species and seedlingsshould be transplanted in comparable habitats so that viablepopulation of the species can be maintained Finally apragmatic and ameliorative conservational approach whichwas hitherto absent in this part of the Himalaya needs tobe implemented

Conflict of InterestsThe authors declare that there is no conflict of interestsregarding the publication of this paper

AcknowledgmentsThanks are due to Department of Science and TechnologyGovernment of India for providing funds to conduct thestudy The authors also thank and appreciate local commu-nities for their cooperation and patience in providing theinformation and hospitality while undertaking surveys

References

[1] C P Kala and V B Mathur ldquoPatterns of plant species distribu-tion in the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh Indiardquo Journalof Vegetation Science vol 13 no 6 pp 751ndash754 2002

[2] M A Oommen and K Shanker ldquoElevational species richnesspatterns emerge frommultiple local mechanisms in Himalayanwoody plantsrdquo Ecology vol 86 no 11 pp 3039ndash3047 2005

[3] J S Singh ldquoSustainable development of the Indian Himalayanregion linking ecological and economic concernsrdquo CurrentScience vol 90 no 6 pp 784ndash788 2006

[4] S M Khan S E Page H Ahmad and D M HarperldquoSustainable utilization and conservation of plant biodiversityinmontane ecosystems theWestern Himalayas as a case studyrdquoAnnals of Botany vol 112 no 3 pp 479ndash501 2013

[5] A Chawla S Rajkumar K N Singh B Lal A K Thukral andRD Singh ldquoPlant species diversity along an altitudinal gradientof Bhabha Valley in western Himalayardquo Journal of MountainScience vol 5 no 2 pp 157ndash177 2008

[6] H Shaheen Z Ullah S M Khan and D M Harper ldquoSpeciescomposition and community structure of western Himalayanmoist temperate forests in Kashmirrdquo Forest Ecology and Man-agement vol 278 pp 138ndash145 2012

[7] S Gairola R S Rawal and N P Todaria ldquoForest vegetationpatterns along an altitudinal gradient in sub-alpine zone ofWestHimalaya Indiardquo African Journal of Plant Science vol 2 no 6pp 42ndash48 2008

[8] N Timilsina M S Ross and J T Heinen ldquoA communityanalysis of sal (Shorea robusta) forests in the western Terai ofNepalrdquo Forest Ecology and Management vol 241 no 1ndash3 pp223ndash234 2007

[9] IUCN IUCN Red List of Threatened Species IUCN GlandsSwitzerland 2003

[10] R T Busing P S White and M D Mackenzie ldquoGradientanalysis of old spruce-fir forest of the Great Smokey Mountainscirca 1935rdquo Canadian Journal of Botany vol 71 no 7 pp 951ndash958 1993

[11] S Pant and S S Samant ldquoDiversity and regeneration statusof tree species in Khokhan Wildlife Sanctuary North-WesternHimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 53 no 3 pp 317ndash331 2012

[12] O Polunin and A Stainton Flowers of the Himalaya OxfordUniversity Press Delhi India 1984

[13] H J Chowdhery and BMWadhwa Flora of Himachal Pradeshvol 1ndash3 Botanical Survey of India Calcutta India 1984

[14] D S Dhaliwal andM Sharma Flora of KulluDistrict ( HimachalPradesh ) Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India1999

[15] S K Singh and G S Rawat Flora of Great Himalayan NationalPark Himachal Pradesh Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal SinghDehradun India 2000

[16] H Singh and M Sharma Flora of Chamba District (HimachalPradesh) Bishen Singh Mahinder Pal Singh Dehradun India2006

[17] S P Khullar An Illustrated Fern Flora of the West Himalaya VolII International Book Distributors Dehradun India 2000

[18] J S Singh and S P Singh ldquoForest vegetation of the HimalayardquoThe Botanical Review vol 53 no 1 pp 80ndash192 1987

[19] M S Mani ldquoThe Himalaya its ecology and biogeography areviewrdquo in High Altitudes of the Himalaya Y P S Pangtey andR S Rawal Eds Gyanodaya Prakashan Nainital India 1994

10 The Scientific World Journal

[20] U Dhar R S Rawal and S S Samant ldquoStructural diversityand representativeness of forest vegetation in a protected areaof Kumaun Himalaya India implications for conservationrdquoBiodiversity and Conservation vol 6 no 8 pp 1045ndash1062 1997

[21] B PNautiyal N Pandey andA B Bhatt ldquoAnalysis of vegetationpattern in alpine zone in North West Himalaya a case studyof Garhwal Himalaya with special reference to diversity anddistributional patternsrdquo International Journal of Ecology andEnvironmental Sciences vol 23 no 1 pp 49ndash65 1997

[22] C P Kala Ecology and conservation of alpine meadows inthe Valley of Flowers National Park Garhwal Himalaya [PhDthesis] Forest Research Institute Dehradun India 1998

[23] J S Singh ldquoThe biodiversity crisis a multifaceted reviewrdquoCurrent Science vol 82 no 6 pp 638ndash647 2002

[24] S S Samant and H C Joshi ldquoFloristic diversity communitypatterns and changes of vegetation in Nanda Devi NationalParkrdquo in Biodiversity Monitoring Expedition Nanda Devi 2003pp 39ndash54 Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India2003

[25] K N Singh A Kumar B Lal and N P Todaria ldquoSpeciesdiversity and population status of threatened plants in differentlandscape elements of the Rohtang Pass western HimalayardquoJournal of Mountain Science vol 5 no 1 pp 73ndash83 2008

[26] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoMedicinal plants in old-growthdegraded and re-growth forests of NWPakistanrdquo Forest Ecologyand Management vol 261 no 11 pp 2105ndash2114 2011

[27] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoDiversity of medicinal plantsamong different forest-use types of the Pakistani HimalayardquoEconomic Botany vol 66 no 4 pp 344ndash356 2012

[28] H C Joshi and S S Samant ldquoAssessment of forest vegetationand conservation priorities of communities in part of NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve West Himalaya part Irdquo InternationalJournal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology vol 11no 3 pp 326ndash336 2004

[29] M Lal Assessment of floristic diversity and conservation statusof plants in kais wildlife sanctuary of himachal pradesh in North-western Himalaya [PhD Thesis] Kumaun University NainitalIndia 2007

[30] M S Rana Assessment of floristic diversity and conservationprioritization of communities for conservation inManaliWildlifeSanctuary of Himachal Pradesh in Northwestern Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2007

[31] A Sharma Studies on Floristic diversity and prioritization ofcommunities for conservation in Hirb and Shoja CatchmentsDistrict Kullu of Himachal Pradesh North Western Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2008

[32] W A Rodgers and H S Panwar A Biogeographical Classifi-cation for Conservation Planning Wildlife Institute of IndiaDehradun India 1990

[33] E C Pielou Ecological Diversity JohnWiley amp Sons New YorkNY USA 1975

[34] E H Simpson ldquoMeasurement of diversityrdquo Nature vol 163article 688 1949

[35] C E Shannon and W Wiener The Mathematical Theory ofCommunication University of Illinois Press Urbana Ill USA1963

[36] J T Curtis and M Intosh ldquoThe interrelation of certain analyticand phytosociological charactersrdquo Ecology vol 31 pp 434ndash4551950

[37] P Greig-Smith Quantitative Plant Ecology Academic PressNew York NY USA 1957

[38] K A KersawQuantitative and Dynamic Plant Ecology EdwardArnold Limited London UK 2nd edition 1973

[39] D Muller-Dombois and H Ellenberge Aims and Methods ofVegetation Ecology JohnWilley and Sons New York NY USA1974

[40] A K Saxena and J S Singh ldquoA phytosociological analysis ofwoody species in forest communities of a part of KumaunHimalayardquo Vegetatio vol 50 no 1 pp 3ndash22 1982

[41] A E OsmastonA Forest Flora for Kumaun International BookDistributors Dehradun India 1927

[42] B S Aswal and B N Mehrotra Flora of Lahaul-Spiti (A ColdDesert in North-West Himalaya) Bishen Singh Mahendra PalSingh Dehradun India 1994

[43] S S Samant H C Joshi and S C Arya ldquoDiversity nativityand endemism of vascular plants in Pindari area of Nanda DeviBiosphere Reserve-IIrdquoHimalayan Biosphere Reserves vol 2 no1-2 pp 1ndash29 2000

[44] O P Chaturvedi and J S Singh ldquoThe structure and function ofpine forest in central himalaya I dry matter dynamicsrdquo Annalsof Botany vol 60 no 3 pp 237ndash252 1986

[45] C BindiuUnpublished PhD thesis Acadamic de stunte agricolesi silvice [PhD thesis] Acadamic de stunte agricole si silviceBucharest Romania 1973

[46] G P Raturi ldquoForest community structure along an altitudinalgradient of district Rudraprayag of Garhwal Himalaya IndiardquoEcologia vol 2 no 3 pp 76ndash84 2012

[47] B S Adhikari H C Rikhari Y S Rawat and S P Singh ldquoHighaltitude forest composition diversity and profile structure in apart of Kumaun Himalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 32 no 1 pp86ndash97 1991

[48] N S Bankoti R S Rawal S S Samant and Y P S PangteyldquoForest vegetation of inner hill ranges in kumaun centralhimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 33 no 1 pp 41ndash53 1992

[49] H C Joshi Assessment of habitat diversity forest vegetation andhuman dependence in the Buffer zone of Nanda Devi biospherereserve of West Himalaya [PhD thesis] Kumaon UniversityNainital India 2002

[50] J C Tewari and S P Singh ldquoVegetational analysis of a forestlying in transitional zone between lower and upper Himalayanmoist temperate forestsrdquo inThevegetational wealth of HimalayaS G Paliwal Ed Puja Publishers New Delhi India 1981

[51] S S Samant H C Joshi S C Arya and S Pant ldquoStudies onthe structure composition and changes of vegetation in NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve of west Himalayardquo Tech Rep Ministryof Environment and Forests New Delhi India 2002

[52] M Ahmed T Husain A H Sheikh S S Hussain and M FSiddiqui ldquoPhytosociology and structure of Himalayan forestsfrom different climatic zones of Pakistanrdquo Pakistan Journal ofBotany vol 38 no 2 pp 361ndash383 2006

[53] R M Kunwar and S P Sharma ldquoQuantitative analysis of treespecies in two community forests of Dolpa district mid-westNepalrdquo Himalayan Journal of Science vol 2 no 3 pp 23ndash282004

[54] S Shah A Tewari and B Tewari ldquoImpact of Human dis-turbance on forest vegetation and water resources of nainitalcatchmentrdquo Natural Science 2009

[55] J M Levine M Vila C M DrsquoAntonio J S Dukes K Grigulisand S Lavorel ldquoMechanisms underlying the impacts of exoticplant invasionsrdquo Proceedings of the Royal Society B BiologicalSciences vol 270 no 1517 pp 775ndash781 2003

The Scientific World Journal 11

[56] R S Rawal and Y P S Pangtey ldquoDistribution and structural-functional attributes of trees in the high altitude zone of CentralHimalaya Indiardquo Vegetatio vol 112 no 1 pp 29ndash34 1994

[57] H Singh M Kumar and AM Sheikh ldquoDistribution pattern ofOak and Pine along altitudinal gradients in Garhwal HimalayardquoNatural Science vol 7 no 11 pp 81ndash85 2009

[58] R E Shank and E N Noorie ldquoMicroclimate vegetation in asmall valley in eastern Tennesseerdquo Ecology vol 11 p 5319 1950

[59] C M Sharma and N P Baduni ldquoEffect of aspect on thestructure of some natural stands ofAbies pindrow in Himalayanmoist temperate forestrdquo Environmentalist vol 20 no 4 pp309ndash317 2000

[60] M P Panthi R P Chaudhary and O R Vetaas ldquoPlant speciesrichness and composition in a trans-Himalayan inner valley ofManangDistrict Central NepalrdquoHimalayan Journal of Sciencesvol 4 no 6 pp 27ndash39 2007

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

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Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

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Nucleic AcidsJournal of

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Stem CellsInternational

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Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology

The Scientific World Journal 3

31∘159984000998400998400

N31∘309984000998400998400

N31∘459984000998400998400

N32∘09984000998400998400

N

31∘159984000998400998400

N31∘309984000998400998400

N31∘459984000998400998400

N32∘09984000998400998400

N

77∘459984000998400998400E 77∘159984000998400998400E78∘09984000998400998400E 78∘309984000998400998400E 79∘309984000998400998400E78∘459984000998400998400E

77∘459984000998400998400E 77∘159984000998400998400E78∘09984000998400998400E 78∘309984000998400998400E 79∘309984000998400998400E78∘459984000998400998400E

9 45 0 9 18 27 36

(km)

EN

SW

Figure 1 Map of the study area

Among the angiosperm families Asteraceae (49 spp)Rosaceae (21 spp) Apiaceae (20 spp) and Ranunculaceae(18 spp) were dominant Among genera Artemisia and Poly-gonum (7 spp) Saussurea (6 spp) Berberis and Thalictrum(5 spp) and Geranium Juniperus Nepeta Potentilla PoaRosa and Salix (4 spp each) were dominant genera Twenty-eight (28) families were monotypic and represented only byone species The occurrence of 320 species in the quantifiedarea indicates that its environmental conditions particularlyshady moist and forest habitats are suitable for the growthand development of species Amongst the communities Pwallichiana community represented maximum sites (6 sites)followed by B utilis (5 sites) B utilis-P wallichiana mixed(4 sites) C deodara and P gerardiana (3 sites each) Ranthopogon H salicifolia and R anthopogon-S caliculatamixed (2 sites each) and the rest of the communities wererepresented by one site only Dominance of the Asteraceaein SV is also validated by floras of Lahaul-Spiti HimachalPradesh in high altitude regions ofwesternHimalaya [13 42]The affinity of vegetation towards the flora of the Lahaul-SpitiValley and Bhaba Valley [5 42] is apparent by the presenceof similar dominant families Moreover the major part ofthe valley is covered with snow throughout the year Pres-ence of number of herbaceous families (namely ApiaceaeBrassicaceae Ranunculaceae Rosaceae Polygonaceae andScrophulariaceae) is attributed to the temperate and alpinenature of the area Lesser Pteridophytes in the area maybe attributed to the more exposed arid nature of the valleywith low broad leaf forest cover and moisture Nonethelessas a whole the high diversity and richness of the speciesin the SV indicate the high conservation value of the areaOccurrences of 320 species in the 15 identified communitiesof 34 quantified plots validate this

32 Communities Composition and Structure Total tree den-sity ranged from 205 to 600 noha (number per hectare) andtotal basal area from 870 to 4241m2ha Shrubs and herbsdensities ranged from 1050 to 103000 noha and from 2208to 4873 nom2

respectively Shrub density is maximum in C

deodara-P smithianamixed community and herbs density ismaximum in Poa alpina-Agrostis stolonifera-Bistorta affinis-Aconitum violaceum community Among five major shrubcommunities Spiraea canescens-Lonicera hypoleuca mixedcommunity has highest shrub and herb density that is54000 noha and 4873 nom2 respectively (Table 3) Treedensity range is comparable to the other Himalayan studies[40 44] and European temperate forests [45] Similarlyshrub and herbrsquos density ranges (105ndash1030 noha and 2208ndash7895 nom2 resp) are in compliance with the earlier studiesof the Himalayan regions [46] However the lower range ofshrub densities in R anthopogon communities (105 nohaand 230 noha) in the valley is due to the presence of itsscanty patches near the subalpine areas and often the ruggedand arid and moraine topography

33 Species Richness and Diversity Index (H1015840) Species rich-ness in identified communities ranged from 19 to 96Among the communities it was highest in P wallichiana(96 spp) followed by B utilis-P wallichiana mixed (80spp) R anthopogon-S caliculata mixed (52 spp) and Pgerardiana (47 spp) communities Species diversity indexfor trees is maximum (128) for C deodara-P smithianamixed community and minimum (00) for Q floribunda andP wallichiana communities among shrubs it is maximum(238) for P wallichiana community and minimum (040) forQ floribunda community and for herbs it is maximum (401)

4 The Scientific World Journal

Table 1 Physical Characteristics of the plots assessed in Sangla Valley

S No Altitude (m) Habitat Slope Aspect Latitude Longitude1 1950 Degraded 35∘ S 31∘ 28040 N 78∘ 11209 E2 2000 Dry 60∘ NW 31∘ 28853 N 78∘ 10892 E3 2100 Dry 60∘ SW 31∘ 28823 N 78∘ 10962 E4 2250 Dry 50∘ S 31∘ 28045 N 78∘ 11111 E5 2550 Shady Moist 20∘ N 31∘ 25025 N 78∘ 16103 E6 2625 Riverine 50∘ NE 31∘ 24854 N 78∘ 16828 E7 2675 Bouldery 40∘ N 31∘ 25061 N 78∘ 16368 E8 2690 Dry 15∘ NE 31∘ 24913 N 78∘ 16085 E9 2750 Shady Moist 10∘ SW 31∘ 25758 N 78∘ 16746 E10 2770 Shady Moist 45∘ NE 31∘ 24342 N 78∘ 18038 E11 3120 Bouldery 20∘ NE 31∘ 23039 N 78∘ 21614 E12 3185 Dry 30∘ SW 31∘ 23631 N 78∘ 21370 E13 3250 Dry 45∘ S 31∘ 24342 N 78∘ 18038 E14 3320 Dry 35∘ SW 31∘ 21286 N 78∘ 24438 E15 3340 Shady Moist 55∘ SW 31∘ 23840 N 78∘ 21340 E16 3350 Rocky 60∘ S 31∘ 21756 N 78∘ 24029 E17 3385 Dry 45∘ N 31∘ 20992 N 78∘ 26287 E18 3399 Dry 40∘ N 31∘ 23640 N 78∘ 21558 E19 3400 Shady Moist 40∘ N 31∘ 20955 N 78∘ 26135 E20 3420 Shady Moist 40∘ NW 31∘ 23209 N 78∘ 25577 E21 3450 Bouldery 50∘ W 31∘ 23881 N 78∘ 21441 E22 3480 Shady Moist 50∘ NW 31∘ 20886 N 78∘ 26179 E23 3500 Shady Moist 40∘ NW 31∘ 23959 N 78∘ 21554 E24 3501 Moraine 45∘ SE 31∘ 20967 N 78∘ 27303 E25 3516 Rocky 40∘ SE 31∘ 21002 N 78∘ 27381 E26 3527 Moraine 45∘ SE 31∘ 21002 N 78∘ 27374 E27 3650 Shady Moist 40∘ N 31∘ 20636 N 78∘ 26224 E28 3700 Shady Moist 40∘ N 31∘ 20515 N 78∘ 26267 E29 3770 Shady Moist 35∘ NW 31∘ 20389 N 78∘ 26334 E30 3850 Shady Moist 30∘ NE 31∘ 20167 N 78∘ 26411 E31 4129 Alpine meadow 45∘ NE 31∘ 19310 N 78∘ 26151 E32 4205 Alpine meadow 25∘ N 31∘ 19242 N 78∘ 26049 E33 4330 Moraine 30∘ NE 31∘ 18831 N 78∘ 25888 E34 4500 Alpine meadow 20∘ NE 31∘ 18347 N 78∘ 25648 E

Table 2 Taxonomic account of floristic diversity

Taxonomic group Families Genera Species Herbs Shrubs TreesAngiosperms 68 190 302 243 39 20Gymnosperms 4 7 13 mdash 4 9Pteridophytes 3 3 5 5 mdash mdashTotal 75 200 320 248 43 29

for P wallichiana community and minimum (249) for Qfloribunda community (Table 3)

The species richness (19ndash96) in the communities washigher than the earlier reported values [47 48] but compa-rable to the [24 49] from high altitude areas of HimalayaThe high richness of trees and shrubs may be due to diversehabitats and suitable edaphic and climatic factors supporting

growth and survival of the species The diversity indexfor trees (00ndash128) is within the reported value from theother Himalayan areas [40 47 49 50] In P gerardianacommunity it is the only tree species which is present so itsdiversity index value is zero The diversity of shrubs (040ndash238) is comparable to the previous records from the higherHimalaya and also from the lower parts (051ndash133) [46 48

The Scientific World Journal 5

Table 3 Identified communities showing TBA species richness densities and diversity in Sangla Valley

Communities SR TBA (m2ha) Species richness Density Species diversity index (1198671015840)Trees (noha) Shrubs (noha) Herbs (nom2) Trees Shrubs Herbs

TreesBU 5 1117 47 480 330 3516 073 212 317CD 3 4241 38 40333 67333 3344 057 168 362QF 1 1417 19 340 290 2208 0 04 249PG 3 1209 47 490 60629 3520 082 116 311PW 6 8702 96 205 62583 3634 0 238 401BU-AP 1 1416 35 440 770 2503 102 152 316BU-PW 4 1228 80 420 3275 4036 093 222 369CD-PS 1 1798 41 600 1030 4240 128 207 298CD-PW 1 2199 29 400 420 3820 069 095 307

ShrubsHS 2 mdash 41 mdash 370 4539 mdash 163 321RA 2 mdash 40 mdash 105 3256 mdash 096 345RA-SC 2 mdash 52 mdash 230 3480 mdash 115 355SCa-CB-BJ 1 mdash 34 mdash 540 4873 mdash 153 287SCa-LH 1 mdash 33 mdash 630 2770 mdash 143 31

HerbsPA-AS-BA-AV 1 mdash 34 mdash mdash 7895 mdash mdash 291

SR = site represented TBA total basal area Ind = individual BU = Betula utilis CD = Cedrus deodara QF = Quercus floribunda PG = Pinus gerardiana PW= Pinus wallichiana BU-AP = Betula utilis-Abies pindrow mixed BU-PW = Betula utilis-Pinus wallichiana mixed CD-PS = Cedrus deodara-Picea smithianaCD-PW = Cedrus deodara-Pinus wallichiana mixed HS = Hippophae salicifolia RA = Rhododendron anthopogon RA-SC = Rhododendron anthopogon-Salixcaliculata mixed SCa-CB-BL = Spiraea canescens-Cotoneaster bacillaris-Berberis jaeschkeana mixed SCa-LH = Spiraea canescens-Lonicera hypoleuca mixedand PA-AS-BA-AV = Poa alpina-Agrostis stolonifera-Bistorta affinis-Aconitum violaceum

50] and (074ndash314) reported by [40 51] for subtropical andtemperate forests However for herbs diversity (249ndash401) itwas higher than earlier records The value of the total basalarea was found to bemaximum inC deodara andC deodara-P wallichiana mixed communities (4241 and 2199m2haresp) and average basal area is 1723m2ha which is very lowas compared to the other parts of the Himalaya where it isabove 70m2ha [52ndash54] This may be due to unscrupuloustree felling and logging pressure on the forest resources inaddition to the other natural causes like heavy erratic rainfallswhich leads to the massive landslides in the region

34 Species Dominance in the Identified CommunitiesAmong the various communities identified in SV we figuredout the maximum values of dominant species as 745 (Butilis) and 199 (P wallichiana) in B utilis community802 (C deodara) and 174 (P wallichiana) in C deodaracommunity 100 (Q floribunda) in Q floribunda commu-nity as it was the only tree species present in the community5714 (Pinus gerardiana) and 388(Quercus floribunda)in Pinus gerardiana community 909 (P wallichiana) and81 (C deodara) in P wallichiana community 431 (Butilis) and 409 (A pindrow) in B utilis-A pindrow mixedcommunity 625 (B utilis) and 298 (P wallichiana)in Butilis-P wallichiana mixed community 383 (C deodara)and 316 (Picea smithiana ) in C deodara-P smithianamixed community and 525 (C deodara) and 425

(P wallichiana) in C deodara-P wallichiana mixed commu-nity (Table 4)

Among shrubs maximum density percentages were ofthe species Berberis aristata Berberis jaeschkeana Cas-siope fastigiata Cotoneaster bacillaris Cotoneaster micro-phyllus Desmodium elegans Hippophae salicifolia Lonicerahypoleuca Rhododendron campanulatum Rabdosia rugosaRhododendron anthopogon Rubus ellipticus Salix calyculataSorbaria tomentosa Spiraea canescens and so forth Rabdosiarugosa (801) and Cotoneaster bacillaris (75) were hav-ing maximum and minimum density percentages in Quer-cus floribunda and Cedrus deodara communities respec-tively Among herbs assessed Aconogonum molle AgrostisstoloniferaBistorta affinisBromus japonicasCannabis sativaConyza sumatrensis CynoglossumwallichiiDelphinium cash-merianum Euphrasia officinalis Fragaria nubicola Impa-tiens thomsonii Morina longifolia Nepeta erecta Origanumvulgare Persicaria vivipara Poa alpina Polygonatum verti-cillatum Thalictrum cultratum Trifolium pratense and soforth were in abundance hence showing comparativelymore densities Herbs having maximum density recordedwere Poa alpina (253) followed by Cynoglossum wallichii(234) and Fragaria nubicola (195) in Poa alpina-Agrostisstolonifera-Bistorta affinis-Aconitum violaceum mixed Butilis-A pindrowmixed andRhododendron anthopogon-Salixcalyculatamixed communities respectively (Table 4)

Tree shrub and herb percentage covers within thecommunities showed a typical composition of theHimalayan

6 The Scientific World Journal

Table4Re

latived

ensitieso

fdom

inantspecies

invario

uscommun

ities

Com

mun

ities

Dom

inantelements

Trees

Shrubs

Herbs

Trees

BetulautilisD

Don

ButilisD

Don

(745

)P

wallichiana

AB

Jacks(19

9)and

Apind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle

(50)

Cassiopefastigiata

(Wall)

DD

on(285

)Rh

ododendron

campanu

latum

D

Don

(176

)andRo

sawe

bbiana

Wallex

Royle(97

)

Polyg

onatum

verticillatum

(L)All(114

)Geranium

wallichianu

mDD

onex

Sweet(57

)Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(56)and

Aconogonum

molle

(DD

on)H

Hara(

54

)

Cedrus

deodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(802

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(174

)andA

pind

row

(Royleex

D

Don

)Royle(25)

Rabdosia

rugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara(

313)Berberisaristata(298

)

andCo

toneasterb

acillarisWallex

Lind

l(75

)

Thalictrum

cultratum

Wall(111)Fnu

bicola

(74

)andNe

peta

erecta

(Royleex

Benth)B

enth(74

)

Quercus

florib

unda

Lind

lex

AC

amus

Qfloribun

daLind

lex

AC

amus

(100)

Rrugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara

(801

)Sorbaria

tomentosa

(Lindl)

Rehd

er(91

)

Cann

abissativaL(14

3)Dysphaniabotrys

(L)

MosyakinampClem

ants(109

)andTagetesm

inutaL

(95)

Pinu

sgerardianaWallex

DD

on

Pinu

sgerardianaWallex

DD

on(5714

)Qfloribun

daLind

lex

A

Camus

(388

)andOlea

europaea

L(41

)

Rrugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara

(559

)Desmodium

elegans

DC

(189

)andAr

temisiamaritimaL(132

)

Conyza

sumatrensis(SFB

lake)P

ruskiamp

GSancho

(94)C

sativ

aL(68)andCh

enopodium

album

L(54)

Pinu

swallichian

aAB

Jacks

Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(909)C

deodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(81

)

Rosa

macrophyllaLind

l(174

)Berberis

jaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(14

4)and

Cotoneasterm

icrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(128

)

Orig

anum

vulga

reL(61

)Morinalongifolia

Wall

(36)andMedica

golupu

linaL(33)

ButilisD

Don

-Ap

indrow

Roylee

xDD

on)R

oylemixed

ButilisD

Don

(431

)A

pind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle(409

)and

Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(159)

Cmicrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(325

)R

macrophyllaLind

l(220

)andB

jaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(117

)

Cynoglo

ssum

wallichiiG

Don

(234

)Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(182

)Trigonellaem

odi

Benthand

LotuscorniculatusL

(46

each)

ButilisD

Don

-Pw

allichianaAB

Jacksmixed

ButilisD

Don

(625

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(298)andA

pind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle(43)

Cfastigiata(W

all)

DD

on(333

)Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(100

)and

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(76

)

Persica

riavivipara

(L)Ro

nseD

ecr(68)Delp

hinium

cashmerianu

mRo

yle(45

)andLomatogonium

carin

thiacum

(Wulfen)

Rchb

(35

)

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

-Pice

asmith

iana

(Wall)

Boiss

mixed

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(383

)Piceasm

ithiana

(Wall)

Boiss

(316

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(200

)andJugla

nsregiaL

(103)

Rubu

sellipticu

sSm(155)B

aristata

DC

(146)andD

elegans

DC

(136

)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(161

)Trifoliu

mpratenseL(52)Tcultratum

Walland

Chaerophyllum

villosum

WallampDC

(38each)

Cdeodara

(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

-Pw

allichianaAB

Jacksm

ixed

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(525

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(425

)andPsm

ithiana

(Wall)

Boiss

(50)

BjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(595

2)S

canescensD

Don

(214

)R

webbiana

Wallex

Royle(190)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(82)T

linearis

Benth(63)andTalpinu

sL(55

)

The Scientific World Journal 7

Table4Con

tinued

Com

mun

ities

Dom

inantelements

Trees

Shrubs

Herbs

Shrubs

Hippophae

salicifolia

DD

onmdash

Hippophae

salicifolia

DD

on(58

)Sorbaria

tomentosa

(Lindl)

Rehd

er(132

)andRa

bdosia

rugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara(

94)

Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(156

)Ca

nnabissativaL(83)Polygonu

mavicu

lare

L(60)andNe

peta

erecta

(Royleex

Benth)B

enth

(45)

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

onmdash

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(572

)Salix

caprea

L(286

)and

Cotoneastermicrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(14

3)

Delp

hinium

cashmerianu

mRo

yle

(72

)Rh

odiola

himalensis

(DD

on)S

HFu

(57)Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(D

Don

)Greene

(53)La

ctucamacrorhiza

(Royle)H

ookf(48)

andIm

patiens

thom

soniiH

ookf(42)

Rhododendron

anthopogon

D

Don

-Salix

calyc

ulataHoo

kfex

And

ersson

mixed

mdash

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(4565)Salix

calyc

ulataHoo

kfex

And

ersson

(369

)andViburnum

cotin

ifoliu

mDD

on(87)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(195

)Bisto

rta

affinis(D

Don

)Greene(107)An

aphalis

triplinervis

(Sim

s)Simse

xC

BClarke

(67)Poaannu

aL

(62)Th

alictrum

cultratum

Wall(57)

andOxyria

digyna

(L)Hill

(53)

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

-Cotoneaste

rbacillaris

Wallex

Lind

l-BerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eidmixed

mdash

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(270

)Co

toneasterbacillaris

Wallex

Lind

l(115

)

andBerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid

(82)

Elsholtzia

eriosta

chya

(Benth)Be

nth

(172

)Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(154

)Eu

phrasia

officin

alisL

(77

)Orig

anum

vulga

reL(74

)and

Impatiens

thom

soniiH

ookf(35)

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

-Lonice

rahypoleu

caDecne

Mixed

mdash

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(444

)Lonicera

hypoleu

caDecne

(190)andBerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(111)

Brom

usjaponicusTh

unb

(105

)Cu

scutacapitata

Roxb

(96)Ac

onogonum

molle

(DD

on)H

Hara(

72)

andFragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(63)

Herbs

Poaalpina

L-Agrostis

stolonifer

aL-

Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(DD

on)

Greene-Ac

onitu

mviolaceum

Jacquem

exStapfm

ixed

mdashmdash

Poaalpina

L(2533)Ag

rostisstolonifer

aL

(132

)Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(D

Don

)Greene

(46)Ac

onitu

mviolaceum

JacquemexStapf(46

)andHeracleu

mthom

soniiC

BC

larke(43

)

8 The Scientific World Journal

region wherein shrubs Rabdosia rugosa and Cotoneasterbacillaris were having maximum and minimum densitypercentages respectively and herbs Poa alpina Cynoglossumwallichiiand Fragaria nubicola were abundant Dominanceof these species might be due to their high adaptability inaddition to their good capability to proliferate in the extremeclimatic conditions of this part of western Himalaya

35 Phytogeographic Affinities As a whole in all the com-munities 182 species were native to the Himalayan regionand the remaining were nonnatives as they are from differentbiogeographic domains of the world The trend of nativityof plants occurring in SV was as follows EuropeanOrientalregion (28) gt Asia (25) gt European region (16) gt Temperateregion (13) gt Indian region (10) gt IndiaOriental region (8)gt America (7) gt EuropeanOrientalAfrican and TemperateArctic (6 each) gt Cosmopolitan (5) gt Australian (4) gtAmphigean (3) gt Arctic EuropeanOrientalAmerican andOriental (2 each) and EuropeanAfrican (1) (Figure 2)

Natives are the species which evolved naturally in a par-ticular region before their human introduction To prioritizea species or habitat of the region for conservation statusof a species as to whether it is native or introduced in agiven area is required Species invasions beyond their nativerange constitute a global driver of change as nonnative speciesthreaten biodiversity and change ecosystem functioning [55]Like in other parts of the Himachal Himalaya [29 30] inSV also the percentage of native species increased with thealtitude There is a strong evidence from a scatter diagramthat a positive linear relationship exists between the nativespecies richness and altitude (119903 = 083 119875 lt 001 119899 = 34)(Figure 3)The high percentage of the native species at higherelevations may be due to low anthropogenic pressure andsevere climatic conditions compared to the lower elevationswhere high anthropogenic pressure and mild climatic con-ditions support the speciation of the nonnative species [30]Regular monitoring of the habitats and populations of thenative species facing high anthropogenic pressure even inhigher altitude is essentially required so that the adequateplanning for their conservation and management could bedone in time

36 Altitudinal and Aspectwise Distribution of Species Alti-tude and aspect are themost important determinants of vege-tation distribution due to their direct impact onmicroclimateof the habitat [56 57] The Himalayan region has typicaltopography and environment where biodiversity varies fromaspect to aspect and habitats of the communities [58]

Maximum altitudinal distribution of few selected climatesensitive species namely Bistorta affinis Fragaria nubicolaGeranium pratense Pleurospermum candollei Podophyllumhexandrum Rhodiola heterodonta Saussurea obvallata Sax-ifraga sibrica and Sedum ewersii was studied in the valley Itwas found to be highest in northeast followed by north southand southeast aspects (Figure 4) Species like Bistorta affinisreaching up to 4510m and 3890m in northeast and northaspects respectively are restricted to 3580m and 3429m in

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

182

28 25 16 13 10 8 7 6 6 5 4 3 2 2 2 1

320

Num

ber o

f spe

cies

Him

alEu

roO

rien A

sEu

roTe

mp

Ind

Ind

Ori

enA

mer

Euro

Orie

nA

frTe

mp

Arc

tC

osm

oA

ust

Am

phig

Arc

tEu

roO

rien

Am

erO

rien

Euro

Afr

Tota

l

Figure 2 Species showing their biogeographic realms Afr = AfricaAmer = America Amphig = Amphigean Arct = Arctic As = AsiaAust = Australia Cosmo = Cosmopolitan Euro = Europe Himal =Himalaya Ind = India Orient = Oriental and Temp = Temperate

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1800 2300 2800 3300 3800 4300 4800

Nat

ives

()

Altitude (m)

y = 0014x + 1257

R2 = 051 r = 070

P lt 001

Figure 3 Native species along the altitude gradient

south and southeast aspects resepectively Similar trend wasseen with all other climate sesitive species in the region

P wallichiana showed the broadest range from 2100 to3500m and almost reaching the tree line along with B utilis

In this valley northern and northeastern slopes havelower temperatures and higher soil and air moisture contentsas compared to southern and other slopes at the same altitudedue to less solar exposure and higher moisture content andevapotranspiration which is akin to the other Himalayanareas [59 60] In northern and northeastern slopes B utilisA pindrow and P wallichianawere recorded at the altitude aslow as 2200mwhereas on the south and southeastern aspectstheir altitudinal range started from 2300m

37 Final Considerations In northwesternHimalaya the highmountain plant communities support a rich biodiversity interms of ecological indicator species and nativesThey need apropermanagement against harsh climate and anthropogenic

The Scientific World Journal 9

300032003400360038004000420044004600

Alti

tude

(m)

NorthSouth

North eastSouth east

Bisto

rta

affini

s

Frag

aria

nub

icol

a

Ger

aniu

m p

rate

nse

Pleu

rosp

erm

um ca

ndol

lii

Podo

phyl

lum

hex

andr

um

Rhod

iola

het

erod

onta

Saus

sure

a ob

valla

ta

Saxi

fraga

sibi

rica

Sedu

m ew

ersii

Figure 4 Distribution range of species along altitudinal gradient indifferent aspects

pressure for continued future sustainability Regularmonitor-ing using random sampling by quadrat method is suggestedto understand the dynamics of the habitats and communitiesand accordingly plan for their management The climatesensitive species are required to be regularly monitored fortheir phenological attributes so that the baseline data can begenerated for future changes in the area The informationgenerated on these lines will provide a better insight aboutthe present status of floristic diversity and help in developingadequate strategies and action plan for the management ofsuch biodiversity-rich areas The state and central govern-ment agencies are suggested to encourage the native speciesso that the ambient regional ecosystems are protected for theposterity Further for in situ conservation of the economicallyand ecologically important species regular monitoring of thesites and complete protection of the habitats is suggestedIn addition seed germination protocols developed may beused for mass multiplication of the species and seedlingsshould be transplanted in comparable habitats so that viablepopulation of the species can be maintained Finally apragmatic and ameliorative conservational approach whichwas hitherto absent in this part of the Himalaya needs tobe implemented

Conflict of InterestsThe authors declare that there is no conflict of interestsregarding the publication of this paper

AcknowledgmentsThanks are due to Department of Science and TechnologyGovernment of India for providing funds to conduct thestudy The authors also thank and appreciate local commu-nities for their cooperation and patience in providing theinformation and hospitality while undertaking surveys

References

[1] C P Kala and V B Mathur ldquoPatterns of plant species distribu-tion in the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh Indiardquo Journalof Vegetation Science vol 13 no 6 pp 751ndash754 2002

[2] M A Oommen and K Shanker ldquoElevational species richnesspatterns emerge frommultiple local mechanisms in Himalayanwoody plantsrdquo Ecology vol 86 no 11 pp 3039ndash3047 2005

[3] J S Singh ldquoSustainable development of the Indian Himalayanregion linking ecological and economic concernsrdquo CurrentScience vol 90 no 6 pp 784ndash788 2006

[4] S M Khan S E Page H Ahmad and D M HarperldquoSustainable utilization and conservation of plant biodiversityinmontane ecosystems theWestern Himalayas as a case studyrdquoAnnals of Botany vol 112 no 3 pp 479ndash501 2013

[5] A Chawla S Rajkumar K N Singh B Lal A K Thukral andRD Singh ldquoPlant species diversity along an altitudinal gradientof Bhabha Valley in western Himalayardquo Journal of MountainScience vol 5 no 2 pp 157ndash177 2008

[6] H Shaheen Z Ullah S M Khan and D M Harper ldquoSpeciescomposition and community structure of western Himalayanmoist temperate forests in Kashmirrdquo Forest Ecology and Man-agement vol 278 pp 138ndash145 2012

[7] S Gairola R S Rawal and N P Todaria ldquoForest vegetationpatterns along an altitudinal gradient in sub-alpine zone ofWestHimalaya Indiardquo African Journal of Plant Science vol 2 no 6pp 42ndash48 2008

[8] N Timilsina M S Ross and J T Heinen ldquoA communityanalysis of sal (Shorea robusta) forests in the western Terai ofNepalrdquo Forest Ecology and Management vol 241 no 1ndash3 pp223ndash234 2007

[9] IUCN IUCN Red List of Threatened Species IUCN GlandsSwitzerland 2003

[10] R T Busing P S White and M D Mackenzie ldquoGradientanalysis of old spruce-fir forest of the Great Smokey Mountainscirca 1935rdquo Canadian Journal of Botany vol 71 no 7 pp 951ndash958 1993

[11] S Pant and S S Samant ldquoDiversity and regeneration statusof tree species in Khokhan Wildlife Sanctuary North-WesternHimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 53 no 3 pp 317ndash331 2012

[12] O Polunin and A Stainton Flowers of the Himalaya OxfordUniversity Press Delhi India 1984

[13] H J Chowdhery and BMWadhwa Flora of Himachal Pradeshvol 1ndash3 Botanical Survey of India Calcutta India 1984

[14] D S Dhaliwal andM Sharma Flora of KulluDistrict ( HimachalPradesh ) Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India1999

[15] S K Singh and G S Rawat Flora of Great Himalayan NationalPark Himachal Pradesh Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal SinghDehradun India 2000

[16] H Singh and M Sharma Flora of Chamba District (HimachalPradesh) Bishen Singh Mahinder Pal Singh Dehradun India2006

[17] S P Khullar An Illustrated Fern Flora of the West Himalaya VolII International Book Distributors Dehradun India 2000

[18] J S Singh and S P Singh ldquoForest vegetation of the HimalayardquoThe Botanical Review vol 53 no 1 pp 80ndash192 1987

[19] M S Mani ldquoThe Himalaya its ecology and biogeography areviewrdquo in High Altitudes of the Himalaya Y P S Pangtey andR S Rawal Eds Gyanodaya Prakashan Nainital India 1994

10 The Scientific World Journal

[20] U Dhar R S Rawal and S S Samant ldquoStructural diversityand representativeness of forest vegetation in a protected areaof Kumaun Himalaya India implications for conservationrdquoBiodiversity and Conservation vol 6 no 8 pp 1045ndash1062 1997

[21] B PNautiyal N Pandey andA B Bhatt ldquoAnalysis of vegetationpattern in alpine zone in North West Himalaya a case studyof Garhwal Himalaya with special reference to diversity anddistributional patternsrdquo International Journal of Ecology andEnvironmental Sciences vol 23 no 1 pp 49ndash65 1997

[22] C P Kala Ecology and conservation of alpine meadows inthe Valley of Flowers National Park Garhwal Himalaya [PhDthesis] Forest Research Institute Dehradun India 1998

[23] J S Singh ldquoThe biodiversity crisis a multifaceted reviewrdquoCurrent Science vol 82 no 6 pp 638ndash647 2002

[24] S S Samant and H C Joshi ldquoFloristic diversity communitypatterns and changes of vegetation in Nanda Devi NationalParkrdquo in Biodiversity Monitoring Expedition Nanda Devi 2003pp 39ndash54 Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India2003

[25] K N Singh A Kumar B Lal and N P Todaria ldquoSpeciesdiversity and population status of threatened plants in differentlandscape elements of the Rohtang Pass western HimalayardquoJournal of Mountain Science vol 5 no 1 pp 73ndash83 2008

[26] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoMedicinal plants in old-growthdegraded and re-growth forests of NWPakistanrdquo Forest Ecologyand Management vol 261 no 11 pp 2105ndash2114 2011

[27] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoDiversity of medicinal plantsamong different forest-use types of the Pakistani HimalayardquoEconomic Botany vol 66 no 4 pp 344ndash356 2012

[28] H C Joshi and S S Samant ldquoAssessment of forest vegetationand conservation priorities of communities in part of NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve West Himalaya part Irdquo InternationalJournal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology vol 11no 3 pp 326ndash336 2004

[29] M Lal Assessment of floristic diversity and conservation statusof plants in kais wildlife sanctuary of himachal pradesh in North-western Himalaya [PhD Thesis] Kumaun University NainitalIndia 2007

[30] M S Rana Assessment of floristic diversity and conservationprioritization of communities for conservation inManaliWildlifeSanctuary of Himachal Pradesh in Northwestern Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2007

[31] A Sharma Studies on Floristic diversity and prioritization ofcommunities for conservation in Hirb and Shoja CatchmentsDistrict Kullu of Himachal Pradesh North Western Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2008

[32] W A Rodgers and H S Panwar A Biogeographical Classifi-cation for Conservation Planning Wildlife Institute of IndiaDehradun India 1990

[33] E C Pielou Ecological Diversity JohnWiley amp Sons New YorkNY USA 1975

[34] E H Simpson ldquoMeasurement of diversityrdquo Nature vol 163article 688 1949

[35] C E Shannon and W Wiener The Mathematical Theory ofCommunication University of Illinois Press Urbana Ill USA1963

[36] J T Curtis and M Intosh ldquoThe interrelation of certain analyticand phytosociological charactersrdquo Ecology vol 31 pp 434ndash4551950

[37] P Greig-Smith Quantitative Plant Ecology Academic PressNew York NY USA 1957

[38] K A KersawQuantitative and Dynamic Plant Ecology EdwardArnold Limited London UK 2nd edition 1973

[39] D Muller-Dombois and H Ellenberge Aims and Methods ofVegetation Ecology JohnWilley and Sons New York NY USA1974

[40] A K Saxena and J S Singh ldquoA phytosociological analysis ofwoody species in forest communities of a part of KumaunHimalayardquo Vegetatio vol 50 no 1 pp 3ndash22 1982

[41] A E OsmastonA Forest Flora for Kumaun International BookDistributors Dehradun India 1927

[42] B S Aswal and B N Mehrotra Flora of Lahaul-Spiti (A ColdDesert in North-West Himalaya) Bishen Singh Mahendra PalSingh Dehradun India 1994

[43] S S Samant H C Joshi and S C Arya ldquoDiversity nativityand endemism of vascular plants in Pindari area of Nanda DeviBiosphere Reserve-IIrdquoHimalayan Biosphere Reserves vol 2 no1-2 pp 1ndash29 2000

[44] O P Chaturvedi and J S Singh ldquoThe structure and function ofpine forest in central himalaya I dry matter dynamicsrdquo Annalsof Botany vol 60 no 3 pp 237ndash252 1986

[45] C BindiuUnpublished PhD thesis Acadamic de stunte agricolesi silvice [PhD thesis] Acadamic de stunte agricole si silviceBucharest Romania 1973

[46] G P Raturi ldquoForest community structure along an altitudinalgradient of district Rudraprayag of Garhwal Himalaya IndiardquoEcologia vol 2 no 3 pp 76ndash84 2012

[47] B S Adhikari H C Rikhari Y S Rawat and S P Singh ldquoHighaltitude forest composition diversity and profile structure in apart of Kumaun Himalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 32 no 1 pp86ndash97 1991

[48] N S Bankoti R S Rawal S S Samant and Y P S PangteyldquoForest vegetation of inner hill ranges in kumaun centralhimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 33 no 1 pp 41ndash53 1992

[49] H C Joshi Assessment of habitat diversity forest vegetation andhuman dependence in the Buffer zone of Nanda Devi biospherereserve of West Himalaya [PhD thesis] Kumaon UniversityNainital India 2002

[50] J C Tewari and S P Singh ldquoVegetational analysis of a forestlying in transitional zone between lower and upper Himalayanmoist temperate forestsrdquo inThevegetational wealth of HimalayaS G Paliwal Ed Puja Publishers New Delhi India 1981

[51] S S Samant H C Joshi S C Arya and S Pant ldquoStudies onthe structure composition and changes of vegetation in NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve of west Himalayardquo Tech Rep Ministryof Environment and Forests New Delhi India 2002

[52] M Ahmed T Husain A H Sheikh S S Hussain and M FSiddiqui ldquoPhytosociology and structure of Himalayan forestsfrom different climatic zones of Pakistanrdquo Pakistan Journal ofBotany vol 38 no 2 pp 361ndash383 2006

[53] R M Kunwar and S P Sharma ldquoQuantitative analysis of treespecies in two community forests of Dolpa district mid-westNepalrdquo Himalayan Journal of Science vol 2 no 3 pp 23ndash282004

[54] S Shah A Tewari and B Tewari ldquoImpact of Human dis-turbance on forest vegetation and water resources of nainitalcatchmentrdquo Natural Science 2009

[55] J M Levine M Vila C M DrsquoAntonio J S Dukes K Grigulisand S Lavorel ldquoMechanisms underlying the impacts of exoticplant invasionsrdquo Proceedings of the Royal Society B BiologicalSciences vol 270 no 1517 pp 775ndash781 2003

The Scientific World Journal 11

[56] R S Rawal and Y P S Pangtey ldquoDistribution and structural-functional attributes of trees in the high altitude zone of CentralHimalaya Indiardquo Vegetatio vol 112 no 1 pp 29ndash34 1994

[57] H Singh M Kumar and AM Sheikh ldquoDistribution pattern ofOak and Pine along altitudinal gradients in Garhwal HimalayardquoNatural Science vol 7 no 11 pp 81ndash85 2009

[58] R E Shank and E N Noorie ldquoMicroclimate vegetation in asmall valley in eastern Tennesseerdquo Ecology vol 11 p 5319 1950

[59] C M Sharma and N P Baduni ldquoEffect of aspect on thestructure of some natural stands ofAbies pindrow in Himalayanmoist temperate forestrdquo Environmentalist vol 20 no 4 pp309ndash317 2000

[60] M P Panthi R P Chaudhary and O R Vetaas ldquoPlant speciesrichness and composition in a trans-Himalayan inner valley ofManangDistrict Central NepalrdquoHimalayan Journal of Sciencesvol 4 no 6 pp 27ndash39 2007

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

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Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology

4 The Scientific World Journal

Table 1 Physical Characteristics of the plots assessed in Sangla Valley

S No Altitude (m) Habitat Slope Aspect Latitude Longitude1 1950 Degraded 35∘ S 31∘ 28040 N 78∘ 11209 E2 2000 Dry 60∘ NW 31∘ 28853 N 78∘ 10892 E3 2100 Dry 60∘ SW 31∘ 28823 N 78∘ 10962 E4 2250 Dry 50∘ S 31∘ 28045 N 78∘ 11111 E5 2550 Shady Moist 20∘ N 31∘ 25025 N 78∘ 16103 E6 2625 Riverine 50∘ NE 31∘ 24854 N 78∘ 16828 E7 2675 Bouldery 40∘ N 31∘ 25061 N 78∘ 16368 E8 2690 Dry 15∘ NE 31∘ 24913 N 78∘ 16085 E9 2750 Shady Moist 10∘ SW 31∘ 25758 N 78∘ 16746 E10 2770 Shady Moist 45∘ NE 31∘ 24342 N 78∘ 18038 E11 3120 Bouldery 20∘ NE 31∘ 23039 N 78∘ 21614 E12 3185 Dry 30∘ SW 31∘ 23631 N 78∘ 21370 E13 3250 Dry 45∘ S 31∘ 24342 N 78∘ 18038 E14 3320 Dry 35∘ SW 31∘ 21286 N 78∘ 24438 E15 3340 Shady Moist 55∘ SW 31∘ 23840 N 78∘ 21340 E16 3350 Rocky 60∘ S 31∘ 21756 N 78∘ 24029 E17 3385 Dry 45∘ N 31∘ 20992 N 78∘ 26287 E18 3399 Dry 40∘ N 31∘ 23640 N 78∘ 21558 E19 3400 Shady Moist 40∘ N 31∘ 20955 N 78∘ 26135 E20 3420 Shady Moist 40∘ NW 31∘ 23209 N 78∘ 25577 E21 3450 Bouldery 50∘ W 31∘ 23881 N 78∘ 21441 E22 3480 Shady Moist 50∘ NW 31∘ 20886 N 78∘ 26179 E23 3500 Shady Moist 40∘ NW 31∘ 23959 N 78∘ 21554 E24 3501 Moraine 45∘ SE 31∘ 20967 N 78∘ 27303 E25 3516 Rocky 40∘ SE 31∘ 21002 N 78∘ 27381 E26 3527 Moraine 45∘ SE 31∘ 21002 N 78∘ 27374 E27 3650 Shady Moist 40∘ N 31∘ 20636 N 78∘ 26224 E28 3700 Shady Moist 40∘ N 31∘ 20515 N 78∘ 26267 E29 3770 Shady Moist 35∘ NW 31∘ 20389 N 78∘ 26334 E30 3850 Shady Moist 30∘ NE 31∘ 20167 N 78∘ 26411 E31 4129 Alpine meadow 45∘ NE 31∘ 19310 N 78∘ 26151 E32 4205 Alpine meadow 25∘ N 31∘ 19242 N 78∘ 26049 E33 4330 Moraine 30∘ NE 31∘ 18831 N 78∘ 25888 E34 4500 Alpine meadow 20∘ NE 31∘ 18347 N 78∘ 25648 E

Table 2 Taxonomic account of floristic diversity

Taxonomic group Families Genera Species Herbs Shrubs TreesAngiosperms 68 190 302 243 39 20Gymnosperms 4 7 13 mdash 4 9Pteridophytes 3 3 5 5 mdash mdashTotal 75 200 320 248 43 29

for P wallichiana community and minimum (249) for Qfloribunda community (Table 3)

The species richness (19ndash96) in the communities washigher than the earlier reported values [47 48] but compa-rable to the [24 49] from high altitude areas of HimalayaThe high richness of trees and shrubs may be due to diversehabitats and suitable edaphic and climatic factors supporting

growth and survival of the species The diversity indexfor trees (00ndash128) is within the reported value from theother Himalayan areas [40 47 49 50] In P gerardianacommunity it is the only tree species which is present so itsdiversity index value is zero The diversity of shrubs (040ndash238) is comparable to the previous records from the higherHimalaya and also from the lower parts (051ndash133) [46 48

The Scientific World Journal 5

Table 3 Identified communities showing TBA species richness densities and diversity in Sangla Valley

Communities SR TBA (m2ha) Species richness Density Species diversity index (1198671015840)Trees (noha) Shrubs (noha) Herbs (nom2) Trees Shrubs Herbs

TreesBU 5 1117 47 480 330 3516 073 212 317CD 3 4241 38 40333 67333 3344 057 168 362QF 1 1417 19 340 290 2208 0 04 249PG 3 1209 47 490 60629 3520 082 116 311PW 6 8702 96 205 62583 3634 0 238 401BU-AP 1 1416 35 440 770 2503 102 152 316BU-PW 4 1228 80 420 3275 4036 093 222 369CD-PS 1 1798 41 600 1030 4240 128 207 298CD-PW 1 2199 29 400 420 3820 069 095 307

ShrubsHS 2 mdash 41 mdash 370 4539 mdash 163 321RA 2 mdash 40 mdash 105 3256 mdash 096 345RA-SC 2 mdash 52 mdash 230 3480 mdash 115 355SCa-CB-BJ 1 mdash 34 mdash 540 4873 mdash 153 287SCa-LH 1 mdash 33 mdash 630 2770 mdash 143 31

HerbsPA-AS-BA-AV 1 mdash 34 mdash mdash 7895 mdash mdash 291

SR = site represented TBA total basal area Ind = individual BU = Betula utilis CD = Cedrus deodara QF = Quercus floribunda PG = Pinus gerardiana PW= Pinus wallichiana BU-AP = Betula utilis-Abies pindrow mixed BU-PW = Betula utilis-Pinus wallichiana mixed CD-PS = Cedrus deodara-Picea smithianaCD-PW = Cedrus deodara-Pinus wallichiana mixed HS = Hippophae salicifolia RA = Rhododendron anthopogon RA-SC = Rhododendron anthopogon-Salixcaliculata mixed SCa-CB-BL = Spiraea canescens-Cotoneaster bacillaris-Berberis jaeschkeana mixed SCa-LH = Spiraea canescens-Lonicera hypoleuca mixedand PA-AS-BA-AV = Poa alpina-Agrostis stolonifera-Bistorta affinis-Aconitum violaceum

50] and (074ndash314) reported by [40 51] for subtropical andtemperate forests However for herbs diversity (249ndash401) itwas higher than earlier records The value of the total basalarea was found to bemaximum inC deodara andC deodara-P wallichiana mixed communities (4241 and 2199m2haresp) and average basal area is 1723m2ha which is very lowas compared to the other parts of the Himalaya where it isabove 70m2ha [52ndash54] This may be due to unscrupuloustree felling and logging pressure on the forest resources inaddition to the other natural causes like heavy erratic rainfallswhich leads to the massive landslides in the region

34 Species Dominance in the Identified CommunitiesAmong the various communities identified in SV we figuredout the maximum values of dominant species as 745 (Butilis) and 199 (P wallichiana) in B utilis community802 (C deodara) and 174 (P wallichiana) in C deodaracommunity 100 (Q floribunda) in Q floribunda commu-nity as it was the only tree species present in the community5714 (Pinus gerardiana) and 388(Quercus floribunda)in Pinus gerardiana community 909 (P wallichiana) and81 (C deodara) in P wallichiana community 431 (Butilis) and 409 (A pindrow) in B utilis-A pindrow mixedcommunity 625 (B utilis) and 298 (P wallichiana)in Butilis-P wallichiana mixed community 383 (C deodara)and 316 (Picea smithiana ) in C deodara-P smithianamixed community and 525 (C deodara) and 425

(P wallichiana) in C deodara-P wallichiana mixed commu-nity (Table 4)

Among shrubs maximum density percentages were ofthe species Berberis aristata Berberis jaeschkeana Cas-siope fastigiata Cotoneaster bacillaris Cotoneaster micro-phyllus Desmodium elegans Hippophae salicifolia Lonicerahypoleuca Rhododendron campanulatum Rabdosia rugosaRhododendron anthopogon Rubus ellipticus Salix calyculataSorbaria tomentosa Spiraea canescens and so forth Rabdosiarugosa (801) and Cotoneaster bacillaris (75) were hav-ing maximum and minimum density percentages in Quer-cus floribunda and Cedrus deodara communities respec-tively Among herbs assessed Aconogonum molle AgrostisstoloniferaBistorta affinisBromus japonicasCannabis sativaConyza sumatrensis CynoglossumwallichiiDelphinium cash-merianum Euphrasia officinalis Fragaria nubicola Impa-tiens thomsonii Morina longifolia Nepeta erecta Origanumvulgare Persicaria vivipara Poa alpina Polygonatum verti-cillatum Thalictrum cultratum Trifolium pratense and soforth were in abundance hence showing comparativelymore densities Herbs having maximum density recordedwere Poa alpina (253) followed by Cynoglossum wallichii(234) and Fragaria nubicola (195) in Poa alpina-Agrostisstolonifera-Bistorta affinis-Aconitum violaceum mixed Butilis-A pindrowmixed andRhododendron anthopogon-Salixcalyculatamixed communities respectively (Table 4)

Tree shrub and herb percentage covers within thecommunities showed a typical composition of theHimalayan

6 The Scientific World Journal

Table4Re

latived

ensitieso

fdom

inantspecies

invario

uscommun

ities

Com

mun

ities

Dom

inantelements

Trees

Shrubs

Herbs

Trees

BetulautilisD

Don

ButilisD

Don

(745

)P

wallichiana

AB

Jacks(19

9)and

Apind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle

(50)

Cassiopefastigiata

(Wall)

DD

on(285

)Rh

ododendron

campanu

latum

D

Don

(176

)andRo

sawe

bbiana

Wallex

Royle(97

)

Polyg

onatum

verticillatum

(L)All(114

)Geranium

wallichianu

mDD

onex

Sweet(57

)Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(56)and

Aconogonum

molle

(DD

on)H

Hara(

54

)

Cedrus

deodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(802

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(174

)andA

pind

row

(Royleex

D

Don

)Royle(25)

Rabdosia

rugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara(

313)Berberisaristata(298

)

andCo

toneasterb

acillarisWallex

Lind

l(75

)

Thalictrum

cultratum

Wall(111)Fnu

bicola

(74

)andNe

peta

erecta

(Royleex

Benth)B

enth(74

)

Quercus

florib

unda

Lind

lex

AC

amus

Qfloribun

daLind

lex

AC

amus

(100)

Rrugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara

(801

)Sorbaria

tomentosa

(Lindl)

Rehd

er(91

)

Cann

abissativaL(14

3)Dysphaniabotrys

(L)

MosyakinampClem

ants(109

)andTagetesm

inutaL

(95)

Pinu

sgerardianaWallex

DD

on

Pinu

sgerardianaWallex

DD

on(5714

)Qfloribun

daLind

lex

A

Camus

(388

)andOlea

europaea

L(41

)

Rrugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara

(559

)Desmodium

elegans

DC

(189

)andAr

temisiamaritimaL(132

)

Conyza

sumatrensis(SFB

lake)P

ruskiamp

GSancho

(94)C

sativ

aL(68)andCh

enopodium

album

L(54)

Pinu

swallichian

aAB

Jacks

Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(909)C

deodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(81

)

Rosa

macrophyllaLind

l(174

)Berberis

jaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(14

4)and

Cotoneasterm

icrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(128

)

Orig

anum

vulga

reL(61

)Morinalongifolia

Wall

(36)andMedica

golupu

linaL(33)

ButilisD

Don

-Ap

indrow

Roylee

xDD

on)R

oylemixed

ButilisD

Don

(431

)A

pind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle(409

)and

Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(159)

Cmicrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(325

)R

macrophyllaLind

l(220

)andB

jaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(117

)

Cynoglo

ssum

wallichiiG

Don

(234

)Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(182

)Trigonellaem

odi

Benthand

LotuscorniculatusL

(46

each)

ButilisD

Don

-Pw

allichianaAB

Jacksmixed

ButilisD

Don

(625

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(298)andA

pind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle(43)

Cfastigiata(W

all)

DD

on(333

)Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(100

)and

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(76

)

Persica

riavivipara

(L)Ro

nseD

ecr(68)Delp

hinium

cashmerianu

mRo

yle(45

)andLomatogonium

carin

thiacum

(Wulfen)

Rchb

(35

)

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

-Pice

asmith

iana

(Wall)

Boiss

mixed

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(383

)Piceasm

ithiana

(Wall)

Boiss

(316

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(200

)andJugla

nsregiaL

(103)

Rubu

sellipticu

sSm(155)B

aristata

DC

(146)andD

elegans

DC

(136

)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(161

)Trifoliu

mpratenseL(52)Tcultratum

Walland

Chaerophyllum

villosum

WallampDC

(38each)

Cdeodara

(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

-Pw

allichianaAB

Jacksm

ixed

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(525

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(425

)andPsm

ithiana

(Wall)

Boiss

(50)

BjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(595

2)S

canescensD

Don

(214

)R

webbiana

Wallex

Royle(190)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(82)T

linearis

Benth(63)andTalpinu

sL(55

)

The Scientific World Journal 7

Table4Con

tinued

Com

mun

ities

Dom

inantelements

Trees

Shrubs

Herbs

Shrubs

Hippophae

salicifolia

DD

onmdash

Hippophae

salicifolia

DD

on(58

)Sorbaria

tomentosa

(Lindl)

Rehd

er(132

)andRa

bdosia

rugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara(

94)

Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(156

)Ca

nnabissativaL(83)Polygonu

mavicu

lare

L(60)andNe

peta

erecta

(Royleex

Benth)B

enth

(45)

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

onmdash

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(572

)Salix

caprea

L(286

)and

Cotoneastermicrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(14

3)

Delp

hinium

cashmerianu

mRo

yle

(72

)Rh

odiola

himalensis

(DD

on)S

HFu

(57)Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(D

Don

)Greene

(53)La

ctucamacrorhiza

(Royle)H

ookf(48)

andIm

patiens

thom

soniiH

ookf(42)

Rhododendron

anthopogon

D

Don

-Salix

calyc

ulataHoo

kfex

And

ersson

mixed

mdash

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(4565)Salix

calyc

ulataHoo

kfex

And

ersson

(369

)andViburnum

cotin

ifoliu

mDD

on(87)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(195

)Bisto

rta

affinis(D

Don

)Greene(107)An

aphalis

triplinervis

(Sim

s)Simse

xC

BClarke

(67)Poaannu

aL

(62)Th

alictrum

cultratum

Wall(57)

andOxyria

digyna

(L)Hill

(53)

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

-Cotoneaste

rbacillaris

Wallex

Lind

l-BerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eidmixed

mdash

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(270

)Co

toneasterbacillaris

Wallex

Lind

l(115

)

andBerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid

(82)

Elsholtzia

eriosta

chya

(Benth)Be

nth

(172

)Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(154

)Eu

phrasia

officin

alisL

(77

)Orig

anum

vulga

reL(74

)and

Impatiens

thom

soniiH

ookf(35)

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

-Lonice

rahypoleu

caDecne

Mixed

mdash

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(444

)Lonicera

hypoleu

caDecne

(190)andBerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(111)

Brom

usjaponicusTh

unb

(105

)Cu

scutacapitata

Roxb

(96)Ac

onogonum

molle

(DD

on)H

Hara(

72)

andFragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(63)

Herbs

Poaalpina

L-Agrostis

stolonifer

aL-

Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(DD

on)

Greene-Ac

onitu

mviolaceum

Jacquem

exStapfm

ixed

mdashmdash

Poaalpina

L(2533)Ag

rostisstolonifer

aL

(132

)Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(D

Don

)Greene

(46)Ac

onitu

mviolaceum

JacquemexStapf(46

)andHeracleu

mthom

soniiC

BC

larke(43

)

8 The Scientific World Journal

region wherein shrubs Rabdosia rugosa and Cotoneasterbacillaris were having maximum and minimum densitypercentages respectively and herbs Poa alpina Cynoglossumwallichiiand Fragaria nubicola were abundant Dominanceof these species might be due to their high adaptability inaddition to their good capability to proliferate in the extremeclimatic conditions of this part of western Himalaya

35 Phytogeographic Affinities As a whole in all the com-munities 182 species were native to the Himalayan regionand the remaining were nonnatives as they are from differentbiogeographic domains of the world The trend of nativityof plants occurring in SV was as follows EuropeanOrientalregion (28) gt Asia (25) gt European region (16) gt Temperateregion (13) gt Indian region (10) gt IndiaOriental region (8)gt America (7) gt EuropeanOrientalAfrican and TemperateArctic (6 each) gt Cosmopolitan (5) gt Australian (4) gtAmphigean (3) gt Arctic EuropeanOrientalAmerican andOriental (2 each) and EuropeanAfrican (1) (Figure 2)

Natives are the species which evolved naturally in a par-ticular region before their human introduction To prioritizea species or habitat of the region for conservation statusof a species as to whether it is native or introduced in agiven area is required Species invasions beyond their nativerange constitute a global driver of change as nonnative speciesthreaten biodiversity and change ecosystem functioning [55]Like in other parts of the Himachal Himalaya [29 30] inSV also the percentage of native species increased with thealtitude There is a strong evidence from a scatter diagramthat a positive linear relationship exists between the nativespecies richness and altitude (119903 = 083 119875 lt 001 119899 = 34)(Figure 3)The high percentage of the native species at higherelevations may be due to low anthropogenic pressure andsevere climatic conditions compared to the lower elevationswhere high anthropogenic pressure and mild climatic con-ditions support the speciation of the nonnative species [30]Regular monitoring of the habitats and populations of thenative species facing high anthropogenic pressure even inhigher altitude is essentially required so that the adequateplanning for their conservation and management could bedone in time

36 Altitudinal and Aspectwise Distribution of Species Alti-tude and aspect are themost important determinants of vege-tation distribution due to their direct impact onmicroclimateof the habitat [56 57] The Himalayan region has typicaltopography and environment where biodiversity varies fromaspect to aspect and habitats of the communities [58]

Maximum altitudinal distribution of few selected climatesensitive species namely Bistorta affinis Fragaria nubicolaGeranium pratense Pleurospermum candollei Podophyllumhexandrum Rhodiola heterodonta Saussurea obvallata Sax-ifraga sibrica and Sedum ewersii was studied in the valley Itwas found to be highest in northeast followed by north southand southeast aspects (Figure 4) Species like Bistorta affinisreaching up to 4510m and 3890m in northeast and northaspects respectively are restricted to 3580m and 3429m in

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

182

28 25 16 13 10 8 7 6 6 5 4 3 2 2 2 1

320

Num

ber o

f spe

cies

Him

alEu

roO

rien A

sEu

roTe

mp

Ind

Ind

Ori

enA

mer

Euro

Orie

nA

frTe

mp

Arc

tC

osm

oA

ust

Am

phig

Arc

tEu

roO

rien

Am

erO

rien

Euro

Afr

Tota

l

Figure 2 Species showing their biogeographic realms Afr = AfricaAmer = America Amphig = Amphigean Arct = Arctic As = AsiaAust = Australia Cosmo = Cosmopolitan Euro = Europe Himal =Himalaya Ind = India Orient = Oriental and Temp = Temperate

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1800 2300 2800 3300 3800 4300 4800

Nat

ives

()

Altitude (m)

y = 0014x + 1257

R2 = 051 r = 070

P lt 001

Figure 3 Native species along the altitude gradient

south and southeast aspects resepectively Similar trend wasseen with all other climate sesitive species in the region

P wallichiana showed the broadest range from 2100 to3500m and almost reaching the tree line along with B utilis

In this valley northern and northeastern slopes havelower temperatures and higher soil and air moisture contentsas compared to southern and other slopes at the same altitudedue to less solar exposure and higher moisture content andevapotranspiration which is akin to the other Himalayanareas [59 60] In northern and northeastern slopes B utilisA pindrow and P wallichianawere recorded at the altitude aslow as 2200mwhereas on the south and southeastern aspectstheir altitudinal range started from 2300m

37 Final Considerations In northwesternHimalaya the highmountain plant communities support a rich biodiversity interms of ecological indicator species and nativesThey need apropermanagement against harsh climate and anthropogenic

The Scientific World Journal 9

300032003400360038004000420044004600

Alti

tude

(m)

NorthSouth

North eastSouth east

Bisto

rta

affini

s

Frag

aria

nub

icol

a

Ger

aniu

m p

rate

nse

Pleu

rosp

erm

um ca

ndol

lii

Podo

phyl

lum

hex

andr

um

Rhod

iola

het

erod

onta

Saus

sure

a ob

valla

ta

Saxi

fraga

sibi

rica

Sedu

m ew

ersii

Figure 4 Distribution range of species along altitudinal gradient indifferent aspects

pressure for continued future sustainability Regularmonitor-ing using random sampling by quadrat method is suggestedto understand the dynamics of the habitats and communitiesand accordingly plan for their management The climatesensitive species are required to be regularly monitored fortheir phenological attributes so that the baseline data can begenerated for future changes in the area The informationgenerated on these lines will provide a better insight aboutthe present status of floristic diversity and help in developingadequate strategies and action plan for the management ofsuch biodiversity-rich areas The state and central govern-ment agencies are suggested to encourage the native speciesso that the ambient regional ecosystems are protected for theposterity Further for in situ conservation of the economicallyand ecologically important species regular monitoring of thesites and complete protection of the habitats is suggestedIn addition seed germination protocols developed may beused for mass multiplication of the species and seedlingsshould be transplanted in comparable habitats so that viablepopulation of the species can be maintained Finally apragmatic and ameliorative conservational approach whichwas hitherto absent in this part of the Himalaya needs tobe implemented

Conflict of InterestsThe authors declare that there is no conflict of interestsregarding the publication of this paper

AcknowledgmentsThanks are due to Department of Science and TechnologyGovernment of India for providing funds to conduct thestudy The authors also thank and appreciate local commu-nities for their cooperation and patience in providing theinformation and hospitality while undertaking surveys

References

[1] C P Kala and V B Mathur ldquoPatterns of plant species distribu-tion in the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh Indiardquo Journalof Vegetation Science vol 13 no 6 pp 751ndash754 2002

[2] M A Oommen and K Shanker ldquoElevational species richnesspatterns emerge frommultiple local mechanisms in Himalayanwoody plantsrdquo Ecology vol 86 no 11 pp 3039ndash3047 2005

[3] J S Singh ldquoSustainable development of the Indian Himalayanregion linking ecological and economic concernsrdquo CurrentScience vol 90 no 6 pp 784ndash788 2006

[4] S M Khan S E Page H Ahmad and D M HarperldquoSustainable utilization and conservation of plant biodiversityinmontane ecosystems theWestern Himalayas as a case studyrdquoAnnals of Botany vol 112 no 3 pp 479ndash501 2013

[5] A Chawla S Rajkumar K N Singh B Lal A K Thukral andRD Singh ldquoPlant species diversity along an altitudinal gradientof Bhabha Valley in western Himalayardquo Journal of MountainScience vol 5 no 2 pp 157ndash177 2008

[6] H Shaheen Z Ullah S M Khan and D M Harper ldquoSpeciescomposition and community structure of western Himalayanmoist temperate forests in Kashmirrdquo Forest Ecology and Man-agement vol 278 pp 138ndash145 2012

[7] S Gairola R S Rawal and N P Todaria ldquoForest vegetationpatterns along an altitudinal gradient in sub-alpine zone ofWestHimalaya Indiardquo African Journal of Plant Science vol 2 no 6pp 42ndash48 2008

[8] N Timilsina M S Ross and J T Heinen ldquoA communityanalysis of sal (Shorea robusta) forests in the western Terai ofNepalrdquo Forest Ecology and Management vol 241 no 1ndash3 pp223ndash234 2007

[9] IUCN IUCN Red List of Threatened Species IUCN GlandsSwitzerland 2003

[10] R T Busing P S White and M D Mackenzie ldquoGradientanalysis of old spruce-fir forest of the Great Smokey Mountainscirca 1935rdquo Canadian Journal of Botany vol 71 no 7 pp 951ndash958 1993

[11] S Pant and S S Samant ldquoDiversity and regeneration statusof tree species in Khokhan Wildlife Sanctuary North-WesternHimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 53 no 3 pp 317ndash331 2012

[12] O Polunin and A Stainton Flowers of the Himalaya OxfordUniversity Press Delhi India 1984

[13] H J Chowdhery and BMWadhwa Flora of Himachal Pradeshvol 1ndash3 Botanical Survey of India Calcutta India 1984

[14] D S Dhaliwal andM Sharma Flora of KulluDistrict ( HimachalPradesh ) Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India1999

[15] S K Singh and G S Rawat Flora of Great Himalayan NationalPark Himachal Pradesh Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal SinghDehradun India 2000

[16] H Singh and M Sharma Flora of Chamba District (HimachalPradesh) Bishen Singh Mahinder Pal Singh Dehradun India2006

[17] S P Khullar An Illustrated Fern Flora of the West Himalaya VolII International Book Distributors Dehradun India 2000

[18] J S Singh and S P Singh ldquoForest vegetation of the HimalayardquoThe Botanical Review vol 53 no 1 pp 80ndash192 1987

[19] M S Mani ldquoThe Himalaya its ecology and biogeography areviewrdquo in High Altitudes of the Himalaya Y P S Pangtey andR S Rawal Eds Gyanodaya Prakashan Nainital India 1994

10 The Scientific World Journal

[20] U Dhar R S Rawal and S S Samant ldquoStructural diversityand representativeness of forest vegetation in a protected areaof Kumaun Himalaya India implications for conservationrdquoBiodiversity and Conservation vol 6 no 8 pp 1045ndash1062 1997

[21] B PNautiyal N Pandey andA B Bhatt ldquoAnalysis of vegetationpattern in alpine zone in North West Himalaya a case studyof Garhwal Himalaya with special reference to diversity anddistributional patternsrdquo International Journal of Ecology andEnvironmental Sciences vol 23 no 1 pp 49ndash65 1997

[22] C P Kala Ecology and conservation of alpine meadows inthe Valley of Flowers National Park Garhwal Himalaya [PhDthesis] Forest Research Institute Dehradun India 1998

[23] J S Singh ldquoThe biodiversity crisis a multifaceted reviewrdquoCurrent Science vol 82 no 6 pp 638ndash647 2002

[24] S S Samant and H C Joshi ldquoFloristic diversity communitypatterns and changes of vegetation in Nanda Devi NationalParkrdquo in Biodiversity Monitoring Expedition Nanda Devi 2003pp 39ndash54 Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India2003

[25] K N Singh A Kumar B Lal and N P Todaria ldquoSpeciesdiversity and population status of threatened plants in differentlandscape elements of the Rohtang Pass western HimalayardquoJournal of Mountain Science vol 5 no 1 pp 73ndash83 2008

[26] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoMedicinal plants in old-growthdegraded and re-growth forests of NWPakistanrdquo Forest Ecologyand Management vol 261 no 11 pp 2105ndash2114 2011

[27] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoDiversity of medicinal plantsamong different forest-use types of the Pakistani HimalayardquoEconomic Botany vol 66 no 4 pp 344ndash356 2012

[28] H C Joshi and S S Samant ldquoAssessment of forest vegetationand conservation priorities of communities in part of NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve West Himalaya part Irdquo InternationalJournal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology vol 11no 3 pp 326ndash336 2004

[29] M Lal Assessment of floristic diversity and conservation statusof plants in kais wildlife sanctuary of himachal pradesh in North-western Himalaya [PhD Thesis] Kumaun University NainitalIndia 2007

[30] M S Rana Assessment of floristic diversity and conservationprioritization of communities for conservation inManaliWildlifeSanctuary of Himachal Pradesh in Northwestern Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2007

[31] A Sharma Studies on Floristic diversity and prioritization ofcommunities for conservation in Hirb and Shoja CatchmentsDistrict Kullu of Himachal Pradesh North Western Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2008

[32] W A Rodgers and H S Panwar A Biogeographical Classifi-cation for Conservation Planning Wildlife Institute of IndiaDehradun India 1990

[33] E C Pielou Ecological Diversity JohnWiley amp Sons New YorkNY USA 1975

[34] E H Simpson ldquoMeasurement of diversityrdquo Nature vol 163article 688 1949

[35] C E Shannon and W Wiener The Mathematical Theory ofCommunication University of Illinois Press Urbana Ill USA1963

[36] J T Curtis and M Intosh ldquoThe interrelation of certain analyticand phytosociological charactersrdquo Ecology vol 31 pp 434ndash4551950

[37] P Greig-Smith Quantitative Plant Ecology Academic PressNew York NY USA 1957

[38] K A KersawQuantitative and Dynamic Plant Ecology EdwardArnold Limited London UK 2nd edition 1973

[39] D Muller-Dombois and H Ellenberge Aims and Methods ofVegetation Ecology JohnWilley and Sons New York NY USA1974

[40] A K Saxena and J S Singh ldquoA phytosociological analysis ofwoody species in forest communities of a part of KumaunHimalayardquo Vegetatio vol 50 no 1 pp 3ndash22 1982

[41] A E OsmastonA Forest Flora for Kumaun International BookDistributors Dehradun India 1927

[42] B S Aswal and B N Mehrotra Flora of Lahaul-Spiti (A ColdDesert in North-West Himalaya) Bishen Singh Mahendra PalSingh Dehradun India 1994

[43] S S Samant H C Joshi and S C Arya ldquoDiversity nativityand endemism of vascular plants in Pindari area of Nanda DeviBiosphere Reserve-IIrdquoHimalayan Biosphere Reserves vol 2 no1-2 pp 1ndash29 2000

[44] O P Chaturvedi and J S Singh ldquoThe structure and function ofpine forest in central himalaya I dry matter dynamicsrdquo Annalsof Botany vol 60 no 3 pp 237ndash252 1986

[45] C BindiuUnpublished PhD thesis Acadamic de stunte agricolesi silvice [PhD thesis] Acadamic de stunte agricole si silviceBucharest Romania 1973

[46] G P Raturi ldquoForest community structure along an altitudinalgradient of district Rudraprayag of Garhwal Himalaya IndiardquoEcologia vol 2 no 3 pp 76ndash84 2012

[47] B S Adhikari H C Rikhari Y S Rawat and S P Singh ldquoHighaltitude forest composition diversity and profile structure in apart of Kumaun Himalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 32 no 1 pp86ndash97 1991

[48] N S Bankoti R S Rawal S S Samant and Y P S PangteyldquoForest vegetation of inner hill ranges in kumaun centralhimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 33 no 1 pp 41ndash53 1992

[49] H C Joshi Assessment of habitat diversity forest vegetation andhuman dependence in the Buffer zone of Nanda Devi biospherereserve of West Himalaya [PhD thesis] Kumaon UniversityNainital India 2002

[50] J C Tewari and S P Singh ldquoVegetational analysis of a forestlying in transitional zone between lower and upper Himalayanmoist temperate forestsrdquo inThevegetational wealth of HimalayaS G Paliwal Ed Puja Publishers New Delhi India 1981

[51] S S Samant H C Joshi S C Arya and S Pant ldquoStudies onthe structure composition and changes of vegetation in NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve of west Himalayardquo Tech Rep Ministryof Environment and Forests New Delhi India 2002

[52] M Ahmed T Husain A H Sheikh S S Hussain and M FSiddiqui ldquoPhytosociology and structure of Himalayan forestsfrom different climatic zones of Pakistanrdquo Pakistan Journal ofBotany vol 38 no 2 pp 361ndash383 2006

[53] R M Kunwar and S P Sharma ldquoQuantitative analysis of treespecies in two community forests of Dolpa district mid-westNepalrdquo Himalayan Journal of Science vol 2 no 3 pp 23ndash282004

[54] S Shah A Tewari and B Tewari ldquoImpact of Human dis-turbance on forest vegetation and water resources of nainitalcatchmentrdquo Natural Science 2009

[55] J M Levine M Vila C M DrsquoAntonio J S Dukes K Grigulisand S Lavorel ldquoMechanisms underlying the impacts of exoticplant invasionsrdquo Proceedings of the Royal Society B BiologicalSciences vol 270 no 1517 pp 775ndash781 2003

The Scientific World Journal 11

[56] R S Rawal and Y P S Pangtey ldquoDistribution and structural-functional attributes of trees in the high altitude zone of CentralHimalaya Indiardquo Vegetatio vol 112 no 1 pp 29ndash34 1994

[57] H Singh M Kumar and AM Sheikh ldquoDistribution pattern ofOak and Pine along altitudinal gradients in Garhwal HimalayardquoNatural Science vol 7 no 11 pp 81ndash85 2009

[58] R E Shank and E N Noorie ldquoMicroclimate vegetation in asmall valley in eastern Tennesseerdquo Ecology vol 11 p 5319 1950

[59] C M Sharma and N P Baduni ldquoEffect of aspect on thestructure of some natural stands ofAbies pindrow in Himalayanmoist temperate forestrdquo Environmentalist vol 20 no 4 pp309ndash317 2000

[60] M P Panthi R P Chaudhary and O R Vetaas ldquoPlant speciesrichness and composition in a trans-Himalayan inner valley ofManangDistrict Central NepalrdquoHimalayan Journal of Sciencesvol 4 no 6 pp 27ndash39 2007

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology

The Scientific World Journal 5

Table 3 Identified communities showing TBA species richness densities and diversity in Sangla Valley

Communities SR TBA (m2ha) Species richness Density Species diversity index (1198671015840)Trees (noha) Shrubs (noha) Herbs (nom2) Trees Shrubs Herbs

TreesBU 5 1117 47 480 330 3516 073 212 317CD 3 4241 38 40333 67333 3344 057 168 362QF 1 1417 19 340 290 2208 0 04 249PG 3 1209 47 490 60629 3520 082 116 311PW 6 8702 96 205 62583 3634 0 238 401BU-AP 1 1416 35 440 770 2503 102 152 316BU-PW 4 1228 80 420 3275 4036 093 222 369CD-PS 1 1798 41 600 1030 4240 128 207 298CD-PW 1 2199 29 400 420 3820 069 095 307

ShrubsHS 2 mdash 41 mdash 370 4539 mdash 163 321RA 2 mdash 40 mdash 105 3256 mdash 096 345RA-SC 2 mdash 52 mdash 230 3480 mdash 115 355SCa-CB-BJ 1 mdash 34 mdash 540 4873 mdash 153 287SCa-LH 1 mdash 33 mdash 630 2770 mdash 143 31

HerbsPA-AS-BA-AV 1 mdash 34 mdash mdash 7895 mdash mdash 291

SR = site represented TBA total basal area Ind = individual BU = Betula utilis CD = Cedrus deodara QF = Quercus floribunda PG = Pinus gerardiana PW= Pinus wallichiana BU-AP = Betula utilis-Abies pindrow mixed BU-PW = Betula utilis-Pinus wallichiana mixed CD-PS = Cedrus deodara-Picea smithianaCD-PW = Cedrus deodara-Pinus wallichiana mixed HS = Hippophae salicifolia RA = Rhododendron anthopogon RA-SC = Rhododendron anthopogon-Salixcaliculata mixed SCa-CB-BL = Spiraea canescens-Cotoneaster bacillaris-Berberis jaeschkeana mixed SCa-LH = Spiraea canescens-Lonicera hypoleuca mixedand PA-AS-BA-AV = Poa alpina-Agrostis stolonifera-Bistorta affinis-Aconitum violaceum

50] and (074ndash314) reported by [40 51] for subtropical andtemperate forests However for herbs diversity (249ndash401) itwas higher than earlier records The value of the total basalarea was found to bemaximum inC deodara andC deodara-P wallichiana mixed communities (4241 and 2199m2haresp) and average basal area is 1723m2ha which is very lowas compared to the other parts of the Himalaya where it isabove 70m2ha [52ndash54] This may be due to unscrupuloustree felling and logging pressure on the forest resources inaddition to the other natural causes like heavy erratic rainfallswhich leads to the massive landslides in the region

34 Species Dominance in the Identified CommunitiesAmong the various communities identified in SV we figuredout the maximum values of dominant species as 745 (Butilis) and 199 (P wallichiana) in B utilis community802 (C deodara) and 174 (P wallichiana) in C deodaracommunity 100 (Q floribunda) in Q floribunda commu-nity as it was the only tree species present in the community5714 (Pinus gerardiana) and 388(Quercus floribunda)in Pinus gerardiana community 909 (P wallichiana) and81 (C deodara) in P wallichiana community 431 (Butilis) and 409 (A pindrow) in B utilis-A pindrow mixedcommunity 625 (B utilis) and 298 (P wallichiana)in Butilis-P wallichiana mixed community 383 (C deodara)and 316 (Picea smithiana ) in C deodara-P smithianamixed community and 525 (C deodara) and 425

(P wallichiana) in C deodara-P wallichiana mixed commu-nity (Table 4)

Among shrubs maximum density percentages were ofthe species Berberis aristata Berberis jaeschkeana Cas-siope fastigiata Cotoneaster bacillaris Cotoneaster micro-phyllus Desmodium elegans Hippophae salicifolia Lonicerahypoleuca Rhododendron campanulatum Rabdosia rugosaRhododendron anthopogon Rubus ellipticus Salix calyculataSorbaria tomentosa Spiraea canescens and so forth Rabdosiarugosa (801) and Cotoneaster bacillaris (75) were hav-ing maximum and minimum density percentages in Quer-cus floribunda and Cedrus deodara communities respec-tively Among herbs assessed Aconogonum molle AgrostisstoloniferaBistorta affinisBromus japonicasCannabis sativaConyza sumatrensis CynoglossumwallichiiDelphinium cash-merianum Euphrasia officinalis Fragaria nubicola Impa-tiens thomsonii Morina longifolia Nepeta erecta Origanumvulgare Persicaria vivipara Poa alpina Polygonatum verti-cillatum Thalictrum cultratum Trifolium pratense and soforth were in abundance hence showing comparativelymore densities Herbs having maximum density recordedwere Poa alpina (253) followed by Cynoglossum wallichii(234) and Fragaria nubicola (195) in Poa alpina-Agrostisstolonifera-Bistorta affinis-Aconitum violaceum mixed Butilis-A pindrowmixed andRhododendron anthopogon-Salixcalyculatamixed communities respectively (Table 4)

Tree shrub and herb percentage covers within thecommunities showed a typical composition of theHimalayan

6 The Scientific World Journal

Table4Re

latived

ensitieso

fdom

inantspecies

invario

uscommun

ities

Com

mun

ities

Dom

inantelements

Trees

Shrubs

Herbs

Trees

BetulautilisD

Don

ButilisD

Don

(745

)P

wallichiana

AB

Jacks(19

9)and

Apind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle

(50)

Cassiopefastigiata

(Wall)

DD

on(285

)Rh

ododendron

campanu

latum

D

Don

(176

)andRo

sawe

bbiana

Wallex

Royle(97

)

Polyg

onatum

verticillatum

(L)All(114

)Geranium

wallichianu

mDD

onex

Sweet(57

)Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(56)and

Aconogonum

molle

(DD

on)H

Hara(

54

)

Cedrus

deodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(802

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(174

)andA

pind

row

(Royleex

D

Don

)Royle(25)

Rabdosia

rugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara(

313)Berberisaristata(298

)

andCo

toneasterb

acillarisWallex

Lind

l(75

)

Thalictrum

cultratum

Wall(111)Fnu

bicola

(74

)andNe

peta

erecta

(Royleex

Benth)B

enth(74

)

Quercus

florib

unda

Lind

lex

AC

amus

Qfloribun

daLind

lex

AC

amus

(100)

Rrugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara

(801

)Sorbaria

tomentosa

(Lindl)

Rehd

er(91

)

Cann

abissativaL(14

3)Dysphaniabotrys

(L)

MosyakinampClem

ants(109

)andTagetesm

inutaL

(95)

Pinu

sgerardianaWallex

DD

on

Pinu

sgerardianaWallex

DD

on(5714

)Qfloribun

daLind

lex

A

Camus

(388

)andOlea

europaea

L(41

)

Rrugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara

(559

)Desmodium

elegans

DC

(189

)andAr

temisiamaritimaL(132

)

Conyza

sumatrensis(SFB

lake)P

ruskiamp

GSancho

(94)C

sativ

aL(68)andCh

enopodium

album

L(54)

Pinu

swallichian

aAB

Jacks

Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(909)C

deodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(81

)

Rosa

macrophyllaLind

l(174

)Berberis

jaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(14

4)and

Cotoneasterm

icrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(128

)

Orig

anum

vulga

reL(61

)Morinalongifolia

Wall

(36)andMedica

golupu

linaL(33)

ButilisD

Don

-Ap

indrow

Roylee

xDD

on)R

oylemixed

ButilisD

Don

(431

)A

pind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle(409

)and

Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(159)

Cmicrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(325

)R

macrophyllaLind

l(220

)andB

jaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(117

)

Cynoglo

ssum

wallichiiG

Don

(234

)Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(182

)Trigonellaem

odi

Benthand

LotuscorniculatusL

(46

each)

ButilisD

Don

-Pw

allichianaAB

Jacksmixed

ButilisD

Don

(625

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(298)andA

pind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle(43)

Cfastigiata(W

all)

DD

on(333

)Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(100

)and

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(76

)

Persica

riavivipara

(L)Ro

nseD

ecr(68)Delp

hinium

cashmerianu

mRo

yle(45

)andLomatogonium

carin

thiacum

(Wulfen)

Rchb

(35

)

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

-Pice

asmith

iana

(Wall)

Boiss

mixed

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(383

)Piceasm

ithiana

(Wall)

Boiss

(316

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(200

)andJugla

nsregiaL

(103)

Rubu

sellipticu

sSm(155)B

aristata

DC

(146)andD

elegans

DC

(136

)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(161

)Trifoliu

mpratenseL(52)Tcultratum

Walland

Chaerophyllum

villosum

WallampDC

(38each)

Cdeodara

(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

-Pw

allichianaAB

Jacksm

ixed

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(525

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(425

)andPsm

ithiana

(Wall)

Boiss

(50)

BjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(595

2)S

canescensD

Don

(214

)R

webbiana

Wallex

Royle(190)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(82)T

linearis

Benth(63)andTalpinu

sL(55

)

The Scientific World Journal 7

Table4Con

tinued

Com

mun

ities

Dom

inantelements

Trees

Shrubs

Herbs

Shrubs

Hippophae

salicifolia

DD

onmdash

Hippophae

salicifolia

DD

on(58

)Sorbaria

tomentosa

(Lindl)

Rehd

er(132

)andRa

bdosia

rugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara(

94)

Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(156

)Ca

nnabissativaL(83)Polygonu

mavicu

lare

L(60)andNe

peta

erecta

(Royleex

Benth)B

enth

(45)

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

onmdash

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(572

)Salix

caprea

L(286

)and

Cotoneastermicrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(14

3)

Delp

hinium

cashmerianu

mRo

yle

(72

)Rh

odiola

himalensis

(DD

on)S

HFu

(57)Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(D

Don

)Greene

(53)La

ctucamacrorhiza

(Royle)H

ookf(48)

andIm

patiens

thom

soniiH

ookf(42)

Rhododendron

anthopogon

D

Don

-Salix

calyc

ulataHoo

kfex

And

ersson

mixed

mdash

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(4565)Salix

calyc

ulataHoo

kfex

And

ersson

(369

)andViburnum

cotin

ifoliu

mDD

on(87)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(195

)Bisto

rta

affinis(D

Don

)Greene(107)An

aphalis

triplinervis

(Sim

s)Simse

xC

BClarke

(67)Poaannu

aL

(62)Th

alictrum

cultratum

Wall(57)

andOxyria

digyna

(L)Hill

(53)

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

-Cotoneaste

rbacillaris

Wallex

Lind

l-BerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eidmixed

mdash

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(270

)Co

toneasterbacillaris

Wallex

Lind

l(115

)

andBerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid

(82)

Elsholtzia

eriosta

chya

(Benth)Be

nth

(172

)Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(154

)Eu

phrasia

officin

alisL

(77

)Orig

anum

vulga

reL(74

)and

Impatiens

thom

soniiH

ookf(35)

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

-Lonice

rahypoleu

caDecne

Mixed

mdash

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(444

)Lonicera

hypoleu

caDecne

(190)andBerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(111)

Brom

usjaponicusTh

unb

(105

)Cu

scutacapitata

Roxb

(96)Ac

onogonum

molle

(DD

on)H

Hara(

72)

andFragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(63)

Herbs

Poaalpina

L-Agrostis

stolonifer

aL-

Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(DD

on)

Greene-Ac

onitu

mviolaceum

Jacquem

exStapfm

ixed

mdashmdash

Poaalpina

L(2533)Ag

rostisstolonifer

aL

(132

)Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(D

Don

)Greene

(46)Ac

onitu

mviolaceum

JacquemexStapf(46

)andHeracleu

mthom

soniiC

BC

larke(43

)

8 The Scientific World Journal

region wherein shrubs Rabdosia rugosa and Cotoneasterbacillaris were having maximum and minimum densitypercentages respectively and herbs Poa alpina Cynoglossumwallichiiand Fragaria nubicola were abundant Dominanceof these species might be due to their high adaptability inaddition to their good capability to proliferate in the extremeclimatic conditions of this part of western Himalaya

35 Phytogeographic Affinities As a whole in all the com-munities 182 species were native to the Himalayan regionand the remaining were nonnatives as they are from differentbiogeographic domains of the world The trend of nativityof plants occurring in SV was as follows EuropeanOrientalregion (28) gt Asia (25) gt European region (16) gt Temperateregion (13) gt Indian region (10) gt IndiaOriental region (8)gt America (7) gt EuropeanOrientalAfrican and TemperateArctic (6 each) gt Cosmopolitan (5) gt Australian (4) gtAmphigean (3) gt Arctic EuropeanOrientalAmerican andOriental (2 each) and EuropeanAfrican (1) (Figure 2)

Natives are the species which evolved naturally in a par-ticular region before their human introduction To prioritizea species or habitat of the region for conservation statusof a species as to whether it is native or introduced in agiven area is required Species invasions beyond their nativerange constitute a global driver of change as nonnative speciesthreaten biodiversity and change ecosystem functioning [55]Like in other parts of the Himachal Himalaya [29 30] inSV also the percentage of native species increased with thealtitude There is a strong evidence from a scatter diagramthat a positive linear relationship exists between the nativespecies richness and altitude (119903 = 083 119875 lt 001 119899 = 34)(Figure 3)The high percentage of the native species at higherelevations may be due to low anthropogenic pressure andsevere climatic conditions compared to the lower elevationswhere high anthropogenic pressure and mild climatic con-ditions support the speciation of the nonnative species [30]Regular monitoring of the habitats and populations of thenative species facing high anthropogenic pressure even inhigher altitude is essentially required so that the adequateplanning for their conservation and management could bedone in time

36 Altitudinal and Aspectwise Distribution of Species Alti-tude and aspect are themost important determinants of vege-tation distribution due to their direct impact onmicroclimateof the habitat [56 57] The Himalayan region has typicaltopography and environment where biodiversity varies fromaspect to aspect and habitats of the communities [58]

Maximum altitudinal distribution of few selected climatesensitive species namely Bistorta affinis Fragaria nubicolaGeranium pratense Pleurospermum candollei Podophyllumhexandrum Rhodiola heterodonta Saussurea obvallata Sax-ifraga sibrica and Sedum ewersii was studied in the valley Itwas found to be highest in northeast followed by north southand southeast aspects (Figure 4) Species like Bistorta affinisreaching up to 4510m and 3890m in northeast and northaspects respectively are restricted to 3580m and 3429m in

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

182

28 25 16 13 10 8 7 6 6 5 4 3 2 2 2 1

320

Num

ber o

f spe

cies

Him

alEu

roO

rien A

sEu

roTe

mp

Ind

Ind

Ori

enA

mer

Euro

Orie

nA

frTe

mp

Arc

tC

osm

oA

ust

Am

phig

Arc

tEu

roO

rien

Am

erO

rien

Euro

Afr

Tota

l

Figure 2 Species showing their biogeographic realms Afr = AfricaAmer = America Amphig = Amphigean Arct = Arctic As = AsiaAust = Australia Cosmo = Cosmopolitan Euro = Europe Himal =Himalaya Ind = India Orient = Oriental and Temp = Temperate

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1800 2300 2800 3300 3800 4300 4800

Nat

ives

()

Altitude (m)

y = 0014x + 1257

R2 = 051 r = 070

P lt 001

Figure 3 Native species along the altitude gradient

south and southeast aspects resepectively Similar trend wasseen with all other climate sesitive species in the region

P wallichiana showed the broadest range from 2100 to3500m and almost reaching the tree line along with B utilis

In this valley northern and northeastern slopes havelower temperatures and higher soil and air moisture contentsas compared to southern and other slopes at the same altitudedue to less solar exposure and higher moisture content andevapotranspiration which is akin to the other Himalayanareas [59 60] In northern and northeastern slopes B utilisA pindrow and P wallichianawere recorded at the altitude aslow as 2200mwhereas on the south and southeastern aspectstheir altitudinal range started from 2300m

37 Final Considerations In northwesternHimalaya the highmountain plant communities support a rich biodiversity interms of ecological indicator species and nativesThey need apropermanagement against harsh climate and anthropogenic

The Scientific World Journal 9

300032003400360038004000420044004600

Alti

tude

(m)

NorthSouth

North eastSouth east

Bisto

rta

affini

s

Frag

aria

nub

icol

a

Ger

aniu

m p

rate

nse

Pleu

rosp

erm

um ca

ndol

lii

Podo

phyl

lum

hex

andr

um

Rhod

iola

het

erod

onta

Saus

sure

a ob

valla

ta

Saxi

fraga

sibi

rica

Sedu

m ew

ersii

Figure 4 Distribution range of species along altitudinal gradient indifferent aspects

pressure for continued future sustainability Regularmonitor-ing using random sampling by quadrat method is suggestedto understand the dynamics of the habitats and communitiesand accordingly plan for their management The climatesensitive species are required to be regularly monitored fortheir phenological attributes so that the baseline data can begenerated for future changes in the area The informationgenerated on these lines will provide a better insight aboutthe present status of floristic diversity and help in developingadequate strategies and action plan for the management ofsuch biodiversity-rich areas The state and central govern-ment agencies are suggested to encourage the native speciesso that the ambient regional ecosystems are protected for theposterity Further for in situ conservation of the economicallyand ecologically important species regular monitoring of thesites and complete protection of the habitats is suggestedIn addition seed germination protocols developed may beused for mass multiplication of the species and seedlingsshould be transplanted in comparable habitats so that viablepopulation of the species can be maintained Finally apragmatic and ameliorative conservational approach whichwas hitherto absent in this part of the Himalaya needs tobe implemented

Conflict of InterestsThe authors declare that there is no conflict of interestsregarding the publication of this paper

AcknowledgmentsThanks are due to Department of Science and TechnologyGovernment of India for providing funds to conduct thestudy The authors also thank and appreciate local commu-nities for their cooperation and patience in providing theinformation and hospitality while undertaking surveys

References

[1] C P Kala and V B Mathur ldquoPatterns of plant species distribu-tion in the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh Indiardquo Journalof Vegetation Science vol 13 no 6 pp 751ndash754 2002

[2] M A Oommen and K Shanker ldquoElevational species richnesspatterns emerge frommultiple local mechanisms in Himalayanwoody plantsrdquo Ecology vol 86 no 11 pp 3039ndash3047 2005

[3] J S Singh ldquoSustainable development of the Indian Himalayanregion linking ecological and economic concernsrdquo CurrentScience vol 90 no 6 pp 784ndash788 2006

[4] S M Khan S E Page H Ahmad and D M HarperldquoSustainable utilization and conservation of plant biodiversityinmontane ecosystems theWestern Himalayas as a case studyrdquoAnnals of Botany vol 112 no 3 pp 479ndash501 2013

[5] A Chawla S Rajkumar K N Singh B Lal A K Thukral andRD Singh ldquoPlant species diversity along an altitudinal gradientof Bhabha Valley in western Himalayardquo Journal of MountainScience vol 5 no 2 pp 157ndash177 2008

[6] H Shaheen Z Ullah S M Khan and D M Harper ldquoSpeciescomposition and community structure of western Himalayanmoist temperate forests in Kashmirrdquo Forest Ecology and Man-agement vol 278 pp 138ndash145 2012

[7] S Gairola R S Rawal and N P Todaria ldquoForest vegetationpatterns along an altitudinal gradient in sub-alpine zone ofWestHimalaya Indiardquo African Journal of Plant Science vol 2 no 6pp 42ndash48 2008

[8] N Timilsina M S Ross and J T Heinen ldquoA communityanalysis of sal (Shorea robusta) forests in the western Terai ofNepalrdquo Forest Ecology and Management vol 241 no 1ndash3 pp223ndash234 2007

[9] IUCN IUCN Red List of Threatened Species IUCN GlandsSwitzerland 2003

[10] R T Busing P S White and M D Mackenzie ldquoGradientanalysis of old spruce-fir forest of the Great Smokey Mountainscirca 1935rdquo Canadian Journal of Botany vol 71 no 7 pp 951ndash958 1993

[11] S Pant and S S Samant ldquoDiversity and regeneration statusof tree species in Khokhan Wildlife Sanctuary North-WesternHimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 53 no 3 pp 317ndash331 2012

[12] O Polunin and A Stainton Flowers of the Himalaya OxfordUniversity Press Delhi India 1984

[13] H J Chowdhery and BMWadhwa Flora of Himachal Pradeshvol 1ndash3 Botanical Survey of India Calcutta India 1984

[14] D S Dhaliwal andM Sharma Flora of KulluDistrict ( HimachalPradesh ) Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India1999

[15] S K Singh and G S Rawat Flora of Great Himalayan NationalPark Himachal Pradesh Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal SinghDehradun India 2000

[16] H Singh and M Sharma Flora of Chamba District (HimachalPradesh) Bishen Singh Mahinder Pal Singh Dehradun India2006

[17] S P Khullar An Illustrated Fern Flora of the West Himalaya VolII International Book Distributors Dehradun India 2000

[18] J S Singh and S P Singh ldquoForest vegetation of the HimalayardquoThe Botanical Review vol 53 no 1 pp 80ndash192 1987

[19] M S Mani ldquoThe Himalaya its ecology and biogeography areviewrdquo in High Altitudes of the Himalaya Y P S Pangtey andR S Rawal Eds Gyanodaya Prakashan Nainital India 1994

10 The Scientific World Journal

[20] U Dhar R S Rawal and S S Samant ldquoStructural diversityand representativeness of forest vegetation in a protected areaof Kumaun Himalaya India implications for conservationrdquoBiodiversity and Conservation vol 6 no 8 pp 1045ndash1062 1997

[21] B PNautiyal N Pandey andA B Bhatt ldquoAnalysis of vegetationpattern in alpine zone in North West Himalaya a case studyof Garhwal Himalaya with special reference to diversity anddistributional patternsrdquo International Journal of Ecology andEnvironmental Sciences vol 23 no 1 pp 49ndash65 1997

[22] C P Kala Ecology and conservation of alpine meadows inthe Valley of Flowers National Park Garhwal Himalaya [PhDthesis] Forest Research Institute Dehradun India 1998

[23] J S Singh ldquoThe biodiversity crisis a multifaceted reviewrdquoCurrent Science vol 82 no 6 pp 638ndash647 2002

[24] S S Samant and H C Joshi ldquoFloristic diversity communitypatterns and changes of vegetation in Nanda Devi NationalParkrdquo in Biodiversity Monitoring Expedition Nanda Devi 2003pp 39ndash54 Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India2003

[25] K N Singh A Kumar B Lal and N P Todaria ldquoSpeciesdiversity and population status of threatened plants in differentlandscape elements of the Rohtang Pass western HimalayardquoJournal of Mountain Science vol 5 no 1 pp 73ndash83 2008

[26] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoMedicinal plants in old-growthdegraded and re-growth forests of NWPakistanrdquo Forest Ecologyand Management vol 261 no 11 pp 2105ndash2114 2011

[27] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoDiversity of medicinal plantsamong different forest-use types of the Pakistani HimalayardquoEconomic Botany vol 66 no 4 pp 344ndash356 2012

[28] H C Joshi and S S Samant ldquoAssessment of forest vegetationand conservation priorities of communities in part of NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve West Himalaya part Irdquo InternationalJournal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology vol 11no 3 pp 326ndash336 2004

[29] M Lal Assessment of floristic diversity and conservation statusof plants in kais wildlife sanctuary of himachal pradesh in North-western Himalaya [PhD Thesis] Kumaun University NainitalIndia 2007

[30] M S Rana Assessment of floristic diversity and conservationprioritization of communities for conservation inManaliWildlifeSanctuary of Himachal Pradesh in Northwestern Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2007

[31] A Sharma Studies on Floristic diversity and prioritization ofcommunities for conservation in Hirb and Shoja CatchmentsDistrict Kullu of Himachal Pradesh North Western Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2008

[32] W A Rodgers and H S Panwar A Biogeographical Classifi-cation for Conservation Planning Wildlife Institute of IndiaDehradun India 1990

[33] E C Pielou Ecological Diversity JohnWiley amp Sons New YorkNY USA 1975

[34] E H Simpson ldquoMeasurement of diversityrdquo Nature vol 163article 688 1949

[35] C E Shannon and W Wiener The Mathematical Theory ofCommunication University of Illinois Press Urbana Ill USA1963

[36] J T Curtis and M Intosh ldquoThe interrelation of certain analyticand phytosociological charactersrdquo Ecology vol 31 pp 434ndash4551950

[37] P Greig-Smith Quantitative Plant Ecology Academic PressNew York NY USA 1957

[38] K A KersawQuantitative and Dynamic Plant Ecology EdwardArnold Limited London UK 2nd edition 1973

[39] D Muller-Dombois and H Ellenberge Aims and Methods ofVegetation Ecology JohnWilley and Sons New York NY USA1974

[40] A K Saxena and J S Singh ldquoA phytosociological analysis ofwoody species in forest communities of a part of KumaunHimalayardquo Vegetatio vol 50 no 1 pp 3ndash22 1982

[41] A E OsmastonA Forest Flora for Kumaun International BookDistributors Dehradun India 1927

[42] B S Aswal and B N Mehrotra Flora of Lahaul-Spiti (A ColdDesert in North-West Himalaya) Bishen Singh Mahendra PalSingh Dehradun India 1994

[43] S S Samant H C Joshi and S C Arya ldquoDiversity nativityand endemism of vascular plants in Pindari area of Nanda DeviBiosphere Reserve-IIrdquoHimalayan Biosphere Reserves vol 2 no1-2 pp 1ndash29 2000

[44] O P Chaturvedi and J S Singh ldquoThe structure and function ofpine forest in central himalaya I dry matter dynamicsrdquo Annalsof Botany vol 60 no 3 pp 237ndash252 1986

[45] C BindiuUnpublished PhD thesis Acadamic de stunte agricolesi silvice [PhD thesis] Acadamic de stunte agricole si silviceBucharest Romania 1973

[46] G P Raturi ldquoForest community structure along an altitudinalgradient of district Rudraprayag of Garhwal Himalaya IndiardquoEcologia vol 2 no 3 pp 76ndash84 2012

[47] B S Adhikari H C Rikhari Y S Rawat and S P Singh ldquoHighaltitude forest composition diversity and profile structure in apart of Kumaun Himalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 32 no 1 pp86ndash97 1991

[48] N S Bankoti R S Rawal S S Samant and Y P S PangteyldquoForest vegetation of inner hill ranges in kumaun centralhimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 33 no 1 pp 41ndash53 1992

[49] H C Joshi Assessment of habitat diversity forest vegetation andhuman dependence in the Buffer zone of Nanda Devi biospherereserve of West Himalaya [PhD thesis] Kumaon UniversityNainital India 2002

[50] J C Tewari and S P Singh ldquoVegetational analysis of a forestlying in transitional zone between lower and upper Himalayanmoist temperate forestsrdquo inThevegetational wealth of HimalayaS G Paliwal Ed Puja Publishers New Delhi India 1981

[51] S S Samant H C Joshi S C Arya and S Pant ldquoStudies onthe structure composition and changes of vegetation in NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve of west Himalayardquo Tech Rep Ministryof Environment and Forests New Delhi India 2002

[52] M Ahmed T Husain A H Sheikh S S Hussain and M FSiddiqui ldquoPhytosociology and structure of Himalayan forestsfrom different climatic zones of Pakistanrdquo Pakistan Journal ofBotany vol 38 no 2 pp 361ndash383 2006

[53] R M Kunwar and S P Sharma ldquoQuantitative analysis of treespecies in two community forests of Dolpa district mid-westNepalrdquo Himalayan Journal of Science vol 2 no 3 pp 23ndash282004

[54] S Shah A Tewari and B Tewari ldquoImpact of Human dis-turbance on forest vegetation and water resources of nainitalcatchmentrdquo Natural Science 2009

[55] J M Levine M Vila C M DrsquoAntonio J S Dukes K Grigulisand S Lavorel ldquoMechanisms underlying the impacts of exoticplant invasionsrdquo Proceedings of the Royal Society B BiologicalSciences vol 270 no 1517 pp 775ndash781 2003

The Scientific World Journal 11

[56] R S Rawal and Y P S Pangtey ldquoDistribution and structural-functional attributes of trees in the high altitude zone of CentralHimalaya Indiardquo Vegetatio vol 112 no 1 pp 29ndash34 1994

[57] H Singh M Kumar and AM Sheikh ldquoDistribution pattern ofOak and Pine along altitudinal gradients in Garhwal HimalayardquoNatural Science vol 7 no 11 pp 81ndash85 2009

[58] R E Shank and E N Noorie ldquoMicroclimate vegetation in asmall valley in eastern Tennesseerdquo Ecology vol 11 p 5319 1950

[59] C M Sharma and N P Baduni ldquoEffect of aspect on thestructure of some natural stands ofAbies pindrow in Himalayanmoist temperate forestrdquo Environmentalist vol 20 no 4 pp309ndash317 2000

[60] M P Panthi R P Chaudhary and O R Vetaas ldquoPlant speciesrichness and composition in a trans-Himalayan inner valley ofManangDistrict Central NepalrdquoHimalayan Journal of Sciencesvol 4 no 6 pp 27ndash39 2007

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology

6 The Scientific World Journal

Table4Re

latived

ensitieso

fdom

inantspecies

invario

uscommun

ities

Com

mun

ities

Dom

inantelements

Trees

Shrubs

Herbs

Trees

BetulautilisD

Don

ButilisD

Don

(745

)P

wallichiana

AB

Jacks(19

9)and

Apind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle

(50)

Cassiopefastigiata

(Wall)

DD

on(285

)Rh

ododendron

campanu

latum

D

Don

(176

)andRo

sawe

bbiana

Wallex

Royle(97

)

Polyg

onatum

verticillatum

(L)All(114

)Geranium

wallichianu

mDD

onex

Sweet(57

)Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(56)and

Aconogonum

molle

(DD

on)H

Hara(

54

)

Cedrus

deodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(802

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(174

)andA

pind

row

(Royleex

D

Don

)Royle(25)

Rabdosia

rugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara(

313)Berberisaristata(298

)

andCo

toneasterb

acillarisWallex

Lind

l(75

)

Thalictrum

cultratum

Wall(111)Fnu

bicola

(74

)andNe

peta

erecta

(Royleex

Benth)B

enth(74

)

Quercus

florib

unda

Lind

lex

AC

amus

Qfloribun

daLind

lex

AC

amus

(100)

Rrugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara

(801

)Sorbaria

tomentosa

(Lindl)

Rehd

er(91

)

Cann

abissativaL(14

3)Dysphaniabotrys

(L)

MosyakinampClem

ants(109

)andTagetesm

inutaL

(95)

Pinu

sgerardianaWallex

DD

on

Pinu

sgerardianaWallex

DD

on(5714

)Qfloribun

daLind

lex

A

Camus

(388

)andOlea

europaea

L(41

)

Rrugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara

(559

)Desmodium

elegans

DC

(189

)andAr

temisiamaritimaL(132

)

Conyza

sumatrensis(SFB

lake)P

ruskiamp

GSancho

(94)C

sativ

aL(68)andCh

enopodium

album

L(54)

Pinu

swallichian

aAB

Jacks

Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(909)C

deodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(81

)

Rosa

macrophyllaLind

l(174

)Berberis

jaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(14

4)and

Cotoneasterm

icrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(128

)

Orig

anum

vulga

reL(61

)Morinalongifolia

Wall

(36)andMedica

golupu

linaL(33)

ButilisD

Don

-Ap

indrow

Roylee

xDD

on)R

oylemixed

ButilisD

Don

(431

)A

pind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle(409

)and

Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(159)

Cmicrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(325

)R

macrophyllaLind

l(220

)andB

jaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(117

)

Cynoglo

ssum

wallichiiG

Don

(234

)Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(182

)Trigonellaem

odi

Benthand

LotuscorniculatusL

(46

each)

ButilisD

Don

-Pw

allichianaAB

Jacksmixed

ButilisD

Don

(625

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks(298)andA

pind

row

(Royleex

DD

on)R

oyle(43)

Cfastigiata(W

all)

DD

on(333

)Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(100

)and

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(76

)

Persica

riavivipara

(L)Ro

nseD

ecr(68)Delp

hinium

cashmerianu

mRo

yle(45

)andLomatogonium

carin

thiacum

(Wulfen)

Rchb

(35

)

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

-Pice

asmith

iana

(Wall)

Boiss

mixed

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(383

)Piceasm

ithiana

(Wall)

Boiss

(316

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(200

)andJugla

nsregiaL

(103)

Rubu

sellipticu

sSm(155)B

aristata

DC

(146)andD

elegans

DC

(136

)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(161

)Trifoliu

mpratenseL(52)Tcultratum

Walland

Chaerophyllum

villosum

WallampDC

(38each)

Cdeodara

(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

-Pw

allichianaAB

Jacksm

ixed

Cdeodara(Roxbex

Lamb)G

Don

(525

)Pwa

llichiana

AB

Jacks

(425

)andPsm

ithiana

(Wall)

Boiss

(50)

BjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(595

2)S

canescensD

Don

(214

)R

webbiana

Wallex

Royle(190)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(82)T

linearis

Benth(63)andTalpinu

sL(55

)

The Scientific World Journal 7

Table4Con

tinued

Com

mun

ities

Dom

inantelements

Trees

Shrubs

Herbs

Shrubs

Hippophae

salicifolia

DD

onmdash

Hippophae

salicifolia

DD

on(58

)Sorbaria

tomentosa

(Lindl)

Rehd

er(132

)andRa

bdosia

rugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara(

94)

Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(156

)Ca

nnabissativaL(83)Polygonu

mavicu

lare

L(60)andNe

peta

erecta

(Royleex

Benth)B

enth

(45)

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

onmdash

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(572

)Salix

caprea

L(286

)and

Cotoneastermicrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(14

3)

Delp

hinium

cashmerianu

mRo

yle

(72

)Rh

odiola

himalensis

(DD

on)S

HFu

(57)Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(D

Don

)Greene

(53)La

ctucamacrorhiza

(Royle)H

ookf(48)

andIm

patiens

thom

soniiH

ookf(42)

Rhododendron

anthopogon

D

Don

-Salix

calyc

ulataHoo

kfex

And

ersson

mixed

mdash

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(4565)Salix

calyc

ulataHoo

kfex

And

ersson

(369

)andViburnum

cotin

ifoliu

mDD

on(87)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(195

)Bisto

rta

affinis(D

Don

)Greene(107)An

aphalis

triplinervis

(Sim

s)Simse

xC

BClarke

(67)Poaannu

aL

(62)Th

alictrum

cultratum

Wall(57)

andOxyria

digyna

(L)Hill

(53)

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

-Cotoneaste

rbacillaris

Wallex

Lind

l-BerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eidmixed

mdash

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(270

)Co

toneasterbacillaris

Wallex

Lind

l(115

)

andBerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid

(82)

Elsholtzia

eriosta

chya

(Benth)Be

nth

(172

)Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(154

)Eu

phrasia

officin

alisL

(77

)Orig

anum

vulga

reL(74

)and

Impatiens

thom

soniiH

ookf(35)

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

-Lonice

rahypoleu

caDecne

Mixed

mdash

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(444

)Lonicera

hypoleu

caDecne

(190)andBerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(111)

Brom

usjaponicusTh

unb

(105

)Cu

scutacapitata

Roxb

(96)Ac

onogonum

molle

(DD

on)H

Hara(

72)

andFragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(63)

Herbs

Poaalpina

L-Agrostis

stolonifer

aL-

Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(DD

on)

Greene-Ac

onitu

mviolaceum

Jacquem

exStapfm

ixed

mdashmdash

Poaalpina

L(2533)Ag

rostisstolonifer

aL

(132

)Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(D

Don

)Greene

(46)Ac

onitu

mviolaceum

JacquemexStapf(46

)andHeracleu

mthom

soniiC

BC

larke(43

)

8 The Scientific World Journal

region wherein shrubs Rabdosia rugosa and Cotoneasterbacillaris were having maximum and minimum densitypercentages respectively and herbs Poa alpina Cynoglossumwallichiiand Fragaria nubicola were abundant Dominanceof these species might be due to their high adaptability inaddition to their good capability to proliferate in the extremeclimatic conditions of this part of western Himalaya

35 Phytogeographic Affinities As a whole in all the com-munities 182 species were native to the Himalayan regionand the remaining were nonnatives as they are from differentbiogeographic domains of the world The trend of nativityof plants occurring in SV was as follows EuropeanOrientalregion (28) gt Asia (25) gt European region (16) gt Temperateregion (13) gt Indian region (10) gt IndiaOriental region (8)gt America (7) gt EuropeanOrientalAfrican and TemperateArctic (6 each) gt Cosmopolitan (5) gt Australian (4) gtAmphigean (3) gt Arctic EuropeanOrientalAmerican andOriental (2 each) and EuropeanAfrican (1) (Figure 2)

Natives are the species which evolved naturally in a par-ticular region before their human introduction To prioritizea species or habitat of the region for conservation statusof a species as to whether it is native or introduced in agiven area is required Species invasions beyond their nativerange constitute a global driver of change as nonnative speciesthreaten biodiversity and change ecosystem functioning [55]Like in other parts of the Himachal Himalaya [29 30] inSV also the percentage of native species increased with thealtitude There is a strong evidence from a scatter diagramthat a positive linear relationship exists between the nativespecies richness and altitude (119903 = 083 119875 lt 001 119899 = 34)(Figure 3)The high percentage of the native species at higherelevations may be due to low anthropogenic pressure andsevere climatic conditions compared to the lower elevationswhere high anthropogenic pressure and mild climatic con-ditions support the speciation of the nonnative species [30]Regular monitoring of the habitats and populations of thenative species facing high anthropogenic pressure even inhigher altitude is essentially required so that the adequateplanning for their conservation and management could bedone in time

36 Altitudinal and Aspectwise Distribution of Species Alti-tude and aspect are themost important determinants of vege-tation distribution due to their direct impact onmicroclimateof the habitat [56 57] The Himalayan region has typicaltopography and environment where biodiversity varies fromaspect to aspect and habitats of the communities [58]

Maximum altitudinal distribution of few selected climatesensitive species namely Bistorta affinis Fragaria nubicolaGeranium pratense Pleurospermum candollei Podophyllumhexandrum Rhodiola heterodonta Saussurea obvallata Sax-ifraga sibrica and Sedum ewersii was studied in the valley Itwas found to be highest in northeast followed by north southand southeast aspects (Figure 4) Species like Bistorta affinisreaching up to 4510m and 3890m in northeast and northaspects respectively are restricted to 3580m and 3429m in

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

182

28 25 16 13 10 8 7 6 6 5 4 3 2 2 2 1

320

Num

ber o

f spe

cies

Him

alEu

roO

rien A

sEu

roTe

mp

Ind

Ind

Ori

enA

mer

Euro

Orie

nA

frTe

mp

Arc

tC

osm

oA

ust

Am

phig

Arc

tEu

roO

rien

Am

erO

rien

Euro

Afr

Tota

l

Figure 2 Species showing their biogeographic realms Afr = AfricaAmer = America Amphig = Amphigean Arct = Arctic As = AsiaAust = Australia Cosmo = Cosmopolitan Euro = Europe Himal =Himalaya Ind = India Orient = Oriental and Temp = Temperate

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1800 2300 2800 3300 3800 4300 4800

Nat

ives

()

Altitude (m)

y = 0014x + 1257

R2 = 051 r = 070

P lt 001

Figure 3 Native species along the altitude gradient

south and southeast aspects resepectively Similar trend wasseen with all other climate sesitive species in the region

P wallichiana showed the broadest range from 2100 to3500m and almost reaching the tree line along with B utilis

In this valley northern and northeastern slopes havelower temperatures and higher soil and air moisture contentsas compared to southern and other slopes at the same altitudedue to less solar exposure and higher moisture content andevapotranspiration which is akin to the other Himalayanareas [59 60] In northern and northeastern slopes B utilisA pindrow and P wallichianawere recorded at the altitude aslow as 2200mwhereas on the south and southeastern aspectstheir altitudinal range started from 2300m

37 Final Considerations In northwesternHimalaya the highmountain plant communities support a rich biodiversity interms of ecological indicator species and nativesThey need apropermanagement against harsh climate and anthropogenic

The Scientific World Journal 9

300032003400360038004000420044004600

Alti

tude

(m)

NorthSouth

North eastSouth east

Bisto

rta

affini

s

Frag

aria

nub

icol

a

Ger

aniu

m p

rate

nse

Pleu

rosp

erm

um ca

ndol

lii

Podo

phyl

lum

hex

andr

um

Rhod

iola

het

erod

onta

Saus

sure

a ob

valla

ta

Saxi

fraga

sibi

rica

Sedu

m ew

ersii

Figure 4 Distribution range of species along altitudinal gradient indifferent aspects

pressure for continued future sustainability Regularmonitor-ing using random sampling by quadrat method is suggestedto understand the dynamics of the habitats and communitiesand accordingly plan for their management The climatesensitive species are required to be regularly monitored fortheir phenological attributes so that the baseline data can begenerated for future changes in the area The informationgenerated on these lines will provide a better insight aboutthe present status of floristic diversity and help in developingadequate strategies and action plan for the management ofsuch biodiversity-rich areas The state and central govern-ment agencies are suggested to encourage the native speciesso that the ambient regional ecosystems are protected for theposterity Further for in situ conservation of the economicallyand ecologically important species regular monitoring of thesites and complete protection of the habitats is suggestedIn addition seed germination protocols developed may beused for mass multiplication of the species and seedlingsshould be transplanted in comparable habitats so that viablepopulation of the species can be maintained Finally apragmatic and ameliorative conservational approach whichwas hitherto absent in this part of the Himalaya needs tobe implemented

Conflict of InterestsThe authors declare that there is no conflict of interestsregarding the publication of this paper

AcknowledgmentsThanks are due to Department of Science and TechnologyGovernment of India for providing funds to conduct thestudy The authors also thank and appreciate local commu-nities for their cooperation and patience in providing theinformation and hospitality while undertaking surveys

References

[1] C P Kala and V B Mathur ldquoPatterns of plant species distribu-tion in the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh Indiardquo Journalof Vegetation Science vol 13 no 6 pp 751ndash754 2002

[2] M A Oommen and K Shanker ldquoElevational species richnesspatterns emerge frommultiple local mechanisms in Himalayanwoody plantsrdquo Ecology vol 86 no 11 pp 3039ndash3047 2005

[3] J S Singh ldquoSustainable development of the Indian Himalayanregion linking ecological and economic concernsrdquo CurrentScience vol 90 no 6 pp 784ndash788 2006

[4] S M Khan S E Page H Ahmad and D M HarperldquoSustainable utilization and conservation of plant biodiversityinmontane ecosystems theWestern Himalayas as a case studyrdquoAnnals of Botany vol 112 no 3 pp 479ndash501 2013

[5] A Chawla S Rajkumar K N Singh B Lal A K Thukral andRD Singh ldquoPlant species diversity along an altitudinal gradientof Bhabha Valley in western Himalayardquo Journal of MountainScience vol 5 no 2 pp 157ndash177 2008

[6] H Shaheen Z Ullah S M Khan and D M Harper ldquoSpeciescomposition and community structure of western Himalayanmoist temperate forests in Kashmirrdquo Forest Ecology and Man-agement vol 278 pp 138ndash145 2012

[7] S Gairola R S Rawal and N P Todaria ldquoForest vegetationpatterns along an altitudinal gradient in sub-alpine zone ofWestHimalaya Indiardquo African Journal of Plant Science vol 2 no 6pp 42ndash48 2008

[8] N Timilsina M S Ross and J T Heinen ldquoA communityanalysis of sal (Shorea robusta) forests in the western Terai ofNepalrdquo Forest Ecology and Management vol 241 no 1ndash3 pp223ndash234 2007

[9] IUCN IUCN Red List of Threatened Species IUCN GlandsSwitzerland 2003

[10] R T Busing P S White and M D Mackenzie ldquoGradientanalysis of old spruce-fir forest of the Great Smokey Mountainscirca 1935rdquo Canadian Journal of Botany vol 71 no 7 pp 951ndash958 1993

[11] S Pant and S S Samant ldquoDiversity and regeneration statusof tree species in Khokhan Wildlife Sanctuary North-WesternHimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 53 no 3 pp 317ndash331 2012

[12] O Polunin and A Stainton Flowers of the Himalaya OxfordUniversity Press Delhi India 1984

[13] H J Chowdhery and BMWadhwa Flora of Himachal Pradeshvol 1ndash3 Botanical Survey of India Calcutta India 1984

[14] D S Dhaliwal andM Sharma Flora of KulluDistrict ( HimachalPradesh ) Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India1999

[15] S K Singh and G S Rawat Flora of Great Himalayan NationalPark Himachal Pradesh Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal SinghDehradun India 2000

[16] H Singh and M Sharma Flora of Chamba District (HimachalPradesh) Bishen Singh Mahinder Pal Singh Dehradun India2006

[17] S P Khullar An Illustrated Fern Flora of the West Himalaya VolII International Book Distributors Dehradun India 2000

[18] J S Singh and S P Singh ldquoForest vegetation of the HimalayardquoThe Botanical Review vol 53 no 1 pp 80ndash192 1987

[19] M S Mani ldquoThe Himalaya its ecology and biogeography areviewrdquo in High Altitudes of the Himalaya Y P S Pangtey andR S Rawal Eds Gyanodaya Prakashan Nainital India 1994

10 The Scientific World Journal

[20] U Dhar R S Rawal and S S Samant ldquoStructural diversityand representativeness of forest vegetation in a protected areaof Kumaun Himalaya India implications for conservationrdquoBiodiversity and Conservation vol 6 no 8 pp 1045ndash1062 1997

[21] B PNautiyal N Pandey andA B Bhatt ldquoAnalysis of vegetationpattern in alpine zone in North West Himalaya a case studyof Garhwal Himalaya with special reference to diversity anddistributional patternsrdquo International Journal of Ecology andEnvironmental Sciences vol 23 no 1 pp 49ndash65 1997

[22] C P Kala Ecology and conservation of alpine meadows inthe Valley of Flowers National Park Garhwal Himalaya [PhDthesis] Forest Research Institute Dehradun India 1998

[23] J S Singh ldquoThe biodiversity crisis a multifaceted reviewrdquoCurrent Science vol 82 no 6 pp 638ndash647 2002

[24] S S Samant and H C Joshi ldquoFloristic diversity communitypatterns and changes of vegetation in Nanda Devi NationalParkrdquo in Biodiversity Monitoring Expedition Nanda Devi 2003pp 39ndash54 Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India2003

[25] K N Singh A Kumar B Lal and N P Todaria ldquoSpeciesdiversity and population status of threatened plants in differentlandscape elements of the Rohtang Pass western HimalayardquoJournal of Mountain Science vol 5 no 1 pp 73ndash83 2008

[26] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoMedicinal plants in old-growthdegraded and re-growth forests of NWPakistanrdquo Forest Ecologyand Management vol 261 no 11 pp 2105ndash2114 2011

[27] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoDiversity of medicinal plantsamong different forest-use types of the Pakistani HimalayardquoEconomic Botany vol 66 no 4 pp 344ndash356 2012

[28] H C Joshi and S S Samant ldquoAssessment of forest vegetationand conservation priorities of communities in part of NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve West Himalaya part Irdquo InternationalJournal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology vol 11no 3 pp 326ndash336 2004

[29] M Lal Assessment of floristic diversity and conservation statusof plants in kais wildlife sanctuary of himachal pradesh in North-western Himalaya [PhD Thesis] Kumaun University NainitalIndia 2007

[30] M S Rana Assessment of floristic diversity and conservationprioritization of communities for conservation inManaliWildlifeSanctuary of Himachal Pradesh in Northwestern Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2007

[31] A Sharma Studies on Floristic diversity and prioritization ofcommunities for conservation in Hirb and Shoja CatchmentsDistrict Kullu of Himachal Pradesh North Western Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2008

[32] W A Rodgers and H S Panwar A Biogeographical Classifi-cation for Conservation Planning Wildlife Institute of IndiaDehradun India 1990

[33] E C Pielou Ecological Diversity JohnWiley amp Sons New YorkNY USA 1975

[34] E H Simpson ldquoMeasurement of diversityrdquo Nature vol 163article 688 1949

[35] C E Shannon and W Wiener The Mathematical Theory ofCommunication University of Illinois Press Urbana Ill USA1963

[36] J T Curtis and M Intosh ldquoThe interrelation of certain analyticand phytosociological charactersrdquo Ecology vol 31 pp 434ndash4551950

[37] P Greig-Smith Quantitative Plant Ecology Academic PressNew York NY USA 1957

[38] K A KersawQuantitative and Dynamic Plant Ecology EdwardArnold Limited London UK 2nd edition 1973

[39] D Muller-Dombois and H Ellenberge Aims and Methods ofVegetation Ecology JohnWilley and Sons New York NY USA1974

[40] A K Saxena and J S Singh ldquoA phytosociological analysis ofwoody species in forest communities of a part of KumaunHimalayardquo Vegetatio vol 50 no 1 pp 3ndash22 1982

[41] A E OsmastonA Forest Flora for Kumaun International BookDistributors Dehradun India 1927

[42] B S Aswal and B N Mehrotra Flora of Lahaul-Spiti (A ColdDesert in North-West Himalaya) Bishen Singh Mahendra PalSingh Dehradun India 1994

[43] S S Samant H C Joshi and S C Arya ldquoDiversity nativityand endemism of vascular plants in Pindari area of Nanda DeviBiosphere Reserve-IIrdquoHimalayan Biosphere Reserves vol 2 no1-2 pp 1ndash29 2000

[44] O P Chaturvedi and J S Singh ldquoThe structure and function ofpine forest in central himalaya I dry matter dynamicsrdquo Annalsof Botany vol 60 no 3 pp 237ndash252 1986

[45] C BindiuUnpublished PhD thesis Acadamic de stunte agricolesi silvice [PhD thesis] Acadamic de stunte agricole si silviceBucharest Romania 1973

[46] G P Raturi ldquoForest community structure along an altitudinalgradient of district Rudraprayag of Garhwal Himalaya IndiardquoEcologia vol 2 no 3 pp 76ndash84 2012

[47] B S Adhikari H C Rikhari Y S Rawat and S P Singh ldquoHighaltitude forest composition diversity and profile structure in apart of Kumaun Himalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 32 no 1 pp86ndash97 1991

[48] N S Bankoti R S Rawal S S Samant and Y P S PangteyldquoForest vegetation of inner hill ranges in kumaun centralhimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 33 no 1 pp 41ndash53 1992

[49] H C Joshi Assessment of habitat diversity forest vegetation andhuman dependence in the Buffer zone of Nanda Devi biospherereserve of West Himalaya [PhD thesis] Kumaon UniversityNainital India 2002

[50] J C Tewari and S P Singh ldquoVegetational analysis of a forestlying in transitional zone between lower and upper Himalayanmoist temperate forestsrdquo inThevegetational wealth of HimalayaS G Paliwal Ed Puja Publishers New Delhi India 1981

[51] S S Samant H C Joshi S C Arya and S Pant ldquoStudies onthe structure composition and changes of vegetation in NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve of west Himalayardquo Tech Rep Ministryof Environment and Forests New Delhi India 2002

[52] M Ahmed T Husain A H Sheikh S S Hussain and M FSiddiqui ldquoPhytosociology and structure of Himalayan forestsfrom different climatic zones of Pakistanrdquo Pakistan Journal ofBotany vol 38 no 2 pp 361ndash383 2006

[53] R M Kunwar and S P Sharma ldquoQuantitative analysis of treespecies in two community forests of Dolpa district mid-westNepalrdquo Himalayan Journal of Science vol 2 no 3 pp 23ndash282004

[54] S Shah A Tewari and B Tewari ldquoImpact of Human dis-turbance on forest vegetation and water resources of nainitalcatchmentrdquo Natural Science 2009

[55] J M Levine M Vila C M DrsquoAntonio J S Dukes K Grigulisand S Lavorel ldquoMechanisms underlying the impacts of exoticplant invasionsrdquo Proceedings of the Royal Society B BiologicalSciences vol 270 no 1517 pp 775ndash781 2003

The Scientific World Journal 11

[56] R S Rawal and Y P S Pangtey ldquoDistribution and structural-functional attributes of trees in the high altitude zone of CentralHimalaya Indiardquo Vegetatio vol 112 no 1 pp 29ndash34 1994

[57] H Singh M Kumar and AM Sheikh ldquoDistribution pattern ofOak and Pine along altitudinal gradients in Garhwal HimalayardquoNatural Science vol 7 no 11 pp 81ndash85 2009

[58] R E Shank and E N Noorie ldquoMicroclimate vegetation in asmall valley in eastern Tennesseerdquo Ecology vol 11 p 5319 1950

[59] C M Sharma and N P Baduni ldquoEffect of aspect on thestructure of some natural stands ofAbies pindrow in Himalayanmoist temperate forestrdquo Environmentalist vol 20 no 4 pp309ndash317 2000

[60] M P Panthi R P Chaudhary and O R Vetaas ldquoPlant speciesrichness and composition in a trans-Himalayan inner valley ofManangDistrict Central NepalrdquoHimalayan Journal of Sciencesvol 4 no 6 pp 27ndash39 2007

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology

The Scientific World Journal 7

Table4Con

tinued

Com

mun

ities

Dom

inantelements

Trees

Shrubs

Herbs

Shrubs

Hippophae

salicifolia

DD

onmdash

Hippophae

salicifolia

DD

on(58

)Sorbaria

tomentosa

(Lindl)

Rehd

er(132

)andRa

bdosia

rugosa

(Wallex

Benth)H

Hara(

94)

Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(156

)Ca

nnabissativaL(83)Polygonu

mavicu

lare

L(60)andNe

peta

erecta

(Royleex

Benth)B

enth

(45)

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

onmdash

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(572

)Salix

caprea

L(286

)and

Cotoneastermicrophyllu

sWallex

Lind

l(14

3)

Delp

hinium

cashmerianu

mRo

yle

(72

)Rh

odiola

himalensis

(DD

on)S

HFu

(57)Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(D

Don

)Greene

(53)La

ctucamacrorhiza

(Royle)H

ookf(48)

andIm

patiens

thom

soniiH

ookf(42)

Rhododendron

anthopogon

D

Don

-Salix

calyc

ulataHoo

kfex

And

ersson

mixed

mdash

Rhododendron

anthopogon

DD

on(4565)Salix

calyc

ulataHoo

kfex

And

ersson

(369

)andViburnum

cotin

ifoliu

mDD

on(87)

Fnu

bicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(195

)Bisto

rta

affinis(D

Don

)Greene(107)An

aphalis

triplinervis

(Sim

s)Simse

xC

BClarke

(67)Poaannu

aL

(62)Th

alictrum

cultratum

Wall(57)

andOxyria

digyna

(L)Hill

(53)

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

-Cotoneaste

rbacillaris

Wallex

Lind

l-BerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eidmixed

mdash

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(270

)Co

toneasterbacillaris

Wallex

Lind

l(115

)

andBerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid

(82)

Elsholtzia

eriosta

chya

(Benth)Be

nth

(172

)Fragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(154

)Eu

phrasia

officin

alisL

(77

)Orig

anum

vulga

reL(74

)and

Impatiens

thom

soniiH

ookf(35)

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

-Lonice

rahypoleu

caDecne

Mixed

mdash

Spira

eacanescensD

Don

(444

)Lonicera

hypoleu

caDecne

(190)andBerberisjaeschkeanaC

KSchn

eid(111)

Brom

usjaponicusTh

unb

(105

)Cu

scutacapitata

Roxb

(96)Ac

onogonum

molle

(DD

on)H

Hara(

72)

andFragaria

nubicola

(Hoo

kf)

Lind

lex

Lacaita

(63)

Herbs

Poaalpina

L-Agrostis

stolonifer

aL-

Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(DD

on)

Greene-Ac

onitu

mviolaceum

Jacquem

exStapfm

ixed

mdashmdash

Poaalpina

L(2533)Ag

rostisstolonifer

aL

(132

)Bisto

rtaaffi

nis(D

Don

)Greene

(46)Ac

onitu

mviolaceum

JacquemexStapf(46

)andHeracleu

mthom

soniiC

BC

larke(43

)

8 The Scientific World Journal

region wherein shrubs Rabdosia rugosa and Cotoneasterbacillaris were having maximum and minimum densitypercentages respectively and herbs Poa alpina Cynoglossumwallichiiand Fragaria nubicola were abundant Dominanceof these species might be due to their high adaptability inaddition to their good capability to proliferate in the extremeclimatic conditions of this part of western Himalaya

35 Phytogeographic Affinities As a whole in all the com-munities 182 species were native to the Himalayan regionand the remaining were nonnatives as they are from differentbiogeographic domains of the world The trend of nativityof plants occurring in SV was as follows EuropeanOrientalregion (28) gt Asia (25) gt European region (16) gt Temperateregion (13) gt Indian region (10) gt IndiaOriental region (8)gt America (7) gt EuropeanOrientalAfrican and TemperateArctic (6 each) gt Cosmopolitan (5) gt Australian (4) gtAmphigean (3) gt Arctic EuropeanOrientalAmerican andOriental (2 each) and EuropeanAfrican (1) (Figure 2)

Natives are the species which evolved naturally in a par-ticular region before their human introduction To prioritizea species or habitat of the region for conservation statusof a species as to whether it is native or introduced in agiven area is required Species invasions beyond their nativerange constitute a global driver of change as nonnative speciesthreaten biodiversity and change ecosystem functioning [55]Like in other parts of the Himachal Himalaya [29 30] inSV also the percentage of native species increased with thealtitude There is a strong evidence from a scatter diagramthat a positive linear relationship exists between the nativespecies richness and altitude (119903 = 083 119875 lt 001 119899 = 34)(Figure 3)The high percentage of the native species at higherelevations may be due to low anthropogenic pressure andsevere climatic conditions compared to the lower elevationswhere high anthropogenic pressure and mild climatic con-ditions support the speciation of the nonnative species [30]Regular monitoring of the habitats and populations of thenative species facing high anthropogenic pressure even inhigher altitude is essentially required so that the adequateplanning for their conservation and management could bedone in time

36 Altitudinal and Aspectwise Distribution of Species Alti-tude and aspect are themost important determinants of vege-tation distribution due to their direct impact onmicroclimateof the habitat [56 57] The Himalayan region has typicaltopography and environment where biodiversity varies fromaspect to aspect and habitats of the communities [58]

Maximum altitudinal distribution of few selected climatesensitive species namely Bistorta affinis Fragaria nubicolaGeranium pratense Pleurospermum candollei Podophyllumhexandrum Rhodiola heterodonta Saussurea obvallata Sax-ifraga sibrica and Sedum ewersii was studied in the valley Itwas found to be highest in northeast followed by north southand southeast aspects (Figure 4) Species like Bistorta affinisreaching up to 4510m and 3890m in northeast and northaspects respectively are restricted to 3580m and 3429m in

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

182

28 25 16 13 10 8 7 6 6 5 4 3 2 2 2 1

320

Num

ber o

f spe

cies

Him

alEu

roO

rien A

sEu

roTe

mp

Ind

Ind

Ori

enA

mer

Euro

Orie

nA

frTe

mp

Arc

tC

osm

oA

ust

Am

phig

Arc

tEu

roO

rien

Am

erO

rien

Euro

Afr

Tota

l

Figure 2 Species showing their biogeographic realms Afr = AfricaAmer = America Amphig = Amphigean Arct = Arctic As = AsiaAust = Australia Cosmo = Cosmopolitan Euro = Europe Himal =Himalaya Ind = India Orient = Oriental and Temp = Temperate

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1800 2300 2800 3300 3800 4300 4800

Nat

ives

()

Altitude (m)

y = 0014x + 1257

R2 = 051 r = 070

P lt 001

Figure 3 Native species along the altitude gradient

south and southeast aspects resepectively Similar trend wasseen with all other climate sesitive species in the region

P wallichiana showed the broadest range from 2100 to3500m and almost reaching the tree line along with B utilis

In this valley northern and northeastern slopes havelower temperatures and higher soil and air moisture contentsas compared to southern and other slopes at the same altitudedue to less solar exposure and higher moisture content andevapotranspiration which is akin to the other Himalayanareas [59 60] In northern and northeastern slopes B utilisA pindrow and P wallichianawere recorded at the altitude aslow as 2200mwhereas on the south and southeastern aspectstheir altitudinal range started from 2300m

37 Final Considerations In northwesternHimalaya the highmountain plant communities support a rich biodiversity interms of ecological indicator species and nativesThey need apropermanagement against harsh climate and anthropogenic

The Scientific World Journal 9

300032003400360038004000420044004600

Alti

tude

(m)

NorthSouth

North eastSouth east

Bisto

rta

affini

s

Frag

aria

nub

icol

a

Ger

aniu

m p

rate

nse

Pleu

rosp

erm

um ca

ndol

lii

Podo

phyl

lum

hex

andr

um

Rhod

iola

het

erod

onta

Saus

sure

a ob

valla

ta

Saxi

fraga

sibi

rica

Sedu

m ew

ersii

Figure 4 Distribution range of species along altitudinal gradient indifferent aspects

pressure for continued future sustainability Regularmonitor-ing using random sampling by quadrat method is suggestedto understand the dynamics of the habitats and communitiesand accordingly plan for their management The climatesensitive species are required to be regularly monitored fortheir phenological attributes so that the baseline data can begenerated for future changes in the area The informationgenerated on these lines will provide a better insight aboutthe present status of floristic diversity and help in developingadequate strategies and action plan for the management ofsuch biodiversity-rich areas The state and central govern-ment agencies are suggested to encourage the native speciesso that the ambient regional ecosystems are protected for theposterity Further for in situ conservation of the economicallyand ecologically important species regular monitoring of thesites and complete protection of the habitats is suggestedIn addition seed germination protocols developed may beused for mass multiplication of the species and seedlingsshould be transplanted in comparable habitats so that viablepopulation of the species can be maintained Finally apragmatic and ameliorative conservational approach whichwas hitherto absent in this part of the Himalaya needs tobe implemented

Conflict of InterestsThe authors declare that there is no conflict of interestsregarding the publication of this paper

AcknowledgmentsThanks are due to Department of Science and TechnologyGovernment of India for providing funds to conduct thestudy The authors also thank and appreciate local commu-nities for their cooperation and patience in providing theinformation and hospitality while undertaking surveys

References

[1] C P Kala and V B Mathur ldquoPatterns of plant species distribu-tion in the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh Indiardquo Journalof Vegetation Science vol 13 no 6 pp 751ndash754 2002

[2] M A Oommen and K Shanker ldquoElevational species richnesspatterns emerge frommultiple local mechanisms in Himalayanwoody plantsrdquo Ecology vol 86 no 11 pp 3039ndash3047 2005

[3] J S Singh ldquoSustainable development of the Indian Himalayanregion linking ecological and economic concernsrdquo CurrentScience vol 90 no 6 pp 784ndash788 2006

[4] S M Khan S E Page H Ahmad and D M HarperldquoSustainable utilization and conservation of plant biodiversityinmontane ecosystems theWestern Himalayas as a case studyrdquoAnnals of Botany vol 112 no 3 pp 479ndash501 2013

[5] A Chawla S Rajkumar K N Singh B Lal A K Thukral andRD Singh ldquoPlant species diversity along an altitudinal gradientof Bhabha Valley in western Himalayardquo Journal of MountainScience vol 5 no 2 pp 157ndash177 2008

[6] H Shaheen Z Ullah S M Khan and D M Harper ldquoSpeciescomposition and community structure of western Himalayanmoist temperate forests in Kashmirrdquo Forest Ecology and Man-agement vol 278 pp 138ndash145 2012

[7] S Gairola R S Rawal and N P Todaria ldquoForest vegetationpatterns along an altitudinal gradient in sub-alpine zone ofWestHimalaya Indiardquo African Journal of Plant Science vol 2 no 6pp 42ndash48 2008

[8] N Timilsina M S Ross and J T Heinen ldquoA communityanalysis of sal (Shorea robusta) forests in the western Terai ofNepalrdquo Forest Ecology and Management vol 241 no 1ndash3 pp223ndash234 2007

[9] IUCN IUCN Red List of Threatened Species IUCN GlandsSwitzerland 2003

[10] R T Busing P S White and M D Mackenzie ldquoGradientanalysis of old spruce-fir forest of the Great Smokey Mountainscirca 1935rdquo Canadian Journal of Botany vol 71 no 7 pp 951ndash958 1993

[11] S Pant and S S Samant ldquoDiversity and regeneration statusof tree species in Khokhan Wildlife Sanctuary North-WesternHimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 53 no 3 pp 317ndash331 2012

[12] O Polunin and A Stainton Flowers of the Himalaya OxfordUniversity Press Delhi India 1984

[13] H J Chowdhery and BMWadhwa Flora of Himachal Pradeshvol 1ndash3 Botanical Survey of India Calcutta India 1984

[14] D S Dhaliwal andM Sharma Flora of KulluDistrict ( HimachalPradesh ) Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India1999

[15] S K Singh and G S Rawat Flora of Great Himalayan NationalPark Himachal Pradesh Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal SinghDehradun India 2000

[16] H Singh and M Sharma Flora of Chamba District (HimachalPradesh) Bishen Singh Mahinder Pal Singh Dehradun India2006

[17] S P Khullar An Illustrated Fern Flora of the West Himalaya VolII International Book Distributors Dehradun India 2000

[18] J S Singh and S P Singh ldquoForest vegetation of the HimalayardquoThe Botanical Review vol 53 no 1 pp 80ndash192 1987

[19] M S Mani ldquoThe Himalaya its ecology and biogeography areviewrdquo in High Altitudes of the Himalaya Y P S Pangtey andR S Rawal Eds Gyanodaya Prakashan Nainital India 1994

10 The Scientific World Journal

[20] U Dhar R S Rawal and S S Samant ldquoStructural diversityand representativeness of forest vegetation in a protected areaof Kumaun Himalaya India implications for conservationrdquoBiodiversity and Conservation vol 6 no 8 pp 1045ndash1062 1997

[21] B PNautiyal N Pandey andA B Bhatt ldquoAnalysis of vegetationpattern in alpine zone in North West Himalaya a case studyof Garhwal Himalaya with special reference to diversity anddistributional patternsrdquo International Journal of Ecology andEnvironmental Sciences vol 23 no 1 pp 49ndash65 1997

[22] C P Kala Ecology and conservation of alpine meadows inthe Valley of Flowers National Park Garhwal Himalaya [PhDthesis] Forest Research Institute Dehradun India 1998

[23] J S Singh ldquoThe biodiversity crisis a multifaceted reviewrdquoCurrent Science vol 82 no 6 pp 638ndash647 2002

[24] S S Samant and H C Joshi ldquoFloristic diversity communitypatterns and changes of vegetation in Nanda Devi NationalParkrdquo in Biodiversity Monitoring Expedition Nanda Devi 2003pp 39ndash54 Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India2003

[25] K N Singh A Kumar B Lal and N P Todaria ldquoSpeciesdiversity and population status of threatened plants in differentlandscape elements of the Rohtang Pass western HimalayardquoJournal of Mountain Science vol 5 no 1 pp 73ndash83 2008

[26] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoMedicinal plants in old-growthdegraded and re-growth forests of NWPakistanrdquo Forest Ecologyand Management vol 261 no 11 pp 2105ndash2114 2011

[27] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoDiversity of medicinal plantsamong different forest-use types of the Pakistani HimalayardquoEconomic Botany vol 66 no 4 pp 344ndash356 2012

[28] H C Joshi and S S Samant ldquoAssessment of forest vegetationand conservation priorities of communities in part of NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve West Himalaya part Irdquo InternationalJournal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology vol 11no 3 pp 326ndash336 2004

[29] M Lal Assessment of floristic diversity and conservation statusof plants in kais wildlife sanctuary of himachal pradesh in North-western Himalaya [PhD Thesis] Kumaun University NainitalIndia 2007

[30] M S Rana Assessment of floristic diversity and conservationprioritization of communities for conservation inManaliWildlifeSanctuary of Himachal Pradesh in Northwestern Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2007

[31] A Sharma Studies on Floristic diversity and prioritization ofcommunities for conservation in Hirb and Shoja CatchmentsDistrict Kullu of Himachal Pradesh North Western Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2008

[32] W A Rodgers and H S Panwar A Biogeographical Classifi-cation for Conservation Planning Wildlife Institute of IndiaDehradun India 1990

[33] E C Pielou Ecological Diversity JohnWiley amp Sons New YorkNY USA 1975

[34] E H Simpson ldquoMeasurement of diversityrdquo Nature vol 163article 688 1949

[35] C E Shannon and W Wiener The Mathematical Theory ofCommunication University of Illinois Press Urbana Ill USA1963

[36] J T Curtis and M Intosh ldquoThe interrelation of certain analyticand phytosociological charactersrdquo Ecology vol 31 pp 434ndash4551950

[37] P Greig-Smith Quantitative Plant Ecology Academic PressNew York NY USA 1957

[38] K A KersawQuantitative and Dynamic Plant Ecology EdwardArnold Limited London UK 2nd edition 1973

[39] D Muller-Dombois and H Ellenberge Aims and Methods ofVegetation Ecology JohnWilley and Sons New York NY USA1974

[40] A K Saxena and J S Singh ldquoA phytosociological analysis ofwoody species in forest communities of a part of KumaunHimalayardquo Vegetatio vol 50 no 1 pp 3ndash22 1982

[41] A E OsmastonA Forest Flora for Kumaun International BookDistributors Dehradun India 1927

[42] B S Aswal and B N Mehrotra Flora of Lahaul-Spiti (A ColdDesert in North-West Himalaya) Bishen Singh Mahendra PalSingh Dehradun India 1994

[43] S S Samant H C Joshi and S C Arya ldquoDiversity nativityand endemism of vascular plants in Pindari area of Nanda DeviBiosphere Reserve-IIrdquoHimalayan Biosphere Reserves vol 2 no1-2 pp 1ndash29 2000

[44] O P Chaturvedi and J S Singh ldquoThe structure and function ofpine forest in central himalaya I dry matter dynamicsrdquo Annalsof Botany vol 60 no 3 pp 237ndash252 1986

[45] C BindiuUnpublished PhD thesis Acadamic de stunte agricolesi silvice [PhD thesis] Acadamic de stunte agricole si silviceBucharest Romania 1973

[46] G P Raturi ldquoForest community structure along an altitudinalgradient of district Rudraprayag of Garhwal Himalaya IndiardquoEcologia vol 2 no 3 pp 76ndash84 2012

[47] B S Adhikari H C Rikhari Y S Rawat and S P Singh ldquoHighaltitude forest composition diversity and profile structure in apart of Kumaun Himalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 32 no 1 pp86ndash97 1991

[48] N S Bankoti R S Rawal S S Samant and Y P S PangteyldquoForest vegetation of inner hill ranges in kumaun centralhimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 33 no 1 pp 41ndash53 1992

[49] H C Joshi Assessment of habitat diversity forest vegetation andhuman dependence in the Buffer zone of Nanda Devi biospherereserve of West Himalaya [PhD thesis] Kumaon UniversityNainital India 2002

[50] J C Tewari and S P Singh ldquoVegetational analysis of a forestlying in transitional zone between lower and upper Himalayanmoist temperate forestsrdquo inThevegetational wealth of HimalayaS G Paliwal Ed Puja Publishers New Delhi India 1981

[51] S S Samant H C Joshi S C Arya and S Pant ldquoStudies onthe structure composition and changes of vegetation in NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve of west Himalayardquo Tech Rep Ministryof Environment and Forests New Delhi India 2002

[52] M Ahmed T Husain A H Sheikh S S Hussain and M FSiddiqui ldquoPhytosociology and structure of Himalayan forestsfrom different climatic zones of Pakistanrdquo Pakistan Journal ofBotany vol 38 no 2 pp 361ndash383 2006

[53] R M Kunwar and S P Sharma ldquoQuantitative analysis of treespecies in two community forests of Dolpa district mid-westNepalrdquo Himalayan Journal of Science vol 2 no 3 pp 23ndash282004

[54] S Shah A Tewari and B Tewari ldquoImpact of Human dis-turbance on forest vegetation and water resources of nainitalcatchmentrdquo Natural Science 2009

[55] J M Levine M Vila C M DrsquoAntonio J S Dukes K Grigulisand S Lavorel ldquoMechanisms underlying the impacts of exoticplant invasionsrdquo Proceedings of the Royal Society B BiologicalSciences vol 270 no 1517 pp 775ndash781 2003

The Scientific World Journal 11

[56] R S Rawal and Y P S Pangtey ldquoDistribution and structural-functional attributes of trees in the high altitude zone of CentralHimalaya Indiardquo Vegetatio vol 112 no 1 pp 29ndash34 1994

[57] H Singh M Kumar and AM Sheikh ldquoDistribution pattern ofOak and Pine along altitudinal gradients in Garhwal HimalayardquoNatural Science vol 7 no 11 pp 81ndash85 2009

[58] R E Shank and E N Noorie ldquoMicroclimate vegetation in asmall valley in eastern Tennesseerdquo Ecology vol 11 p 5319 1950

[59] C M Sharma and N P Baduni ldquoEffect of aspect on thestructure of some natural stands ofAbies pindrow in Himalayanmoist temperate forestrdquo Environmentalist vol 20 no 4 pp309ndash317 2000

[60] M P Panthi R P Chaudhary and O R Vetaas ldquoPlant speciesrichness and composition in a trans-Himalayan inner valley ofManangDistrict Central NepalrdquoHimalayan Journal of Sciencesvol 4 no 6 pp 27ndash39 2007

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology

8 The Scientific World Journal

region wherein shrubs Rabdosia rugosa and Cotoneasterbacillaris were having maximum and minimum densitypercentages respectively and herbs Poa alpina Cynoglossumwallichiiand Fragaria nubicola were abundant Dominanceof these species might be due to their high adaptability inaddition to their good capability to proliferate in the extremeclimatic conditions of this part of western Himalaya

35 Phytogeographic Affinities As a whole in all the com-munities 182 species were native to the Himalayan regionand the remaining were nonnatives as they are from differentbiogeographic domains of the world The trend of nativityof plants occurring in SV was as follows EuropeanOrientalregion (28) gt Asia (25) gt European region (16) gt Temperateregion (13) gt Indian region (10) gt IndiaOriental region (8)gt America (7) gt EuropeanOrientalAfrican and TemperateArctic (6 each) gt Cosmopolitan (5) gt Australian (4) gtAmphigean (3) gt Arctic EuropeanOrientalAmerican andOriental (2 each) and EuropeanAfrican (1) (Figure 2)

Natives are the species which evolved naturally in a par-ticular region before their human introduction To prioritizea species or habitat of the region for conservation statusof a species as to whether it is native or introduced in agiven area is required Species invasions beyond their nativerange constitute a global driver of change as nonnative speciesthreaten biodiversity and change ecosystem functioning [55]Like in other parts of the Himachal Himalaya [29 30] inSV also the percentage of native species increased with thealtitude There is a strong evidence from a scatter diagramthat a positive linear relationship exists between the nativespecies richness and altitude (119903 = 083 119875 lt 001 119899 = 34)(Figure 3)The high percentage of the native species at higherelevations may be due to low anthropogenic pressure andsevere climatic conditions compared to the lower elevationswhere high anthropogenic pressure and mild climatic con-ditions support the speciation of the nonnative species [30]Regular monitoring of the habitats and populations of thenative species facing high anthropogenic pressure even inhigher altitude is essentially required so that the adequateplanning for their conservation and management could bedone in time

36 Altitudinal and Aspectwise Distribution of Species Alti-tude and aspect are themost important determinants of vege-tation distribution due to their direct impact onmicroclimateof the habitat [56 57] The Himalayan region has typicaltopography and environment where biodiversity varies fromaspect to aspect and habitats of the communities [58]

Maximum altitudinal distribution of few selected climatesensitive species namely Bistorta affinis Fragaria nubicolaGeranium pratense Pleurospermum candollei Podophyllumhexandrum Rhodiola heterodonta Saussurea obvallata Sax-ifraga sibrica and Sedum ewersii was studied in the valley Itwas found to be highest in northeast followed by north southand southeast aspects (Figure 4) Species like Bistorta affinisreaching up to 4510m and 3890m in northeast and northaspects respectively are restricted to 3580m and 3429m in

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

182

28 25 16 13 10 8 7 6 6 5 4 3 2 2 2 1

320

Num

ber o

f spe

cies

Him

alEu

roO

rien A

sEu

roTe

mp

Ind

Ind

Ori

enA

mer

Euro

Orie

nA

frTe

mp

Arc

tC

osm

oA

ust

Am

phig

Arc

tEu

roO

rien

Am

erO

rien

Euro

Afr

Tota

l

Figure 2 Species showing their biogeographic realms Afr = AfricaAmer = America Amphig = Amphigean Arct = Arctic As = AsiaAust = Australia Cosmo = Cosmopolitan Euro = Europe Himal =Himalaya Ind = India Orient = Oriental and Temp = Temperate

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1800 2300 2800 3300 3800 4300 4800

Nat

ives

()

Altitude (m)

y = 0014x + 1257

R2 = 051 r = 070

P lt 001

Figure 3 Native species along the altitude gradient

south and southeast aspects resepectively Similar trend wasseen with all other climate sesitive species in the region

P wallichiana showed the broadest range from 2100 to3500m and almost reaching the tree line along with B utilis

In this valley northern and northeastern slopes havelower temperatures and higher soil and air moisture contentsas compared to southern and other slopes at the same altitudedue to less solar exposure and higher moisture content andevapotranspiration which is akin to the other Himalayanareas [59 60] In northern and northeastern slopes B utilisA pindrow and P wallichianawere recorded at the altitude aslow as 2200mwhereas on the south and southeastern aspectstheir altitudinal range started from 2300m

37 Final Considerations In northwesternHimalaya the highmountain plant communities support a rich biodiversity interms of ecological indicator species and nativesThey need apropermanagement against harsh climate and anthropogenic

The Scientific World Journal 9

300032003400360038004000420044004600

Alti

tude

(m)

NorthSouth

North eastSouth east

Bisto

rta

affini

s

Frag

aria

nub

icol

a

Ger

aniu

m p

rate

nse

Pleu

rosp

erm

um ca

ndol

lii

Podo

phyl

lum

hex

andr

um

Rhod

iola

het

erod

onta

Saus

sure

a ob

valla

ta

Saxi

fraga

sibi

rica

Sedu

m ew

ersii

Figure 4 Distribution range of species along altitudinal gradient indifferent aspects

pressure for continued future sustainability Regularmonitor-ing using random sampling by quadrat method is suggestedto understand the dynamics of the habitats and communitiesand accordingly plan for their management The climatesensitive species are required to be regularly monitored fortheir phenological attributes so that the baseline data can begenerated for future changes in the area The informationgenerated on these lines will provide a better insight aboutthe present status of floristic diversity and help in developingadequate strategies and action plan for the management ofsuch biodiversity-rich areas The state and central govern-ment agencies are suggested to encourage the native speciesso that the ambient regional ecosystems are protected for theposterity Further for in situ conservation of the economicallyand ecologically important species regular monitoring of thesites and complete protection of the habitats is suggestedIn addition seed germination protocols developed may beused for mass multiplication of the species and seedlingsshould be transplanted in comparable habitats so that viablepopulation of the species can be maintained Finally apragmatic and ameliorative conservational approach whichwas hitherto absent in this part of the Himalaya needs tobe implemented

Conflict of InterestsThe authors declare that there is no conflict of interestsregarding the publication of this paper

AcknowledgmentsThanks are due to Department of Science and TechnologyGovernment of India for providing funds to conduct thestudy The authors also thank and appreciate local commu-nities for their cooperation and patience in providing theinformation and hospitality while undertaking surveys

References

[1] C P Kala and V B Mathur ldquoPatterns of plant species distribu-tion in the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh Indiardquo Journalof Vegetation Science vol 13 no 6 pp 751ndash754 2002

[2] M A Oommen and K Shanker ldquoElevational species richnesspatterns emerge frommultiple local mechanisms in Himalayanwoody plantsrdquo Ecology vol 86 no 11 pp 3039ndash3047 2005

[3] J S Singh ldquoSustainable development of the Indian Himalayanregion linking ecological and economic concernsrdquo CurrentScience vol 90 no 6 pp 784ndash788 2006

[4] S M Khan S E Page H Ahmad and D M HarperldquoSustainable utilization and conservation of plant biodiversityinmontane ecosystems theWestern Himalayas as a case studyrdquoAnnals of Botany vol 112 no 3 pp 479ndash501 2013

[5] A Chawla S Rajkumar K N Singh B Lal A K Thukral andRD Singh ldquoPlant species diversity along an altitudinal gradientof Bhabha Valley in western Himalayardquo Journal of MountainScience vol 5 no 2 pp 157ndash177 2008

[6] H Shaheen Z Ullah S M Khan and D M Harper ldquoSpeciescomposition and community structure of western Himalayanmoist temperate forests in Kashmirrdquo Forest Ecology and Man-agement vol 278 pp 138ndash145 2012

[7] S Gairola R S Rawal and N P Todaria ldquoForest vegetationpatterns along an altitudinal gradient in sub-alpine zone ofWestHimalaya Indiardquo African Journal of Plant Science vol 2 no 6pp 42ndash48 2008

[8] N Timilsina M S Ross and J T Heinen ldquoA communityanalysis of sal (Shorea robusta) forests in the western Terai ofNepalrdquo Forest Ecology and Management vol 241 no 1ndash3 pp223ndash234 2007

[9] IUCN IUCN Red List of Threatened Species IUCN GlandsSwitzerland 2003

[10] R T Busing P S White and M D Mackenzie ldquoGradientanalysis of old spruce-fir forest of the Great Smokey Mountainscirca 1935rdquo Canadian Journal of Botany vol 71 no 7 pp 951ndash958 1993

[11] S Pant and S S Samant ldquoDiversity and regeneration statusof tree species in Khokhan Wildlife Sanctuary North-WesternHimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 53 no 3 pp 317ndash331 2012

[12] O Polunin and A Stainton Flowers of the Himalaya OxfordUniversity Press Delhi India 1984

[13] H J Chowdhery and BMWadhwa Flora of Himachal Pradeshvol 1ndash3 Botanical Survey of India Calcutta India 1984

[14] D S Dhaliwal andM Sharma Flora of KulluDistrict ( HimachalPradesh ) Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India1999

[15] S K Singh and G S Rawat Flora of Great Himalayan NationalPark Himachal Pradesh Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal SinghDehradun India 2000

[16] H Singh and M Sharma Flora of Chamba District (HimachalPradesh) Bishen Singh Mahinder Pal Singh Dehradun India2006

[17] S P Khullar An Illustrated Fern Flora of the West Himalaya VolII International Book Distributors Dehradun India 2000

[18] J S Singh and S P Singh ldquoForest vegetation of the HimalayardquoThe Botanical Review vol 53 no 1 pp 80ndash192 1987

[19] M S Mani ldquoThe Himalaya its ecology and biogeography areviewrdquo in High Altitudes of the Himalaya Y P S Pangtey andR S Rawal Eds Gyanodaya Prakashan Nainital India 1994

10 The Scientific World Journal

[20] U Dhar R S Rawal and S S Samant ldquoStructural diversityand representativeness of forest vegetation in a protected areaof Kumaun Himalaya India implications for conservationrdquoBiodiversity and Conservation vol 6 no 8 pp 1045ndash1062 1997

[21] B PNautiyal N Pandey andA B Bhatt ldquoAnalysis of vegetationpattern in alpine zone in North West Himalaya a case studyof Garhwal Himalaya with special reference to diversity anddistributional patternsrdquo International Journal of Ecology andEnvironmental Sciences vol 23 no 1 pp 49ndash65 1997

[22] C P Kala Ecology and conservation of alpine meadows inthe Valley of Flowers National Park Garhwal Himalaya [PhDthesis] Forest Research Institute Dehradun India 1998

[23] J S Singh ldquoThe biodiversity crisis a multifaceted reviewrdquoCurrent Science vol 82 no 6 pp 638ndash647 2002

[24] S S Samant and H C Joshi ldquoFloristic diversity communitypatterns and changes of vegetation in Nanda Devi NationalParkrdquo in Biodiversity Monitoring Expedition Nanda Devi 2003pp 39ndash54 Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India2003

[25] K N Singh A Kumar B Lal and N P Todaria ldquoSpeciesdiversity and population status of threatened plants in differentlandscape elements of the Rohtang Pass western HimalayardquoJournal of Mountain Science vol 5 no 1 pp 73ndash83 2008

[26] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoMedicinal plants in old-growthdegraded and re-growth forests of NWPakistanrdquo Forest Ecologyand Management vol 261 no 11 pp 2105ndash2114 2011

[27] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoDiversity of medicinal plantsamong different forest-use types of the Pakistani HimalayardquoEconomic Botany vol 66 no 4 pp 344ndash356 2012

[28] H C Joshi and S S Samant ldquoAssessment of forest vegetationand conservation priorities of communities in part of NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve West Himalaya part Irdquo InternationalJournal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology vol 11no 3 pp 326ndash336 2004

[29] M Lal Assessment of floristic diversity and conservation statusof plants in kais wildlife sanctuary of himachal pradesh in North-western Himalaya [PhD Thesis] Kumaun University NainitalIndia 2007

[30] M S Rana Assessment of floristic diversity and conservationprioritization of communities for conservation inManaliWildlifeSanctuary of Himachal Pradesh in Northwestern Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2007

[31] A Sharma Studies on Floristic diversity and prioritization ofcommunities for conservation in Hirb and Shoja CatchmentsDistrict Kullu of Himachal Pradesh North Western Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2008

[32] W A Rodgers and H S Panwar A Biogeographical Classifi-cation for Conservation Planning Wildlife Institute of IndiaDehradun India 1990

[33] E C Pielou Ecological Diversity JohnWiley amp Sons New YorkNY USA 1975

[34] E H Simpson ldquoMeasurement of diversityrdquo Nature vol 163article 688 1949

[35] C E Shannon and W Wiener The Mathematical Theory ofCommunication University of Illinois Press Urbana Ill USA1963

[36] J T Curtis and M Intosh ldquoThe interrelation of certain analyticand phytosociological charactersrdquo Ecology vol 31 pp 434ndash4551950

[37] P Greig-Smith Quantitative Plant Ecology Academic PressNew York NY USA 1957

[38] K A KersawQuantitative and Dynamic Plant Ecology EdwardArnold Limited London UK 2nd edition 1973

[39] D Muller-Dombois and H Ellenberge Aims and Methods ofVegetation Ecology JohnWilley and Sons New York NY USA1974

[40] A K Saxena and J S Singh ldquoA phytosociological analysis ofwoody species in forest communities of a part of KumaunHimalayardquo Vegetatio vol 50 no 1 pp 3ndash22 1982

[41] A E OsmastonA Forest Flora for Kumaun International BookDistributors Dehradun India 1927

[42] B S Aswal and B N Mehrotra Flora of Lahaul-Spiti (A ColdDesert in North-West Himalaya) Bishen Singh Mahendra PalSingh Dehradun India 1994

[43] S S Samant H C Joshi and S C Arya ldquoDiversity nativityand endemism of vascular plants in Pindari area of Nanda DeviBiosphere Reserve-IIrdquoHimalayan Biosphere Reserves vol 2 no1-2 pp 1ndash29 2000

[44] O P Chaturvedi and J S Singh ldquoThe structure and function ofpine forest in central himalaya I dry matter dynamicsrdquo Annalsof Botany vol 60 no 3 pp 237ndash252 1986

[45] C BindiuUnpublished PhD thesis Acadamic de stunte agricolesi silvice [PhD thesis] Acadamic de stunte agricole si silviceBucharest Romania 1973

[46] G P Raturi ldquoForest community structure along an altitudinalgradient of district Rudraprayag of Garhwal Himalaya IndiardquoEcologia vol 2 no 3 pp 76ndash84 2012

[47] B S Adhikari H C Rikhari Y S Rawat and S P Singh ldquoHighaltitude forest composition diversity and profile structure in apart of Kumaun Himalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 32 no 1 pp86ndash97 1991

[48] N S Bankoti R S Rawal S S Samant and Y P S PangteyldquoForest vegetation of inner hill ranges in kumaun centralhimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 33 no 1 pp 41ndash53 1992

[49] H C Joshi Assessment of habitat diversity forest vegetation andhuman dependence in the Buffer zone of Nanda Devi biospherereserve of West Himalaya [PhD thesis] Kumaon UniversityNainital India 2002

[50] J C Tewari and S P Singh ldquoVegetational analysis of a forestlying in transitional zone between lower and upper Himalayanmoist temperate forestsrdquo inThevegetational wealth of HimalayaS G Paliwal Ed Puja Publishers New Delhi India 1981

[51] S S Samant H C Joshi S C Arya and S Pant ldquoStudies onthe structure composition and changes of vegetation in NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve of west Himalayardquo Tech Rep Ministryof Environment and Forests New Delhi India 2002

[52] M Ahmed T Husain A H Sheikh S S Hussain and M FSiddiqui ldquoPhytosociology and structure of Himalayan forestsfrom different climatic zones of Pakistanrdquo Pakistan Journal ofBotany vol 38 no 2 pp 361ndash383 2006

[53] R M Kunwar and S P Sharma ldquoQuantitative analysis of treespecies in two community forests of Dolpa district mid-westNepalrdquo Himalayan Journal of Science vol 2 no 3 pp 23ndash282004

[54] S Shah A Tewari and B Tewari ldquoImpact of Human dis-turbance on forest vegetation and water resources of nainitalcatchmentrdquo Natural Science 2009

[55] J M Levine M Vila C M DrsquoAntonio J S Dukes K Grigulisand S Lavorel ldquoMechanisms underlying the impacts of exoticplant invasionsrdquo Proceedings of the Royal Society B BiologicalSciences vol 270 no 1517 pp 775ndash781 2003

The Scientific World Journal 11

[56] R S Rawal and Y P S Pangtey ldquoDistribution and structural-functional attributes of trees in the high altitude zone of CentralHimalaya Indiardquo Vegetatio vol 112 no 1 pp 29ndash34 1994

[57] H Singh M Kumar and AM Sheikh ldquoDistribution pattern ofOak and Pine along altitudinal gradients in Garhwal HimalayardquoNatural Science vol 7 no 11 pp 81ndash85 2009

[58] R E Shank and E N Noorie ldquoMicroclimate vegetation in asmall valley in eastern Tennesseerdquo Ecology vol 11 p 5319 1950

[59] C M Sharma and N P Baduni ldquoEffect of aspect on thestructure of some natural stands ofAbies pindrow in Himalayanmoist temperate forestrdquo Environmentalist vol 20 no 4 pp309ndash317 2000

[60] M P Panthi R P Chaudhary and O R Vetaas ldquoPlant speciesrichness and composition in a trans-Himalayan inner valley ofManangDistrict Central NepalrdquoHimalayan Journal of Sciencesvol 4 no 6 pp 27ndash39 2007

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology

The Scientific World Journal 9

300032003400360038004000420044004600

Alti

tude

(m)

NorthSouth

North eastSouth east

Bisto

rta

affini

s

Frag

aria

nub

icol

a

Ger

aniu

m p

rate

nse

Pleu

rosp

erm

um ca

ndol

lii

Podo

phyl

lum

hex

andr

um

Rhod

iola

het

erod

onta

Saus

sure

a ob

valla

ta

Saxi

fraga

sibi

rica

Sedu

m ew

ersii

Figure 4 Distribution range of species along altitudinal gradient indifferent aspects

pressure for continued future sustainability Regularmonitor-ing using random sampling by quadrat method is suggestedto understand the dynamics of the habitats and communitiesand accordingly plan for their management The climatesensitive species are required to be regularly monitored fortheir phenological attributes so that the baseline data can begenerated for future changes in the area The informationgenerated on these lines will provide a better insight aboutthe present status of floristic diversity and help in developingadequate strategies and action plan for the management ofsuch biodiversity-rich areas The state and central govern-ment agencies are suggested to encourage the native speciesso that the ambient regional ecosystems are protected for theposterity Further for in situ conservation of the economicallyand ecologically important species regular monitoring of thesites and complete protection of the habitats is suggestedIn addition seed germination protocols developed may beused for mass multiplication of the species and seedlingsshould be transplanted in comparable habitats so that viablepopulation of the species can be maintained Finally apragmatic and ameliorative conservational approach whichwas hitherto absent in this part of the Himalaya needs tobe implemented

Conflict of InterestsThe authors declare that there is no conflict of interestsregarding the publication of this paper

AcknowledgmentsThanks are due to Department of Science and TechnologyGovernment of India for providing funds to conduct thestudy The authors also thank and appreciate local commu-nities for their cooperation and patience in providing theinformation and hospitality while undertaking surveys

References

[1] C P Kala and V B Mathur ldquoPatterns of plant species distribu-tion in the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh Indiardquo Journalof Vegetation Science vol 13 no 6 pp 751ndash754 2002

[2] M A Oommen and K Shanker ldquoElevational species richnesspatterns emerge frommultiple local mechanisms in Himalayanwoody plantsrdquo Ecology vol 86 no 11 pp 3039ndash3047 2005

[3] J S Singh ldquoSustainable development of the Indian Himalayanregion linking ecological and economic concernsrdquo CurrentScience vol 90 no 6 pp 784ndash788 2006

[4] S M Khan S E Page H Ahmad and D M HarperldquoSustainable utilization and conservation of plant biodiversityinmontane ecosystems theWestern Himalayas as a case studyrdquoAnnals of Botany vol 112 no 3 pp 479ndash501 2013

[5] A Chawla S Rajkumar K N Singh B Lal A K Thukral andRD Singh ldquoPlant species diversity along an altitudinal gradientof Bhabha Valley in western Himalayardquo Journal of MountainScience vol 5 no 2 pp 157ndash177 2008

[6] H Shaheen Z Ullah S M Khan and D M Harper ldquoSpeciescomposition and community structure of western Himalayanmoist temperate forests in Kashmirrdquo Forest Ecology and Man-agement vol 278 pp 138ndash145 2012

[7] S Gairola R S Rawal and N P Todaria ldquoForest vegetationpatterns along an altitudinal gradient in sub-alpine zone ofWestHimalaya Indiardquo African Journal of Plant Science vol 2 no 6pp 42ndash48 2008

[8] N Timilsina M S Ross and J T Heinen ldquoA communityanalysis of sal (Shorea robusta) forests in the western Terai ofNepalrdquo Forest Ecology and Management vol 241 no 1ndash3 pp223ndash234 2007

[9] IUCN IUCN Red List of Threatened Species IUCN GlandsSwitzerland 2003

[10] R T Busing P S White and M D Mackenzie ldquoGradientanalysis of old spruce-fir forest of the Great Smokey Mountainscirca 1935rdquo Canadian Journal of Botany vol 71 no 7 pp 951ndash958 1993

[11] S Pant and S S Samant ldquoDiversity and regeneration statusof tree species in Khokhan Wildlife Sanctuary North-WesternHimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 53 no 3 pp 317ndash331 2012

[12] O Polunin and A Stainton Flowers of the Himalaya OxfordUniversity Press Delhi India 1984

[13] H J Chowdhery and BMWadhwa Flora of Himachal Pradeshvol 1ndash3 Botanical Survey of India Calcutta India 1984

[14] D S Dhaliwal andM Sharma Flora of KulluDistrict ( HimachalPradesh ) Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India1999

[15] S K Singh and G S Rawat Flora of Great Himalayan NationalPark Himachal Pradesh Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal SinghDehradun India 2000

[16] H Singh and M Sharma Flora of Chamba District (HimachalPradesh) Bishen Singh Mahinder Pal Singh Dehradun India2006

[17] S P Khullar An Illustrated Fern Flora of the West Himalaya VolII International Book Distributors Dehradun India 2000

[18] J S Singh and S P Singh ldquoForest vegetation of the HimalayardquoThe Botanical Review vol 53 no 1 pp 80ndash192 1987

[19] M S Mani ldquoThe Himalaya its ecology and biogeography areviewrdquo in High Altitudes of the Himalaya Y P S Pangtey andR S Rawal Eds Gyanodaya Prakashan Nainital India 1994

10 The Scientific World Journal

[20] U Dhar R S Rawal and S S Samant ldquoStructural diversityand representativeness of forest vegetation in a protected areaof Kumaun Himalaya India implications for conservationrdquoBiodiversity and Conservation vol 6 no 8 pp 1045ndash1062 1997

[21] B PNautiyal N Pandey andA B Bhatt ldquoAnalysis of vegetationpattern in alpine zone in North West Himalaya a case studyof Garhwal Himalaya with special reference to diversity anddistributional patternsrdquo International Journal of Ecology andEnvironmental Sciences vol 23 no 1 pp 49ndash65 1997

[22] C P Kala Ecology and conservation of alpine meadows inthe Valley of Flowers National Park Garhwal Himalaya [PhDthesis] Forest Research Institute Dehradun India 1998

[23] J S Singh ldquoThe biodiversity crisis a multifaceted reviewrdquoCurrent Science vol 82 no 6 pp 638ndash647 2002

[24] S S Samant and H C Joshi ldquoFloristic diversity communitypatterns and changes of vegetation in Nanda Devi NationalParkrdquo in Biodiversity Monitoring Expedition Nanda Devi 2003pp 39ndash54 Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India2003

[25] K N Singh A Kumar B Lal and N P Todaria ldquoSpeciesdiversity and population status of threatened plants in differentlandscape elements of the Rohtang Pass western HimalayardquoJournal of Mountain Science vol 5 no 1 pp 73ndash83 2008

[26] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoMedicinal plants in old-growthdegraded and re-growth forests of NWPakistanrdquo Forest Ecologyand Management vol 261 no 11 pp 2105ndash2114 2011

[27] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoDiversity of medicinal plantsamong different forest-use types of the Pakistani HimalayardquoEconomic Botany vol 66 no 4 pp 344ndash356 2012

[28] H C Joshi and S S Samant ldquoAssessment of forest vegetationand conservation priorities of communities in part of NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve West Himalaya part Irdquo InternationalJournal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology vol 11no 3 pp 326ndash336 2004

[29] M Lal Assessment of floristic diversity and conservation statusof plants in kais wildlife sanctuary of himachal pradesh in North-western Himalaya [PhD Thesis] Kumaun University NainitalIndia 2007

[30] M S Rana Assessment of floristic diversity and conservationprioritization of communities for conservation inManaliWildlifeSanctuary of Himachal Pradesh in Northwestern Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2007

[31] A Sharma Studies on Floristic diversity and prioritization ofcommunities for conservation in Hirb and Shoja CatchmentsDistrict Kullu of Himachal Pradesh North Western Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2008

[32] W A Rodgers and H S Panwar A Biogeographical Classifi-cation for Conservation Planning Wildlife Institute of IndiaDehradun India 1990

[33] E C Pielou Ecological Diversity JohnWiley amp Sons New YorkNY USA 1975

[34] E H Simpson ldquoMeasurement of diversityrdquo Nature vol 163article 688 1949

[35] C E Shannon and W Wiener The Mathematical Theory ofCommunication University of Illinois Press Urbana Ill USA1963

[36] J T Curtis and M Intosh ldquoThe interrelation of certain analyticand phytosociological charactersrdquo Ecology vol 31 pp 434ndash4551950

[37] P Greig-Smith Quantitative Plant Ecology Academic PressNew York NY USA 1957

[38] K A KersawQuantitative and Dynamic Plant Ecology EdwardArnold Limited London UK 2nd edition 1973

[39] D Muller-Dombois and H Ellenberge Aims and Methods ofVegetation Ecology JohnWilley and Sons New York NY USA1974

[40] A K Saxena and J S Singh ldquoA phytosociological analysis ofwoody species in forest communities of a part of KumaunHimalayardquo Vegetatio vol 50 no 1 pp 3ndash22 1982

[41] A E OsmastonA Forest Flora for Kumaun International BookDistributors Dehradun India 1927

[42] B S Aswal and B N Mehrotra Flora of Lahaul-Spiti (A ColdDesert in North-West Himalaya) Bishen Singh Mahendra PalSingh Dehradun India 1994

[43] S S Samant H C Joshi and S C Arya ldquoDiversity nativityand endemism of vascular plants in Pindari area of Nanda DeviBiosphere Reserve-IIrdquoHimalayan Biosphere Reserves vol 2 no1-2 pp 1ndash29 2000

[44] O P Chaturvedi and J S Singh ldquoThe structure and function ofpine forest in central himalaya I dry matter dynamicsrdquo Annalsof Botany vol 60 no 3 pp 237ndash252 1986

[45] C BindiuUnpublished PhD thesis Acadamic de stunte agricolesi silvice [PhD thesis] Acadamic de stunte agricole si silviceBucharest Romania 1973

[46] G P Raturi ldquoForest community structure along an altitudinalgradient of district Rudraprayag of Garhwal Himalaya IndiardquoEcologia vol 2 no 3 pp 76ndash84 2012

[47] B S Adhikari H C Rikhari Y S Rawat and S P Singh ldquoHighaltitude forest composition diversity and profile structure in apart of Kumaun Himalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 32 no 1 pp86ndash97 1991

[48] N S Bankoti R S Rawal S S Samant and Y P S PangteyldquoForest vegetation of inner hill ranges in kumaun centralhimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 33 no 1 pp 41ndash53 1992

[49] H C Joshi Assessment of habitat diversity forest vegetation andhuman dependence in the Buffer zone of Nanda Devi biospherereserve of West Himalaya [PhD thesis] Kumaon UniversityNainital India 2002

[50] J C Tewari and S P Singh ldquoVegetational analysis of a forestlying in transitional zone between lower and upper Himalayanmoist temperate forestsrdquo inThevegetational wealth of HimalayaS G Paliwal Ed Puja Publishers New Delhi India 1981

[51] S S Samant H C Joshi S C Arya and S Pant ldquoStudies onthe structure composition and changes of vegetation in NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve of west Himalayardquo Tech Rep Ministryof Environment and Forests New Delhi India 2002

[52] M Ahmed T Husain A H Sheikh S S Hussain and M FSiddiqui ldquoPhytosociology and structure of Himalayan forestsfrom different climatic zones of Pakistanrdquo Pakistan Journal ofBotany vol 38 no 2 pp 361ndash383 2006

[53] R M Kunwar and S P Sharma ldquoQuantitative analysis of treespecies in two community forests of Dolpa district mid-westNepalrdquo Himalayan Journal of Science vol 2 no 3 pp 23ndash282004

[54] S Shah A Tewari and B Tewari ldquoImpact of Human dis-turbance on forest vegetation and water resources of nainitalcatchmentrdquo Natural Science 2009

[55] J M Levine M Vila C M DrsquoAntonio J S Dukes K Grigulisand S Lavorel ldquoMechanisms underlying the impacts of exoticplant invasionsrdquo Proceedings of the Royal Society B BiologicalSciences vol 270 no 1517 pp 775ndash781 2003

The Scientific World Journal 11

[56] R S Rawal and Y P S Pangtey ldquoDistribution and structural-functional attributes of trees in the high altitude zone of CentralHimalaya Indiardquo Vegetatio vol 112 no 1 pp 29ndash34 1994

[57] H Singh M Kumar and AM Sheikh ldquoDistribution pattern ofOak and Pine along altitudinal gradients in Garhwal HimalayardquoNatural Science vol 7 no 11 pp 81ndash85 2009

[58] R E Shank and E N Noorie ldquoMicroclimate vegetation in asmall valley in eastern Tennesseerdquo Ecology vol 11 p 5319 1950

[59] C M Sharma and N P Baduni ldquoEffect of aspect on thestructure of some natural stands ofAbies pindrow in Himalayanmoist temperate forestrdquo Environmentalist vol 20 no 4 pp309ndash317 2000

[60] M P Panthi R P Chaudhary and O R Vetaas ldquoPlant speciesrichness and composition in a trans-Himalayan inner valley ofManangDistrict Central NepalrdquoHimalayan Journal of Sciencesvol 4 no 6 pp 27ndash39 2007

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology

10 The Scientific World Journal

[20] U Dhar R S Rawal and S S Samant ldquoStructural diversityand representativeness of forest vegetation in a protected areaof Kumaun Himalaya India implications for conservationrdquoBiodiversity and Conservation vol 6 no 8 pp 1045ndash1062 1997

[21] B PNautiyal N Pandey andA B Bhatt ldquoAnalysis of vegetationpattern in alpine zone in North West Himalaya a case studyof Garhwal Himalaya with special reference to diversity anddistributional patternsrdquo International Journal of Ecology andEnvironmental Sciences vol 23 no 1 pp 49ndash65 1997

[22] C P Kala Ecology and conservation of alpine meadows inthe Valley of Flowers National Park Garhwal Himalaya [PhDthesis] Forest Research Institute Dehradun India 1998

[23] J S Singh ldquoThe biodiversity crisis a multifaceted reviewrdquoCurrent Science vol 82 no 6 pp 638ndash647 2002

[24] S S Samant and H C Joshi ldquoFloristic diversity communitypatterns and changes of vegetation in Nanda Devi NationalParkrdquo in Biodiversity Monitoring Expedition Nanda Devi 2003pp 39ndash54 Bishen SinghMahendra Pal Singh Dehradun India2003

[25] K N Singh A Kumar B Lal and N P Todaria ldquoSpeciesdiversity and population status of threatened plants in differentlandscape elements of the Rohtang Pass western HimalayardquoJournal of Mountain Science vol 5 no 1 pp 73ndash83 2008

[26] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoMedicinal plants in old-growthdegraded and re-growth forests of NWPakistanrdquo Forest Ecologyand Management vol 261 no 11 pp 2105ndash2114 2011

[27] M Adnan and D Holscher ldquoDiversity of medicinal plantsamong different forest-use types of the Pakistani HimalayardquoEconomic Botany vol 66 no 4 pp 344ndash356 2012

[28] H C Joshi and S S Samant ldquoAssessment of forest vegetationand conservation priorities of communities in part of NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve West Himalaya part Irdquo InternationalJournal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology vol 11no 3 pp 326ndash336 2004

[29] M Lal Assessment of floristic diversity and conservation statusof plants in kais wildlife sanctuary of himachal pradesh in North-western Himalaya [PhD Thesis] Kumaun University NainitalIndia 2007

[30] M S Rana Assessment of floristic diversity and conservationprioritization of communities for conservation inManaliWildlifeSanctuary of Himachal Pradesh in Northwestern Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2007

[31] A Sharma Studies on Floristic diversity and prioritization ofcommunities for conservation in Hirb and Shoja CatchmentsDistrict Kullu of Himachal Pradesh North Western Himalaya[PhD thesis] Kumaun University Nainital India 2008

[32] W A Rodgers and H S Panwar A Biogeographical Classifi-cation for Conservation Planning Wildlife Institute of IndiaDehradun India 1990

[33] E C Pielou Ecological Diversity JohnWiley amp Sons New YorkNY USA 1975

[34] E H Simpson ldquoMeasurement of diversityrdquo Nature vol 163article 688 1949

[35] C E Shannon and W Wiener The Mathematical Theory ofCommunication University of Illinois Press Urbana Ill USA1963

[36] J T Curtis and M Intosh ldquoThe interrelation of certain analyticand phytosociological charactersrdquo Ecology vol 31 pp 434ndash4551950

[37] P Greig-Smith Quantitative Plant Ecology Academic PressNew York NY USA 1957

[38] K A KersawQuantitative and Dynamic Plant Ecology EdwardArnold Limited London UK 2nd edition 1973

[39] D Muller-Dombois and H Ellenberge Aims and Methods ofVegetation Ecology JohnWilley and Sons New York NY USA1974

[40] A K Saxena and J S Singh ldquoA phytosociological analysis ofwoody species in forest communities of a part of KumaunHimalayardquo Vegetatio vol 50 no 1 pp 3ndash22 1982

[41] A E OsmastonA Forest Flora for Kumaun International BookDistributors Dehradun India 1927

[42] B S Aswal and B N Mehrotra Flora of Lahaul-Spiti (A ColdDesert in North-West Himalaya) Bishen Singh Mahendra PalSingh Dehradun India 1994

[43] S S Samant H C Joshi and S C Arya ldquoDiversity nativityand endemism of vascular plants in Pindari area of Nanda DeviBiosphere Reserve-IIrdquoHimalayan Biosphere Reserves vol 2 no1-2 pp 1ndash29 2000

[44] O P Chaturvedi and J S Singh ldquoThe structure and function ofpine forest in central himalaya I dry matter dynamicsrdquo Annalsof Botany vol 60 no 3 pp 237ndash252 1986

[45] C BindiuUnpublished PhD thesis Acadamic de stunte agricolesi silvice [PhD thesis] Acadamic de stunte agricole si silviceBucharest Romania 1973

[46] G P Raturi ldquoForest community structure along an altitudinalgradient of district Rudraprayag of Garhwal Himalaya IndiardquoEcologia vol 2 no 3 pp 76ndash84 2012

[47] B S Adhikari H C Rikhari Y S Rawat and S P Singh ldquoHighaltitude forest composition diversity and profile structure in apart of Kumaun Himalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 32 no 1 pp86ndash97 1991

[48] N S Bankoti R S Rawal S S Samant and Y P S PangteyldquoForest vegetation of inner hill ranges in kumaun centralhimalayardquo Tropical Ecology vol 33 no 1 pp 41ndash53 1992

[49] H C Joshi Assessment of habitat diversity forest vegetation andhuman dependence in the Buffer zone of Nanda Devi biospherereserve of West Himalaya [PhD thesis] Kumaon UniversityNainital India 2002

[50] J C Tewari and S P Singh ldquoVegetational analysis of a forestlying in transitional zone between lower and upper Himalayanmoist temperate forestsrdquo inThevegetational wealth of HimalayaS G Paliwal Ed Puja Publishers New Delhi India 1981

[51] S S Samant H C Joshi S C Arya and S Pant ldquoStudies onthe structure composition and changes of vegetation in NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve of west Himalayardquo Tech Rep Ministryof Environment and Forests New Delhi India 2002

[52] M Ahmed T Husain A H Sheikh S S Hussain and M FSiddiqui ldquoPhytosociology and structure of Himalayan forestsfrom different climatic zones of Pakistanrdquo Pakistan Journal ofBotany vol 38 no 2 pp 361ndash383 2006

[53] R M Kunwar and S P Sharma ldquoQuantitative analysis of treespecies in two community forests of Dolpa district mid-westNepalrdquo Himalayan Journal of Science vol 2 no 3 pp 23ndash282004

[54] S Shah A Tewari and B Tewari ldquoImpact of Human dis-turbance on forest vegetation and water resources of nainitalcatchmentrdquo Natural Science 2009

[55] J M Levine M Vila C M DrsquoAntonio J S Dukes K Grigulisand S Lavorel ldquoMechanisms underlying the impacts of exoticplant invasionsrdquo Proceedings of the Royal Society B BiologicalSciences vol 270 no 1517 pp 775ndash781 2003

The Scientific World Journal 11

[56] R S Rawal and Y P S Pangtey ldquoDistribution and structural-functional attributes of trees in the high altitude zone of CentralHimalaya Indiardquo Vegetatio vol 112 no 1 pp 29ndash34 1994

[57] H Singh M Kumar and AM Sheikh ldquoDistribution pattern ofOak and Pine along altitudinal gradients in Garhwal HimalayardquoNatural Science vol 7 no 11 pp 81ndash85 2009

[58] R E Shank and E N Noorie ldquoMicroclimate vegetation in asmall valley in eastern Tennesseerdquo Ecology vol 11 p 5319 1950

[59] C M Sharma and N P Baduni ldquoEffect of aspect on thestructure of some natural stands ofAbies pindrow in Himalayanmoist temperate forestrdquo Environmentalist vol 20 no 4 pp309ndash317 2000

[60] M P Panthi R P Chaudhary and O R Vetaas ldquoPlant speciesrichness and composition in a trans-Himalayan inner valley ofManangDistrict Central NepalrdquoHimalayan Journal of Sciencesvol 4 no 6 pp 27ndash39 2007

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Enzyme Research

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal of

Microbiology

The Scientific World Journal 11

[56] R S Rawal and Y P S Pangtey ldquoDistribution and structural-functional attributes of trees in the high altitude zone of CentralHimalaya Indiardquo Vegetatio vol 112 no 1 pp 29ndash34 1994

[57] H Singh M Kumar and AM Sheikh ldquoDistribution pattern ofOak and Pine along altitudinal gradients in Garhwal HimalayardquoNatural Science vol 7 no 11 pp 81ndash85 2009

[58] R E Shank and E N Noorie ldquoMicroclimate vegetation in asmall valley in eastern Tennesseerdquo Ecology vol 11 p 5319 1950

[59] C M Sharma and N P Baduni ldquoEffect of aspect on thestructure of some natural stands ofAbies pindrow in Himalayanmoist temperate forestrdquo Environmentalist vol 20 no 4 pp309ndash317 2000

[60] M P Panthi R P Chaudhary and O R Vetaas ldquoPlant speciesrichness and composition in a trans-Himalayan inner valley ofManangDistrict Central NepalrdquoHimalayan Journal of Sciencesvol 4 no 6 pp 27ndash39 2007

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Anatomy Research International

PeptidesInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom

International Journal of

Volume 2014

Zoology

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Molecular Biology International

GenomicsInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioinformaticsAdvances in

Marine BiologyJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Signal TransductionJournal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BioMed Research International

Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Biochemistry Research International

ArchaeaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Genetics Research International

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Advances in

Virolog y

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Nucleic AcidsJournal of

Volume 2014

Stem CellsInternational

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Enzyme Research

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