In the hilly areas of Indian Himalaya, the inhabitants largely depend on plants for curing various diseases. The indigenous knowledge and traditional practices of medicinal plants are vanishing fast. Therefore, we aimed to document indigenous uses of some important medicinal plants of Kullu district; analyze distribution pattern, nativity and endemism of these medicinal plants; and suggest conservation strategies. We recorded information on 75 species of medicinal plants. The recorded species represent trees (12 spp.), shrubs (15), herbs (47), and fungi (1). Of these, 29 medicinal plants were native, 1 endemic, 11 near-endemic, and 46 non-native. Of all species, various plant parts such as leaves (32 spp.), roots (29), tubers (2), seeds (8), fruits (10), flowers (8), fruiting body (1), bark (8), stem (3), and wood (2) were used in curing various diseases. We recommend further studies on habitat ecology of the species, mass multiplication of commercially viable species through conventional and in vitro methods, and their establishment in the in situ and ex situ conditions. Furthermore, it is important to develop farming techniques of commercially viable species and disseminate knowledge among stakeholders through education and awareness raising.
Himalayas are globally important biodiversity hotspots and are facing rapid loss in floristic diversity and changing pattern of vegetation due to various biotic and abiotic factors. This has necessitated the qualitative and quantitative assessment of vegetation here. The present study was conducted in Sangla Valley of northwest Himalaya aiming to assess the structure of vegetation and its trend in the valley along the altitudinal gradient. In the forest and alpine zones of the valley, 15 communities were recorded. Study revealed 320 species belonging to 199 genera and 75 families. Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Apiaceae, and Ranunculaceae were dominant. Among genera, Artemisia followed by Polygonum, Saussurea, Berberis, and Thalictrum were dominant. Tree and shrub's density ranged from 205 to 600 and from 105 to 1030 individual per hectare, respectively, whereas herbs ranged from 22.08 to 78.95 individual/m2. Nearly 182 species were native to the Himalaya. Maximum altitudinal distribution of few selected climate sensitive species was found to be highest in northeast and north aspects. This study gives an insight into the floristic diversity and community structure of the fragile Sangla Valley which was hitherto not available.
Background
Forest fire incidences in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India are very common in summers. Pine and oak are the principal and dominant species of Himalayan subtropical forest and Himalayan temperate forest, respectively. Forest vegetation influences the physicochemical and biological properties of soil and forest fire in pine and oak forests may have a different effect on the physicochemical and biological properties of soil. Therefore, the present study was carried out to assess the impact of forest fire on soil microbial properties, enzymatic activity, and their relationship with soil physicochemical properties in the advent of forest fire in the pine and oak forests of the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand Himalaya, India.
Results
The soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, soil basal respiration, and acid phosphatase activity decreased, whereas dehydrogenase activity increased at burnt sites of both forest types. The overall change in soil microbial biomass carbon was 63 and 40% at the burnt oak forest and burnt pine forest, respectively. Dehydrogenase activity and acid phosphatase activity showed a strong positive correlation with soil organic matter (r = 0.8) and microbial indices, respectively. The ratio of soil microbial biomass carbon/nitrogen was reduced at burnt sites of both forest types. Factor analysis results showed that fire had a significant impact on soil characteristics. The soil basal respiration was linked with macro- and micronutrients at burnt sites, whereas at control sites, it was linked with physicochemical properties of soil along with nutrients.
Conclusion
Forest fire had a significant impact on soil properties of both forest types. The impact of forest fire on soil microbial biomass carbon was stronger in the oak forest than in the pine forest. Forest type influenced soil enzymatic activity at burnt sites. The bacterial community was dominated over fungi in burnt sites of both forests. Soil microbial indices can be used as a selective measure to assess the impact of fire. Furthermore, forest type plays an important role in regulating the impact of forest fire on soil properties.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.. International Mountain Society is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Mountain Research and Development.ABSTRACT Extensive high-quality hydrologic and sediment yield data would greatly aid planning for the use of water resources of the Sutlej River system. The total catchment within the mountains is 47,480 km2, with the Spiti and Kinnaur tributaries accounting for 5,875 and 5,157 km2, respectively, in India. By far the largest part lies in Tibet. This paper attempts to utilize the available data to provide a first estimate of the magnitude of the problem facing development engineers. It is concluded that extensive sediment control treatment will be necessary to improve the safety and efficiency of the many hydroelectric projects that are being planned for the Sutlej and its tributaries which drain from the Himalaya.Nine years of discharge and sediment yield data collected daily from calibrated sections of the rivers form the basis for this study. While the monthly and annual runoff data show little variation throughout the period, sediment yield was extremely variable. About 80 percent of the annual flow occurs between May and September, mainly from snowmelt. Sediment yield increased exponentially with increased discharge, with especially high concentrations from June through August. The main sediment sources are gully erosion, stream-bank erosion, landslides, road construction, and glacier erosion. The sediment from this region accounts for half the annual accumulation in the Bhakra reservoir farther downstream. RESUME Rendements en eau et en sidiments dans le Sutlej, en provenance du Grand Himalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Inde. Des donn~es abondantes et fiables concernant les rendements en eau et en sediments aideraient beaucoup h planifier l'utilisation des ressources en eau du bassin du Sutlej. Le bassin versant total dans les montagnes couvre 47 480 km2, dont 5 875 et 5 157 km2 en Inde pour les affluents Spiti et Kinnaur respectivement. La majorit6 du bassin versant se trouve au Thibet. Cet article essaie d'utiliser les donn~es disponibles pour fournir une premiere estimation du problkme confrontant les ing~nieurs de d~veloppement. La conclusion en est que des travaux importants de lutte contre les sediments sont n~cessaires pour ambliorer la s~curit6 et l'efficacit6 des nombreux aminagements hydro-6lectriques privus pour le Sutlej et ses affluents qui drainent les eaux de l'Himalaya.Des donn~es relatives aux rendements en eau et en sediments ont &td recueillies quotidiennement pendant neuf ans dans des sections calibries des cours d'eau, et forment la base de cette etude. Alors que les rendements en eau mensuel et annuel sont rest~s relativement s...
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