A study on multi-ranged medicinal plants and soil temperature in various sites of Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand

Abstract

Mountain ecosystems are particularly fragile while offering important environmental benefits to mankind. The Himalaya, known as the “King of the Mountains”, is the world’s youngest and tallest mountain ecosystem. The Garhwal Himalaya, where this study was conducted, is an integral part of the Himalayan mountain system, which falls under the North Indian state Uttarakhand. The study was carried out in October 2022 with respect to different altitudinal gradients in this area. Plant information was collected from the natives and multi-ranged plants were selected for their distribution. Soil samples were collected for nutrient and microbial analysis. The study was conducted at a total of ten different sites ranging from 328 m (Chilla, Haridwar) to 3510 m (Ghangaria, Chamoli). A total of three multi-ranged plants were selected. The soil temperature decreased with increasing altitudes. This is a first-time study in which multi-ranged medicinal plants were explored and analyzed.