Plant diversity in alpine pasture of Talra wildlife sanctuary of district Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

Studies to evaluate the plant diversity and growth forms in alpine pasture of Talra Wildlife Sanctuary of District Shimla, Himachal Pradesh were carried out during August, 2003. Total 75 species of plant, comprising of 7 grasses, 4 sedges, 4 leguminous forbs and 60 non-leguminous forbs were recorded from the area. On the basis of Importance Value Index (IVI). Sibbaldia cuneata O. Ktze., was found to be the dominant species followed by Geum elatum Wall ex D. Don., Ligularia amplexicaulis DC., Primula denticulata Smith and Saxifraga parnassifolia D. Don. The distribution of all the plant species was contagious. Index of dominance was 0.036 and index of diversity 5.386. The contribution of tall forbs, short forbs and cushioned and spreading forbs in the alpine pasture was 29.33%, 54.66% and 16.0% respectively.

Plant Diversity Status in the Alpine Pasture of Shikari Devi, District Mandi, Himachal Pradesh

“…The dominance of these families in the alpine pasture was due to their phytogeographic origin and specific niches adapted for the alpine climates. Similar findings were reported by several workers while conducted study in alpine pastures and other high altitude forest ecosystems such as Gaur et al (2005) Santvan (1993); Verma et al (2008); Verma and Chauhan (2022). The overgrazing does not only alter their botanical compositions but also result in to the degradation of pasture.…”

“…In the present study, tall forbs varied from 22.22% to 24.19%, short forbs varied from 61.11% to 61.29% and cushion spreading forbs varied from 14.52% to 16.67% were observed during the year in different season. Similar findings were reported by different workers while conducted the study in alpine pasture such as Ram et al (1988) observed 17% were tall forbs, 36% short forbs and 27% cushion and spreading forbs, Santvan (1993) for the alpine pasture near Rahla, reported 22.5% tall forbs, 45.0% short forbs and 32.5% cushion and spreading forbs, Pandey et al (1999) observed the tall forbs contribute 27.4%, short forbs 39.2%, cushion and spreading forbs 25.2%, grasses and sedges 5.9%, Verma et al (2008) reported 29.33% tall forbs, 54.66% short forbs and 16% cushion and spreading forbs whereas Verma and Chauhan (2022) reported 41.46% tall forbs, 52.44% short forbs and 6.10% cushion and spreading forbs. The short forbs usually have hairy leaves which protect them against frost condition.…”

“…The important alpine regions in Himachal Pradesh are the Dhauladhar and Pir Panjal ranges (Santvan, 1993). The pastures in the alpine zone occupy about 1.52% of the total land area in the country and are chiefly concentrated in the Himalayan states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (Verma and Chauhan, 2022). The Himalayan land in India is enclosed by alpine pastures usually found at an altitude above 2400 m and where climate is not congenital for growth of trees.…”

Seasonal Fluctuation in the Floristic Diversity of Prashar Alpine Pasture, District Mandi, Himachal Pradesh

“…In the present study, tall forbs varied from Verma and Chauhan (2022). The overgrazing does not only alter their botanical compositions but also cause degradation of pasture.…”

Spatiotemporal Changes of Forest Cover and Land Surface Temperature Using Geo-Spatial Techniques in Talra Wildlife Sanctuary, Shimla, North-Western Himalaya

“…The sanctuary vegetation is de ned by the guidelines and requirements of Pine and Oak forests at lower elevations and conifer forests composed of Cedrus deodara, Abies pindrow, Acer spp., and Picea smithiana, interspersed with dwarf Rhododendron species at higher elevations (Mahabal, 2000). Verma et al (2008) conducted a similar study, recording 75 plant species from the TWLS alpine pastures, including 7 types of grasses, 4 sedges, 4 leguminous forbs, and 60 non-leguminous forbs. There are 61 species of birds in total, spread over 19 families, of which 32 species (52.5%) are endemic residents of the Himalayan habitat and 13 species (21.3%) are seasonal migrant species (Mahabal, 2000).…”