Research Article | Published: 01 March 2008

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

R. K. Verma, Vaneet Jishtu, K. S. Kapoor and Surinder Kumar

Indian Journal of Forestry | Volume: 31 | Issue: 1 | Page No. 13-18 | 2008
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54207/bsmps1000-2008-COMT61 | Cite this article

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.

Keywords

Access Options

250/-

Buy Full Access in HTML Format

Instant access to the full article.

References

1. Billings, W.D. (1978). High mountain ecosystem: Evolution, structure operation and maintenance. In: P.J. Webber (ed) High Altitude Geoecology AAAS Selected Symposium 12.  Baulden, Colorado, USA. 275 pp.

Google Scholar

2. Bliss, L.C. (1971). Arctic and alpine plant life cycles. Annual Review Ecology and Systematics.  2:405-438.  https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.es.02.110171.002201

Google Scholar

3. Chopra, R. N.; Nayar, S. L. and Chopra, I. C. (1956). Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. CSIR, New Delhi. 330 p.

Google Scholar

4. Curtis, J.T. and Cottam, G. (1956). Plant Ecology Work Book: Laboratory Field Reference Manual.  Burgess Publishing Co., Minnesota. 193 pp.

Google Scholar

5. Curtis, J.T. and McIntosh, R.P. (1950). The interrelations of certain analytic and synthetic phytosociological characters. Ecology, 31: 434-435.  https://doi.org/10.2307/1931497

Google Scholar

6. Dyksterhuis, E.J. (1946). The vegetation of Fort Worth prairie. Ecology Monograph, 16: 1-131.  https://doi.org/10.2307/1943572

Google Scholar

7. Ellison, L. (1960). Influence of grazing on plant succession of range lands. Botanical Review, 26: 1-78.  https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02860480

Google Scholar

8. Gill, J.S. (1975). Herbage dynamics and seasonality of primary productivity at Pilani, Rajasthan. Ph. D. Thesis, BITS, Pilani, Rajasthan.

Google Scholar

9. Kapoor, K.S. and Singh, R. (1991). Standing crop and variety ration of temperate grasslands with varying biotic pressures in Shimla Hills: An analysis. Journal of Tropical Forestry, 7 (ii): 109-114.

Google Scholar

10. Kershaw, K.A. (1973). Quantitative and Dynamic Plant Ecology. Edward Amold Ltd., London. 308 pp.

Google Scholar

11. Kirtikar, K.R. and Basu, B.D. (1987). Indian Medicinal Plants. International Book Distributors, Rajpur Road, Dehradun. Vol. I-IV, 2791 p.

Google Scholar

12. Kunhikannan, C.; Verma, Ram K.; Verma, Raj K.; Khatri, P.K. and Totey, N.G. (1998). Ground flora, soil micro flora and fauna diversity under plantation ecosystem on bhata land of Bilaspur, Madhya Pradesh. Environment and Ecology, 16(3): 539-548.

Google Scholar

13. Misra, K.C. (1989). Manual of Plant Ecology. 3rd (ed) Oxford & IBH Publishing Co., Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. 193 pp.

14. Nayar, M. P. (1996). Hot Spots of Endemic Plants of India, Nepal and Bhutan. Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram. 252 p.

Google Scholar

15. Santvan, V.K. (1993). Ecological studies on alpine vegetation near Rahla, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. Ph. D. Thesis, Himachal Pradesh University, Summer Hill, Shimla (H.P.). 358 pp.

Google Scholar

16. Saville, D.B. (1972). Arctic adaptation in plant. Can. Dep. Agric. Monogr. No.6.

17. Shankranarayan, K. A. (1977). Impact of over grazing on the grasslands. Annals of Arid Zone, 16: 349-359.

Google Scholar

18. Shannon, C.E. and Wiener, W. (1963). The Mathematical Theory of Communication. University of Illinois Press, Urbana, USA.

Google Scholar

19. Simpson, E.H. (1949). Measurement of diversity. Nature, 163:688.  https://doi.org/10.1038/163688a0

Google Scholar

20. Ved, D. K., Kinhal, G. A., Ravikumar, K., Prabhakaran, V., Ghate, U., Sankar, R. V. and Indresha, J. H. (2003). Conservation Assessment and Management Prioritisation for the Medicinal Plants of J & K, H. P. and Uttaranchal. Workshop held at HFRI, Shimla 22-25 August, 2003. FRLHT, Bangalore, India. 206 p.

Google Scholar

21. Singh, J.S. (1967). Seasonal variation in composition, plant biomass and net primary production in the grasslands at Varanasi. Ph. D. Thesis. Banaras Hindu University, India. 318 p.

Google Scholar

22. Singh, J.S. and Yadava, P.S. (1974). Seasonal variation in composition plant biomass and net primary productivity of a tropical grassland at Kurukshetra, India. Ecology Monograph, 44: 357-375.  https://doi.org/10.2307/2937034

Google Scholar

About this article

How to cite

Verma, R.K., Jishtu, V., Kapoor, K.S. and Kumar, S., 2008. Plant diversity in alpine pasture of Talra wildlife sanctuary of district Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Indian Journal of Forestry, 31(1), pp.13-18. https://doi.org/10.54207/bsmps1000-2008-COMT61

Publication History

Manuscript Published on 01 March 2008

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: