The Himalayan grasslands from sub-tropical to temperate, alpine and steppe have been exploited historically by humans for multiple uses including grazing lands for livestock. Besides domestic and wild animals, a large number of migratory birds use these grasslands and wetland areas dotted in these grasslands during their vertical and horizontal migration in the Himalayan region during breeding season. Despite quite unique and sensitive ecosystems these grasslands are least studied. The present study, therefore, aims to study the structure and composition of Himalayan grasslands with respect to their multiple utilities, including breeding grounds for migratory birds.  

A study was conducted to understand the floristic diversity along an altitudinal gradient with elevations varying from 1800-2400m above msl in Lakadmandi beat of Kalatop Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary in district Chamba, Himachal Pradesh during 2011. Total number of plant species was 81 belonging to 52 families and 76 genera. The dominant families were Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Pinaceae and Polygonaceae. The number of trees species was 6, 6 and 10 with the dominance of Quercus leucotrichophora, Cedrus deodara and Cedrus deodara at 1800-2000m, 2000-2200m and 2200-2400m elevation ranges respectively. The number of shrub species was 16, 13 and 23 with the dominance of Quercus leucotrichophora sapling, Sarcococca saligna and Sarcococca saligna at 1800-2000m, 2000-2200m and 2200-2400m elevations respectively. The number of herb species was 46, 46 and 58 at 1800-2000m, 2000-2200m and 2200-2400m elevation ranges respectively. On the basis of Importance Value Index (IVI), Valeriana jatamansii was the dominant herb at 2000-2200m and 2200-2400m elevation ranges respectively. The distribution pattern of most of plant species was contiguous at all altitudinal ranges. Index of diversity for herb species in these elevational ranges was 3.420, 3.568 and 3.250.  Out of 40 medicinal plant species recorded from the area, 3 species i.e. Paris polyphylla, Podophyllum hexandrum and Taxus wallichiana fall in the category of threatened plants. The better conservation of natural resources can be done through promotion of community based conservation, ex-situ conservation through tissue culture, developing cultivation technologies and nurseries of medicinal plants and conducting of regular training on the procedure of medicinal plants collection and processing among the end users.

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of different seed treatment and soil media on germination percentage and associate parameters in Litsea glutinosa during May to June, 2013 at vegetative multiplication nursery of Genetics and Plant Propagation Division of Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh). Data on daily seed germination from twenty treatment combination was recorded and used for estimation of germination percentage, germination energy (%), energy period, germination value and peak value of mean germination. Critical perusal of analysis revealed that seed treatment with ‘Water+200 ppm GA₃’ was resulted in positive effect on all the characters studied i.e. germination percentage, germination energy, energy period, germination value and peak value of mean germination. Whereas, potting mixture of ‘1/3 Sand+1/3 FYM+1/3 Soil’ revealed positive effect on all the characters studied among all the potting mixture tried.

The present paper analyses the awareness of farmers regarding effects of climate change on agriculture and various suggestions strategies by them to overcome this effect in agriculture sector. The study was conducted in Punjab state and 270 farmers were selected for the study from the three different zones of the state. The data were collected through a well structured interview schedule. Majority of the farmers perceived to a Aware or  Have you heard the word climate change, Do you know about the Occurrence of cold waves, heat waves, heavy fog, precipitation and change in temperature due to green house gases, Milk yield is reduced,  The suggestion strategies as suggested by them included the. Environmental education to farmers, new irrigation techniques, Change in body temperature affects metabolic activity of the animals and Animal (Buffalo and Cow) growth is affected.

Sesbania rostrata Bremek. and Oberm. is a multipurpose and exceptionally fast growing nitrogen fixing plant. In this study a protocol for the standardization of in-vivo nitrate reductase (NR) assay with respect to substrate concentrations along with buffer pH and concentrations was carried out in the leaves of S. rostrata. Different substrate (KNO₃) concentration ( i.e. 0.025M, 0.05M, 0.10M, 0.15M, 0.20M ) were tried against phosphate buffer (KH₂PO₄) solutions with different pH (6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8 ). Maximum leaf in-vivo nitrate reductase activity was observed in 0.10 M phosphate buffer (KH₂PO₄) concentration of pH 7.5 with 0.15M substrate (KNO₃) concentration.

The present investigation deals with the study of pollen diversity of forty one climbers of forests in South Andaman Island. These 41 taxa belong to diversified families viz. Acanthaceae, Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Capparaceae, Combretaceae, Convolvulaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Hernandiaceae, Lauraceae, Passifloraceae, Polygonaceae, Malvaceae, Rhamnaceae, Rubiaceae and Sapindaceae. The pollen of these taxaare diversified in morphological characters viz., symmetry, shape, polarity, apertural pattern and ornamentation.

The weevil, Alcidodes sp. indet (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) was found infest the seeds of Cynometra beddomei, an endemic and endangered legume tree of the Southern Western Ghats. The biology of Alcidodes sp. was studied. The larvae were ‘C’ shaped, measuring 9-10 mm in length, white in colour and found feeding inside the seed for a period of 20-25 days, while the pupal period lasted for 10-15 days. The adults were stout, elongate, oval and black in colour with light brown stripes. The seed infestation estimated to 80% in a fruit year of the tree later severely affected the seed output, germination, seedling emergence followed by the population reduction of species in situ. The incidence of Alcidodes sp. indet on Cynometra beddomei was found to be a new record to the species.

The Western Ghats of India represents some of the best non-equatorial, tropical evergreen forests in the world. It is a UNESCO world Heritage site and is one of the eight hottest hotspots biodiversity in the world. Survey conducted in different regions of North Western Ghats regions revealed various fascinating fungi on important plants and it yielded many new species and new records. Therefore the objective of this paper is to highlight the diversity of microfungi along with some new records bestowed in North Western Ghats of India.

Three species, Diorygma microsporum M. Cáceres & Lücking; Fissurina aggregatula Common & Lücking from the state of Sikkim and Graphis consanguinea (Müll. Arg.) Lücking, from Tamil Nadu state are reported as new records to Indian lichen biota. These are described and illustrated to facilitate their identification.

Girardinia diversifolia (Link) Friis subsp. suborbiculata (C.J. Chen) C. J. Chen & Friis, so far known from China and South Korea is reported for the first time from Garhwal region, Uttarakhand, as a new  record to Indian flora.

Lithographa olivacea Fryday, a lichenized fungus is reported as new generic as well as specific record for India, based on the collections made from Neora Valley National Park, West Bengal. The species is characterized by its saxicolous habit, lirellate ascomata, and simple or submuriform hyaline ascospores. A detailed description and figures are provided to facilitate its identification.

Courtoisina cyperoides (Roxb.) Soják is reported for the first time from Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Vanda wightii Rchb.f., a rare epiphytic orchid known as Wight’s Vanda is reported as new distributional record for Goa.

Elaphoglossum stigmatolepis is reported as new to here from the state of Karnataka, India.

Cheilanthes thwaitesii Mett. ex Kuhn, a critically endangered fern, hitherto reported from Tamil Nadu only is first time reported from Kerala.

The paper deals with the present distribution and conservation status with possible conservation measures of Pittosporum eriocarpum, an endangered and endemic tree species of Shiwaliks in Uttarakhand.

During the botanical exploration tour to Aurangabad and Nawada districts of Bihar in 2014-15, authors collected Fernandoa adenophylla (Wall. ex G.Don) Steenis (Bignoniaceae), a species not recorded from Bihar so far. The present collection is reported as new generic record from Bihar as naturalised. Detailed morphological description, habitat and distribution in India are presented here.

In present communication, based on the collection of one of the author (SS),  six hitherto unreported species of pteridophytes viz. Pyrrosia costata (Wall. ex C. Presl) Tagawa & K. Iwats., Pyrrosia porosa (C. Presl) Hovenk., Selliguea oxyloba (Wall. ex Kunze) Fraser-Jenk., Pteris scabririgens Fraser-Jenk., S.C. Verma & T.G. Walker, Pteris semipinnata L. and Dryopteris pulvinulifera (Bedd.) Kuntze,) are being reported here for the first time from Mizoram state of India.

A new variety of Justicia quinqueangularis K.D. Koenig ex Roxb. (Acanthaceae), from the Kawal Tiger Reserve of Telangana, (India) is presented with a detailed description and a photo plate.

A revision of the genus Lindera Thunb. is presented for India, with 12 species. L. doniana C.K. Allen and L. wardii C.K.Allen are reduced to synonymy.

Malva parviflora L. var. microcarpa (Pers.) Loscos, a Mediterranean taxon hitherto known to occur in Rajasthan and West Bengal, is reported here from Koderma Wildlife Sanctuary, Jharkhand.

Calanthe tricarinata Lindl. and Habenaria furcifera Lindl. are being reported as additions to the flora of Nainital.