PHYTOSOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THREATENED ETHNO-MEDICINAL SPECIES IN FORESTRY AND ALTITUDINAL GRADIENT OF INDIAN HIMALAYAN REGION

Background: Phytosociology serves as the life-blood of quantitative assessment and, as such their application has become imperative these days especially in the fields passing through agro-biomedical sciences for interpretation of experimental results and for better appreciation of their potential values.

The present study proposes the problem to deal the biodiversity assessment of 21 threatened ethno-medicinal plants of Almora district of Indian Himalayan region covering an altitude of 500 - 2800 m above the sea level.

Methods: Easily assessable sites were selected for the sampling and the study is delimited to 500–2800 m above the sea level. A total of 1272 species belonging to 751 genera and 158 families were recorded. Total thirty-five areas were selected in Almora district. In 35 areas, 3 sites were selected in each area; total 1050 pockets (10 quadrates each site) were selected for phytosociological study by the Quadrate Method. The important quantitative analysis such as density, frequency (%), abundance, IVI, species richness, concentration of dominance, species diversity, Community Co-efficient, distribution of population and rank abundance of species were determined. On the other hand statistical techniques used for the analysis of the data such as Co-Relation, t-test, ANOVA, Chi-Square Test, regression coefficient, clustering, k-mean fuzzy and normal probability plot.

Results: Frequency of 21 threatened ethno medicinal plants are ranges from 1.07 to 5.33. Frequency of these species in all thirty five areas is ranges from 10-80%. Site -1 of area-3, 9, 10 and 17 having 80% of frequency, site-2 of area 9 is also having 80% frequency. A low frequency of a species is either irregularly distributed or rare in a particular stand or forest. The rank abundance curves of all threatened species have much lower abundances as low ranking species. Carl Pearson correlation, shows negative correlation is found between densities, abundance, and Simpson’s index vs. species richness. A negative correlation between abundance, concentration of dominance with species richness, total basal cover, relative dominance and importance value index is also found.

Conclusions: This profile diversity shows the decreasing pattern in study area and is need to major conservation and propagation in study area to maintain biodiversity.