Distribution: China, Bhutan, NE India, Myanmar, Nepal, Chowdhery HJ (2009). Orchid Diversity in North-Eastern northern Thailand States, Journal of Orchid Society of India, 23 (1-2): 17- HIMALAYAN SILVER BIRCH (BETULA UTILIS D. DON): A MULTIPURPOSE AND 25. CRITICALLY ENDANGERED TREE SPECIES FOR BIOPROSPECTION Status: Locally rare. Christenhusz MJM, Byng JW (2016). The number of known K. Dasila1, S.S. Samant1* and A. Pandey2 Ecology: Small to medium sized, cool growing epiphyte on plants species in the world and its annual increase, moss covered trunks or branches of trees. Phytotaxa, 261(3): 201–217. 1G. B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Himachal Unit, Mohal–Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, India Medicinal use: Pulps of the pseudobulbs are used in boils Deb DB (1983). The Flora of Tripura State. Today and 2G. B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Kosi-Katarmal, and pimples and other skin eruption. tomorrow's Printers and Publishers, New Delhi. Almora, Uttarakhand, India Exsiccatae: Tripura, North district, Jampui hill, Datta and eflora of India (2006). E flora of India- an online database of *Correspondence: [email protected] Baishnab, TUH- 1985; Dated 08-04-2017 Indian plants developed by the members of efloraofindia Google group. ABSTRACT CONCLUSION eflora of China (2009). 25: 300-319. www.eflora.org Betula utilis is a multipurpose, broad leaved deciduous tree and native of the Himalaya region. It is one of the dominant tree The genus Bulbophyllum is reported first time from Tripura. species of the Himalayan tree line. In some places, it is also found in association with Abies pindrow, A. spectabilis, Prunus Hooker JD (1890). Flora of British India. L. Reeve and Co, Proper floristic study may reveal more species from Tripura. cornuta, Acer accuminatum, Sorbus foliolosa, Pinus wallichiana and Rhododendron campanulatum. The bark is the striking Ashford, Kent, 687– 864. There is urgent need for conservation of wild orchids as their feature of B. utilis due to its shining, reddish-white or white with white horizontal smooth lenticels. B. utilis is a basis of many habitat is changing and preferred host plants are decreasing Jain SK, Rao RR (1977). A Handbook of Field and biochemical compounds which possesses anti-cancerous, anti-HIV, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti- fertility activities. drastically. Herbarium Methods, Today and Tomorrow's Printers The tree species exerts a suppressive effect on the microbial communities of the rhizosphere. Many endophytic structures have and Publishers, New Delhi. been observed in the roots of B. utilis. Anthropogenic pressure such as over exploitation, deforestation, overgrazing and natural ACKNOWLEDGEMENT calamities such as erosion, snow drift, forest fire and landslides are the factors that affect the regeneration of B. utilis. The Misra S (2007). Orchids of India. A Glimpse. Bishen Singh Protected Area Network (PAN) has helped in the in-situ conservation of the species. In addition, development of conventional This study was funded by the DBT Twinning Project No. Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun, India. and in-vitro propagation protocols and establishment and maintenance of plantlets/seedlings of the species would help in ex- BCIL/NER-BPMC/2016. Authors are thankful to Mr. situ and in-situ conservation of the species. Mantosh Roy for helping during field survey. Rao AN (2007). Orchid flora of North East India, An up to date analysis. Bull., Arunachal For. Res., 23(1&2): Keywords: Himalayan silver birch, Betula utilis, Bioprospection, Rhizosphere, Anthropogenic pressure, Conservation. REFERENCES 6-38. Chowdhery HJ (1998). Orchid Flora of Arunachal Pradesh, INTRODUCTION its multipurpose use, it is considered as Critically Singh KP, Phukan S, Bujarbarua P (2001). Orchidaceae in Dehra Dun, India, 2 (1): 1-392. Endangered. Floristic Diversity and conservation strategies in india. Betula utilis D. Don (common name: Himalayan silver birch, Dehradun, India, 1735-1827. Hindi name: Bhojpatra; Family: Betulaceae) is the broadleaved deciduous angiosperm and native to Himalayan region (Nadakarni 1976). The birch forest is referred as primary vegetation due to being in original and natural state. It consist of three layers; birch trees as the main component (Fig.1 a), scattered conifers, singly or in small groups present in upper story layer (Fig. 1 b), and the under story may be formed by shrubs particularly evergreen Rhododendron species namely, Rhododendron campanulatum, R. lapidotum, R. anthopogon, etc (Fig.1 c). This species also forms treeline in the Himalaya due to its freezing tolerance (Zobel et al., 1997). The growth appearance of birch trees is unique due to its typical bent like growth caused by snow weight that forms Krummholz (Fig.1 d). The name B. utilis Fig. 1. Betula utilis population (a) Pure population (b) is indicative of its various uses of different plant parts mixed population with Abies pindrow (c) mixed population ranging from paper, textile, building construction to with Rhododendron campanulatum (d) vent like growth of medicinal value. However, due to excessive exploitation of Betula utilis due to snow pressure 115 ENVIS Centre on Himalayan Ecology ENVIS Bulletin Himalayan Ecology, Vol 25, 2017 116 Ecology, distribution and economic importance and Gram (-) human pathogenic bacteria (Pal et al., 2015). Birch roots are also getting attention in our ongoing studies nutrient recycling, environmental detoxifiers like The betulinic acid which is easily converted form of betulin with respect to the colonization of a range of endophytes, biodegradation and bioremediation (Bhardwaj et al., 2012). Himalayan birch is distributed in sub-alpine zone of also possesses the antibacterial activity against some mainly bacterial and fungal (Fig. 2). Colonization of internal The plant associated endophytes carrying the traits for plant Himalayan range between 2700m to 4500m (Zobel et al., important human pathogenic bacteria like Escherichia coli, tissues of the plant (such as birch) by endophytic growth promotion and biocontrol are likely to be useful in 1997). It forms treeline all alongside the Indian Himalaya as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus microorganisms may benefit the host with respect to plant propagation and conservation of the precious trees that grow well as Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Nepal and Pakistan mirabilis, Salmonella sp., Shigella sp., Staphylococcus growth, control of various diseases and improvement in the under temperature stress (Pandey et al., 2014). (Shaw et al., 2014). It is a moderate- sized deciduous tree aureus and Streptococcus faecalis (Kumaraswamy et al., plant's ability to withstand the environmental stress. The that grows up to 20 m in height. Bark, the striking feature of 2008). Dried bark possess antifungal activity against fungi rhizosphere of long lived tree species experience the climatic Threats to Himalayan birch the tree, is smooth, shinning and reddish white consists of conditions, such as low temperatures and heavy rain and Aspergillus niger and A. flavus (Sareen et al., 2010), anti- Over exploitation for medicinal and fuel purposes, cutting of numerous paper like layers with broad horizontal roll. The snow fall, and are likely to go through various successions. cancerous activity (Mishra et al., 2016), anti-HIV activity trees, overgrazing by all kinds of animals are considered the leaves are ovate-acuminate, elliptic and irregularly serrate. (Fujoka et al., 1994). Antimicrobial plants are now being Higher colonization of endophytes in plant tissues with major threats faced by Himalayan birch. Other threats to The flowering season is May–June. The flowers are recognized as alternate source of microbe based antibiotics increasing altitude has been reported recently (Jain et al., birch are forest fire, snow drift, lighting, erosion and monoecious; both sexes can be found on the same plant and that are well known for the development of drug resistance 2016). landslide. The demographic pressure, increase in demand of pollination is carried by wind. The seeds are winged. The and the side effects (Pandey et al., 2015). plants can grow in acidic, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils The rhizosphere microbial communities are affected by land for cultivation, livestock population and defoliation, and in semi shade and moist soil. Bark, leaves and wood of Fungal outgrowth on Himalayan birch many factors, like the quantity and quality of root exudates Canker disease, Dieback due to the slow death of the birch are used in various ways. The bark is sold at good price secreted by a particular plant species, in addition to branches caused by the attack of a pathogen are also the (150 Rs. / kg to 300 Rs. / kg) in the market. Bark of the tree The fungal outgrowth known as bhurja–granthi, observed in prevailing edaphic and climatic conditions. These factors, in reasons for decline in the size of population of this precious consisting of numerous paper like layers with broad the form of lumps and identified as chaga mushroom turn, will give a way to the colonization of the selected tree. The only way of prevention of these diseases is keeping horizontal roll used to be the substitute for paper in ancient (Inonotus obliquus), develops symbiotic relationship with microbial communities mainly in the form of endophytes. the tree healthy and wound free in absence of any chemical times, mainly, for the inscription of religious texts. birch trees. The symbiotic