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ISSN: 0973-4929, Vol. 12, No. (2) 2017, Pg. 377-388 Current World Environment Journal Website: www.cwejournal.org A Status of Invasive Alien Species Plant diversity in Tehri District Forest Ecosystem of Garhwal Himalayan Region Arti KHANDURI1, SAS BISWAS2, H.B. VASISTHA3, DIGVIJAYSINH RathOD4* and SUMAN KUMAR JHA5 1Department of Forestry, Doon (P.G) College of Agriculture Science and Technology, Dehradun, India. 2Department of Forestry, Dolphin (PG) Institute of Biomedical and Natural Science, Dehradun, India 3Ecology and Environment Division, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, India. 4Silviculture Division, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, India. 5Department of Forest Biology and Tree Improvement, College of Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, India. Abstract Invasive alien species that is non-indigenous to an area, and which may have harmful effect on human, animal, plant health as habitat destruction, ARTICLE HISTORY degradation and fragmentation of ecosystems. During the study observed the present status of plant diversity of invasive alien species (IAS) in Tehri Received: 24 May 2017 District of Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand. Data were collected through Accepted: 10 August 2017 extensive field survey and quadrat method. Result observed that 75 Forest Invasive Species (FIS) and 47 weed species documented from the area. Keywords: Among the 75 FIS, 12 species belonging from Asteraceae, 7 species from “Invasive alien species Poaceae, 7 species of Solanaceae, 5 species of Lamiaceae, followed by four (IAS)”, species of each Ranunculaceae and Polygonaceae while the other belongs “Asteraceae”, to Papilionaceae, Cyperacea, Euphorbiaceae and various other angiospermic “Weeds”, families were recorded. Weed Species from 5 different angiospermic families “ P l a n t q u a r a n t i n e ” , “TehriGarhwal”. were recorded. The highest diversity was reported for Asteraceae family. Species diversity of IAS indicated that study area was distinctly dissimilar or unlike in diversity and unhealthy. An investigation of the habitat depicts that herbs prevail (11 species) followed by shrubs (8 species) and trees (2 species). However, major impact of these species on the indigenous flora, change in hydrology and function of ecosystems is yet to be studied. There is an urgent need to develop regional data, information on their ecology, morphology, reproductive biology, phenology and physiology for effective management and control of IAS. Present Study will helpful in further study on developing effective management and control protocol of IAS on spreading outside their natural habitat and most prominent menaces to biodiversity. CONTACT Digvijaysinh Rathod [email protected] Silviculture Division, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, India. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Enviro Research Publishers This is an Open Access article licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ ), which permits unrestricted NonCommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.12.2.21 378 KHANDURI et al., Curr. World Environ., Vol. 12(2), 377-388 (2017) Introduction Some outcomes guided that numbers of individuals The Himalaya mountain region is one of the richest per unit area of human population and human action and most unusual ecosystems on Earth1. Indian have crucial consequences on the plants invasions22, Himalayan region covers about an area of 4,19,873 23. Biological plant invasion have charming effect Km2. The unique physiography, climatic conditions, on ecologist due to their substantial ecological and soil features of the area have resulted in a mixture economical importance from the conservation threat of habitats and a substantial biological diversity. The of plant diversity point of view worldwide24. India is Himalayan region affirms approximately 8000 plant the 7th largest country and one of the mega-diversity species (47.06% of the total flowering plants of India) countries on globe out of 17 most biodiversity- of which 30% are endemics among natives, 10.2% rich countries. With a various types of habitats trees, 8.44% wild edibles and over 15% medicinal. The and different environmental conditions, India is dependence of human and livestock on this rich plant particularly susceptible to attack of invasive species diversity is long-familiar physical process since time of foreign origin. The sketch of invasive plants in India immemorial2,3. The Tehri Dam is tallest dam in India. is now obligating immediate action in practice and Tehri Dam provides common services such as also helpful for invasion plant ecology. food mitigation, water supply for agricultural crop The biological invasion involving the entire earth cultivation, drinking water, electricity production, threatens biodiversity, resource availability, employment opportunity, recreational and tourisms ecosystem dynamics, and people health and country facility in surrounding area. The utilization and economy25.The analyses of the apportioning of subsequent changes in hydrological water body invasive alien species and the kinship with existing has a significantly influencing on river flow and their factors furnish the chances to explore the possible linked biotic and abiotic organisms. Dams are grant factors that lead to their spatial distribution at a credentials to as having fairly large negative effects prominent scale26, 27a. However, seldom observe the on the closely encircling natural ecosystems divesity4. spatial distribution analysis revolve about species In many developing countries tourism was act as with prominent consequence separately from those revenue generate, employment opportunity to local with miserable effects 28, 29b.The scrimpy native people, improved living standards and sustainable diversity privileges to introduce invasion proposed livihood development with buildup good relationship by Elton’s30.Some data-based and model based between people and nature from conservation point studies reports support that diversity decreased of view5, 6,7a. The global trade and tourism are key invisibility31, 32,33,34,35. Investigate on the features of factors concerned with the ecological effects of invasive species and the recipient spatial location altering the environment in developing regions8b, 9. is indispensable for recognizing the action of In the last decades tourisms has rapidly originated invasion36.Therefore, insufficiency of data point worldwide in mountain regions.10, 11. The mountain concerning forest invasivesis a subject of associate tourisms in new emerging area had negative as this creats an off-key of complacency. Devoted results on wetlands, protected areas and natural research antecedence taken to be conceded to area indicated by previous examines concerned to buildup detailed database in perspective of forest recreation ecology12, 13. In past 25 years, Nepal has resources in the state and nation on scientific lines rapidly increased in tourism growth, the positive or and to updating datum. If so, for this conclusion, negative effect of tourism ontogenesis on forest periodical assemblage, Identification and collection resource and alpine vegetation plant diversity has of such species are needed, thus one can find out been well recorded14. and could consider management options to prevent, Human actions have significant determines on the or at least reduce the damaging effects of biological dispersal of exotic plants15, 16, 17, 18. In Central Europe, invasions. And this only can be possible if we have an invasion has been often outcome of interaction the proper knowledge about their presence in the between biological and anthropogenic factors19. area, thus need the base line data, and this could Human interruptions enhance alien extend in gather only through inventory. The objectives of the general20. They are determined that the parameters present study accomplish this research need and in a most excellent way to justify the density of alien provide the basic information for further research plants were the human growth index and imports21. in the same field. KHANDURI et al., Curr. World Environ., Vol. 12(2), 377-388 (2017) 379 Materials and Methods site I (Jardhar VFE), known for its luxuriant forest The present investigation was accomplished in the area, and indigenous agricultural practices, site II District Tehri Garhwal of the Garhwal Himalayan (Dikhol VFE), became central hub for all the social region of Uttarakhand which lies at 300 55’ to 310 18’ activities, followed by site III (Kuttha VFE), this site N latitude and 780 to 790 25’ E longitude in Western became central point for the dam site seeing and Himalaya covering 36000 sq. km. The greatest extent tourism purposes and site IV (Saundkoti VFE) of the region is 180 km N to S and 200 km E to W. valuable natural site, as no any human induced The region is highly mountainous, ranging in altitude pressure is assumed in this site.The concept of from 300-7000m, therefore by considering the village forest exist in the study area, i.e., Tehri, from diverse forms of the area the widely renowned Tehri time immemorial as the forest were aligned to certain Dam site was considered as a reference point and villages upto a certain radial distance to meet the further study was carried out at different elevations. bonafied needs and requirements of the village Specifically four different