Despite high biodiversity and endemism and decades of research, the tree diversity of the Eastern Himalaya remains poorly understood. To fulfill this gap, we examined the patterns of the alpha and beta diversity and tree community structure in the Darjeeling area of the Eastern Himalaya. We conducted primary vegetation sampling focused on the tree strata within 3 protected areas, including National Park (NP) and Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) of the Darjeeling Himalaya, India. The study sites included Mahananda WLS, Neora Valley NP, and the lower and upper ranges of Singalila NP. A total of 32 sampling plots (each 200 m x 200 m) were established across these sites, within which 128 quadrats (20 m × 20 m) were laid out for detailed vegetation analysis. Within each quadrat, all trees with a girth at breast height (GBH) of ≥ 10 cm were measured and identified. We recorded a total of 2137 individuals belonging to 65 tree species, 47 genera and 31 families in our study. Out of all the recorded tree species, 5 species were found endemic to the Eastern Himalayan region, and 4 globally threatened as per the IUCN Red List. We observed the highest alpha and beta diversity in the temperate forests of lower Singalila NP. Tree basal area and the density were highest in the tropical moist deciduous forests of Mahananda WLS and the sub-alpine forests of upper Singalila NP, respectively. The study sites showed distinct tree community assemblages with high beta diversity determined by substitution components. We identified 27 indicator tree species (including 23 species from single sites) with significantly high Indicator Value (IndVal) across the different forest types of the Darjeeling Himalaya. We conclude that different forest types in the Darjeeling Himalaya support a high diversity and a unique assemblage of trees, including endemics. For efficient conservation of plant diversity in the Himalaya, there is an urgent need to create more protected areas.

The present study assessed plant composition, species diversity and regeneration status along altitudinal gradients in Narendra Nagar Forest Division, Uttarakhand, India. The study was conducted under the Bhagirathi Circle, Garhwal Mandal, across three altitudinal zones: lower altitude (400–800 m), middle altitude (800–1200 m) and upper altitude (1200–1600 m). Vegetation was enumerated using quadrats for trees, shrubs and herbs, and regeneration status was assessed through the occurrence of seedlings, saplings and adult trees. At the lower altitude, 14 tree species, 9 shrub species and 7 herb species were recorded. The middle altitude represented 12 tree species, 7 shrub species and 6 herb species, whereas the upper altitude showed comparatively lower numbers of trees, saplings and seedlings. The Simpson diversity index was higher for the herb and shrub layers at the lower and middle altitudes, while at the upper altitude it was highest for the tree layer (0.38), followed by the herb (0.24) and shrub layers (0.20). The Shannon diversity index showed higher values for the tree, shrub and herb layers at the lower and middle altitudes than at the upper altitude. Regeneration varied among species and sites, indicating the need for altitude-specific conservation and management attention in the studied forest division.

ABSTRACT Aim Energy availability is often assumed to be a primary driver of variation in biodiversity across large‐scale environmental gradients such as elevation, but support for the role of energetic constraints is far from universal. Here, we assume that these variations in energy–richness relationships might arise from the degree of match between the scale of the response of organisms to energy (response scale) and the scale of the observation made (observation scale). Location 41 mountain ecosystems worldwide, with detailed case studies on Dongling Mountain, China. Time Period Contemporary. Major Taxa Studied Trees, shrubs, herbs, ferns, birds, ants, bees, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera, soil fauna, litter‐layer fauna, bacteria, fungi. Methods First, we quantify the response scale on the basis of energy requirements, and then, we develop a general scaling model that explicitly describes how the scale matching between response and observation scale influences the predictive power of energy in determining elevational richness patterns; this model holds across taxonomic groups, trophic guilds, and ecosystems across mountains globally. Results Global analyses strongly supported the model's prediction that scale matching determines the detectability of energy‐richness relationships. On Dongling Mountain, energy availability best explained richness patterns at the predicted response scales for trees, herbs, and litter fauna. Main Conclusions Our model advances the understanding of montane biodiversity distributions by demonstrating the critical role of scale matching in energy–richness relationships. Our findings strongly support the existing mechanistic foundation for predicting biodiversity changes across spatial scales in montane ecosystems. The scale‐matching principle we identified is likely to be applicable to a wide range of taxa and other ecosystems where energy availability varies across scales.

The Himalayan forests are highly threatened due to anthropogenic pressures ranging from agriculture intensification, deforestation, hydropower development, etc. The present study attempts to document the floristic diversity, composition and structure of vegetation communities in the tropical semi-evergreen forest of North Cachar Hills in Assam. A one-time assessment was made during the peak growing season in a 4000 m2 forest area to make an inventory of vegetation structure by using the nested quadrat method. A total of 445 individuals belonging to 52 tree species were recorded from the overstorey, while 161120 individuals belonging to 72 species were recorded from the understorey vegetation. The forest stand structure exhibited a reverse J-shaped population curve, and most tree species showed no regeneration (57%), while others showed either good (23%) or poor (17%) regeneration. This study highlights that the understorey vegetation is as important as the overstorey vegetation with respect to species diversity. This study can serve as a baseline for assessing the impacts of different natural and anthropogenic threats on biodiversity in the study area. Additionally, this study highlights the need to conserve the natural forests of Northeast India and protect them from different threats.

Studies on plant invasives are largely focused on their impacts on plant community structure, native biodiversity, ecosystem services, and economy, but their ecosystem effects as high water-spenders are underestimated. Here, we report contrasting results in transpiration volumes in Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC (Prosopis juliflora), a widespread invasive alien, its native non-invasive congener, Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce (P. cineraria), and an unrelated co-occurring native, Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (Azadirachta indica) at 3 sites spread across North and South between 200 and 550 m elevations in India. Our results demonstrate that P. juliflora shows higher transpiration than the native P. cineraria and A. indica at all the three investigated sites. The transpiration volumes of P. juliflora were 2.9-8 times higher than P. cineraria and A. indica at Jodhpur, and 6-11 times higher than A. indica at New Delhi and Hyderabad, respectively. The soil moisture content in the rhizosphere of P. juliflora dominated sites was 2-5 times lower than that of P. cineraria and A. indica dominated sites during summer. The results clearly demonstrate that invasive species transpire more water than the natives that consequently leads to decrease in soil moisture availability. Our investigations provide a strong rationale for managing the alien invasive P. juliflora and restoring native vegetation. Controlling the invasive species is particularly important for the regions with prolonged hot summers and freshwater shortages, such as tropical Asia, Middle East and tropical Africa, where P. juliflora has invaded vast areas.

The present study was carried out in three distinct biogeographic provinces of India: the Himalaya, the Northeastern region, and the Deccan Plateau. The investigations aimed to understanding the association between physicochemical characteristics of water bodies and their influence on diatom assemblages. The majority of water quality parameters and diatom assemblages exhibited significant variations across the biogeographic regions. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) revealed that water quality parameters, including turbidity, iron, and potassium, significantly influenced diatom assemblages at the local scale (within rivers). Generalized Linear Model (GLM) analysis revealed that water temperature significantly impacted the abundance of diatom communities in the Himalayas and the Northeastern region, whereas dissolved oxygen influenced diatom abundance in the Deccan Plateau. The ecoregional differences in climatic and geological features influenced overall water quality, which, in turn affected the diatom communities at regional scales. A total of 21 common taxa were recorded across all biogeographic provinces. Among these taxa, Ulnaria ulna, Achnanthidium affine, Achnanthidium lineare, Cocconeis placentula var. euglypta, Fragilaria pinnata, Navicula radiosa, Cymbella affinis, and Gomphonema olivaceum indicated their broad tolerance to environmental variables, which was confirmed by their abundance and frequency distribution. The Himalayan waters were more conducive to inhabiting Achnanthes, Navicula, and Cymbella species, while the Deccan Plateau supported a relatively higher diversity of Nitzschia spp. Our study suggests that diatom assemblages and abundance respond not only to water quality but also to overall ecoregional differences.

BackgroundPast studies linking geologic and climatic controls on speciation in the Himalaya, Tibet and Hengduan (HTH) regions do not fully capture the mechanisms underlying patterns of plant diversity and endemism in hyperdiverse mountain ecosystems.AimsThis study sheds new light on the orogenic and climatic drivers of plant endemism and diversity in the HTH region and unravels the mechanisms behind plant speciation and assembly.Materials & MethodsWe re-examine the past findings on geo-climatic controls on speciation in the HTH. We also analyse new datasets on the elevational patterns of endemic species richness in the HTH regions and correlate these with the hypsometric profiles based on digital elevation models of these regions.ResultsWe discover that the phased evolution of HTH mountain-building and climate oscillations, and species radiations were not exactly synchronous, but were interspersed with periods of inactivity. We find an inverse yet overlapping relationship between elevation-area troughs (EATs) of hypsometric profiles and peaks of endemic plant richness in the HTH, indicating that most endemic species occupy the higher elevational belts with the least geographic areas. These elevational belts comprise geographically and biologically isolated habitats.Discussion and ConclusionsWe infer that orogeny, monsoon and glaciations have shaped the highly dissected HTH landscapes, characterised by high-relief topography, leading to population isolation, speciation and endemism, albeit with temporal lags. Glacial-interglacial cycles have further promoted isolation, co-habitation, hybridisation and polyploidy among plant populations, generating and accelerating endemic radiations. Our results provide crucial evidence linking mountain-building, climatic events and landform development with plant species richness and endemism in the HTH regions and potentially in other mountain ecosystems.

India’s economy has undergone significant transformation since independence. This article examines the Indian economy 75 years after independence and highlights key concerns in current times. It begins with a snapshot of the country’s economic growth and structure. A key finding is that the benefits of economic growth have not reached a large section of the population. The article goes deeper and analyzes the crisis in the world of work and the agriculture sector, which remains the backbone of the economy and the largest employer. This sector has suffered neglect in recent times, further exacerbating the crisis. To move forward, India must prioritize the prosperity of its workforce and address the crisis in rural areas. This is crucial to ensure inclusive economic growth and development.

Climate change poses a potent and immediate threat to global biodiversity. Increasing global temperatures have severe effects on the ecological dynamics of organisms. While temperature is a key factor in influencing the phenology of organisms, other environmental factors also play crucial roles. Rhododendron arboreum Sm. (R. arboreum) is an important keystone species of the Himalayan ecosystems with several ecological and economic benefits. Here, we focus on the impact of various factors that influence the flowering phenology of R. arboreum in the North-Western Indian Himalayan region (Chakrata Forest Division, Uttarakhand). Compared with previous herbarium records, we observed a shift in the onset of blooming in R. arboreum. The results showed a significant association with age, elevation, slope aspect, and sunlight on the flowering phenology of the species. We infer that understanding the cumulative effect of biotic and abiotic parameters is crucial for understanding the species' phenology. In light of the ongoing warming, this study has potential application by park managers in designing conservation strategies in the Himalaya, one of the least studied and most threatened biodiversity hotspots of the world. (c) 2024 National Science Museum of Korea (NSMK) and Korea National Arboretum (KNA), Publishing Services by Elsevier. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

The Himalaya cover 12% of India’s landmass and are prone to approximately one-seventh of global rainfall-triggered landslides. Still, very few studies have examined the after-effects of landslides on native vegetation structure and composition. This study aims to fulfil this gap by analysing the vegetation structure and composition of 10 landslide-impacted sites in Uttarakhand Himalaya along an elevational gradient between 1400-3500 m. The investigations revealed that physiognomically, the younger landslide-disturbed sites were dominated by herbaceous taxa while shrubs and trees dominated the older landslide-disturbed sites. Shannon-Wiener diversity values were highest at the old-low disturbed site compared to recent and young disturbed sites. Sorensen similarity index values indicated that the older landslide sites had the highest similarity in species composition of disturbed and undisturbed sites. The younger and recently disturbed landslide sites were highly dissimilar in species composition and structure as compared to the adjacent undisturbed sites. Notably, both the landslide-disturbed and undisturbed sites had a high percentage of native species (90-95%). The fundamental understanding developed from this study can have potential applications in evolving management practices for ecological restoration of the degraded ecosystems in the Himalaya and other mountain ecosystems around the world.

The Himalaya harbors a large number of plant endemics but information on their genome size is largely lacking. This study aims to fulfill this gap by reporting genome sizes for 8 endemic Himalayan plant species (Impatiens devendrae Pusalkar, Impatiens scabrida DC., Impatiens sulcata Wall., Geranium robertianum L., Geranium wallichianum D.Don ex Sweet, Thalictrum cultratum Wall., Thalictrum elegans Wall. ex Royle, Thalictrum foliolosum DC.) from the Western Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. The study involved collecting leaf tissues from each of the 8 plant species, chopping, staining and estimating nuclear DNA content using CyFlow Cube 8 flow cytometer with 532 nm laser light source and an orange-red fluorescence emission (>590 nm). The CyFlow Cube 13 programme was utilised to obtain the median fluorescence value from PI-stained G0/G1 (quiescent phase/first growth phase) nuclei, devoid of cellular debris. The DNA 2C value of each sample was then estimated by comparing the median fluorescence intensity values of both sample and standard (Solanum lycopersicum L.) using the standard scientific formula. The highest DNA 2C-values were observed in Geranium, which ranged from 5.29 ± 0.02 pg to 2.49 ± 0.02 pg. The genome size of Impatiens species varied from 1.49 ± 0.08 pg to 3.14 ± 0.04 pg while the three species of genus Thalictrum had nearly similar genome sizes varying between 1.53 ± 0.01 pg to 1.96 ± 0.06 pg. The coefficient of variation among nuclei varied from 3.52% to 5.38% with 103 to 1811 numbers of stained nuclei. The results and framework presented in the current study can serve as a template for future studies that attempt to estimate the genome sizes of endemic plant species in the Himalaya, a global biodiversity epicentre and one of the least studied biodiversity hotspots of the world.

Studies documenting anthropogenic disturbance-driven changes in forest communities of the Eastern Himalaya, a global biodiversity hot spot, are largely lacking. We studied six forest sites of tropical semi-evergreen forests in Arunachal Pradesh in the Eastern Himalaya to understand the effects of varying disturbance intensities on the forest community structure and composition. Based on the magnitude of disturbance, forest sites were classified as experiencing low, moderate and high disturbance. Mean species richness (SR) of trees and shrubs decreased from low disturbance to high disturbance. Mean SR of herbs was maximum in moderately disturbed forest sites. Maximum values of the Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index (SD) were recorded for trees at sites with low disturbance, for shrubs at sites with high disturbance and for herbs in moderately disturbed forests. Pilelou Evenness Index (EI) values were maximum for trees at sites with high disturbance, while maximum EI values for shrubs and herbs were recorded in the forest sites with low disturbance. The number of tree families decreased from 18 to 13 in the forests with low and high disturbance, respectively. Moderate disturbance led to increased herb species richness and diversity, while increasing disturbance produced contrasting effects on trees. High anthropogenic disturbance led to low species richness, but high diversity amongst shrubs. Our investigations suggest that the magnitude of disturbance elicits differential responses in different physiognomic classes in the forest ecosystems and further our understanding of the effects of disturbance in tropical forest ecosystems of a global biodiversity hotspot.

This study employs a comprehensive analysis to assess the vegetable production landscape in the Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir, utilizing data from the Agricultural Department and the Statistical Digest of the region. The methodology integrates QGIS mapping and mathematical formulas to determine surplus and deficit areas. Districts are individually mapped based on key vegetables, and an amalgamated overview is derived for the entire Union Territory. Color-coded symbology, including violet circles for production levels, green for surplus, and red for deficit, visually represents vegetable concentrations on maps. The study reveals pronounced disparities in vegetable distribution across Kashmir districts, with Kulgam exhibiting the highest surplus in six vegetables. In contrast, the Jammu region predominantly faces deficits. Kashmir, with seven surplus districts, emphasizes the need for strategic interventions, including value addition, storage capacity augmentation, cold-chain technologies, infrastructure investment, and awareness campaigns. The study advocates for transforming surplus vegetables into value-added products and formulating district-specific policies to address post-harvest losses in the vegetable supply chain. This research contributes valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders to enhance vegetable production dynamics, promote sustainability, and optimize resource allocation in the Jammu and Kashmir region.

The present macroecological study aims to understand the diversity and distribution patterns of zooplankton and zoobenthos species along the elevational gradients in the Himalaya. We compiled taxonomic and distribution data for species, as well as data for water quality from different rivers in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh (Indian Himalaya), Nepal, and Bhutan, spanning elevational gradients from 100 m to 5000 m. We used Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) with a Gaussian error distribution to analyze the relationships between species and generic diversity in zooplankton and zoobenthos, and various environmental variables. The most significant and important environmental factor(s) driving the diversity and distribution patterns of zooplankton and zoobenthos species were determined using the least Akaike's information criterion (AIC) and the highest percentage of deviance explained (D2 ) criteria. The results indicated that water temperature is the primary environmental driver of diversity and distribution patterns for both zooplankton and zoobenthos along the elevational gradients in the Himalaya.

Minimum Support Price (MSP) is one of the many important aspects related to agricultural development. Farmers have been demanding MSP for decades, but the demand for legalisation of MSP has been raised prominently by the contemporary farmers movement. On the one hand, farmers had been engaging in protests in Tikri, Singhu (Delhi–Haryana border) and Ghazipur (Delhi–UP border) throughout the year (2020–2021) for legalisation of the MSP. On the other hand, the government is in favour of neoliberal policy and saw the MSP as an agro-ecological and financial risk. This article uses quantitative and qualitative methods to establish a relationship between MSP, agrarian issues and the farmers movement in India. The result shows that the MSP policy has had a very negative impact on agro-ecology and groundwater conditions in Punjab, Haryana and Western UP.