DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION PATTERN OF HIGH ALTUDE MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS OF SANGLA VALLEY IN HIMACHAL PRADESH

摘要

Species composition and distribution pattern of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) was analyzed at four different sites of altitude ranging from 3,600-4,800 m above msl of Sangla valley of District Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh. For conducting Phytosociological studies, complete survey of the area was carried out to select four sites, keeping in view richness of medicinal and aromatic plants. At all the four sites Jurinea dolomiaea and Corydalis govaniana were, respectively, the most and least represented herb species, whereas, Rhododendron anthopogon was most represented and Cassiope fastigiata was the least represented shrub species. Most of the herb species showed contiguous distribution, followed by random, whereas all the recorded shrub speciesshowed random followed by contiguous distribution pattern. However, most of these species are on the verge of extinction due to various factors like lack of ecological knowledge of these plants, over-exploitation for economic gain, grazing etc. For thescientific management of these plant species the study of the soil, geology, climate, associated vegetation and resource availability in their natural habitat are pre-requisite before the endemic diversity of these plant species wiped out from the nature.