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The species of the subfamily Polygonoideae is an essential component of temperate forests as well as the flora of the western Himalayan region. The aim of this research was to explore the taxonomic diversity, distribution patterns, and associated flora of Polygonoideae in relation to edaphic factors in various ecological zones in the Muzaffarabad division of the Kashmir Western Himalayan Region. We applied a random sampling approach for data collection from 10 different sites with a cumulative 780 quadrats to record the diversity of wild Polygonoideae species across the Muzaffarabad division between 2021 and 2022. This study revealed 279 plant species from 192 genera and 75 families associated with Polygonoideae, with the dominant families being Asteraceae, Poaceae, Lamiaceae, and Rosaceae. Herbs were predominant in the investigated area, with a proportion of 72.40 %, followed by shrubs (9.68 %) and pteridophytes (8.24 %). The flora was dominated by therophytes (37.35 %), whereas nanophylls (37.28 %) were the most dominant leaf form. Persicaria, Rumex, and Polygonum genera were observed and collected from various ecological zones, while Bistorta, Fagopyrum, Oxyria, and Rheum were only collected from a single zone, representing a restricted niche. A total of 28 taxa from 8 genera were studied in the investigative subfamily Polygonoideae, with the majority being therophytes (57.14 %), followed by hemicryptophytes (28.57 %), and leaf form dominated by microphylls (50 %) and nanophylls (17.85 %). The average values for Shannon and Simpson's diversity for the reported plant communities were 0.96 and 3.53, respectively, whereas species richness averaged 2.43 and species evenness 0.92. The vegetation exhibited a relatively lower (

The assessment of tree biomass and its carbon (C) stock at the local and regional level is considered a crucial criterion for understanding the impact of changing environments on the global carbon cycle. In this context, we selected three sites in the western Himalayas, covering parts of Himachal Pradesh and north-eastern Haryana. Each study site experiences distinct climatic conditions, vegetation types, and elevations. We seek to elucidate the determinants of tree biomass and carbon stock across different forest types in the Western Himalayas. We found that temperate forests contributed the most biomass and carbon stock, with Cedrus deodara attaining the highest values of 782.6 ± 107.9 Mg/ha and 360 ± 49.7 Mg C/ha. In contrast, Quercus leucotrichophora mixed temperate had the lowest 286.6 ± 57.2 and 128.9 ± 25.7 Mg/C ha, respectively. Only a few species, such as Abies pindrow, Cedrus deodara, Quercus floribunda, and Quercus semecarpifolia, accounted for significant biomass and carbon stock. The lower elevation subtropical forests had the highest species richness (8–12 species) and stem density (558.3 ± 62.9 to 866.6 ± 57.7 trees/ha). Furthermore, tree diameter, total basal cover, and height emerged as the strongest predictors of biomass and C stock. The remaining variables showed no significant associations, including species diversity, climatic attributes and elevation. Thus, our study extended the assertion that vegetation composition and structural attributes, apart from climatic and topographic factors, are equally important in determining biomass and C stock in forest ecosystems. Our study indicated that the temperate forests in the western Himalayas possess significant carbon storage and climate change mitigation potential.

Abstract Background In the Himalayas, traditional knowledge and biodiversity are strongly linked due to the symbiotic interaction between plant and cultural diversity, as well as the support provided by cultural memories, ecological awareness, and social norms. Our study was focused on documenting the vanishing knowledge in the Kashmir Himalaya with the following main objectives: 1) to document the ethnomedical and cultural knowledge of the local flora, 2) to evaluate the cross-cultural use of the flora in the region, and, finally, 3) to identify the key indicator species utilized by each ethnic group using multivariate statistical analysis. Methods We used semi-structured questionnaires to conduct interviews with people of different ethnicity, gender, age, and occupational categories. The intercultural relationships of species utilization among ethnic groups were examined using a Venn diagram. The overall trends between the indicator values and the plant species used by diverse ethnic groups were illustrated using the linear regression model. Results We recorded 46 species belonging to 25 different families used by the local people of the Kashmir Valley belonging to four ethnic groups (Gujjar, Bakarwal, Pahari, and Kashmiri). The dominant families recorded were Asteraceae and Ranunculaceae followed by Caprifoliaceae. Rhizomes were the most utilized plant part, followed by leaves. A total of 33 ailments were treated with plants, and gastrointestinal disorders were treated with most species followed by musculoskeletal diseases and dermatological problems. Across cultural relationships, the Gujjar and Pahari showed greater similarity (17%). This may be due to the fact that both ethnic groups share a common geographical landscape and are exogamous to each other. We identified key indicator species used by different ethnic groups with significant (p ≤ 0.05) values. For instance, in the Gujjar ethnic group, Aconitum heterophyllum and Phytolacca acinosa had significant indicator value, which was due to the fact that these plants were easily accessible and also had a wide range of uses. In contrast, the Bakarwal ethnic group showed different indicator species, with Rheum spiciforme and Rhododendron campanulatum being highly significant (p ≤ 0.05), because this ethnic group spends the majority of their time in high-altitude pastures, using a particularly wide variety of plant species for medicine, food, and fuelwood. While indicator values and plant usage were positively correlated for the Gujjar, Kashmiri, and Pahari ethnic groups, they were negatively correlated for the Bakarwal. The positive correlation indicates cultural preferences for certain plant use and underlines the cultural significance of each species. The current study reported new uses for the following species: raw roots of Jurinea dolomiaea used for tooth cleaning, seeds of Verbascum thapsus applied for respiratory diseases, and flowers of Saussurea simpsoniana given to anyone as a good luck wish. Conclusion The current study highlights historical ethnic group stratifications and cultural standing while comparing reported taxa across cultures. Each ethnic group made extensive ethnomedical use of plants, and knowledge, originally transmitted verbally, is now available in writing for reference. This could pave the way for providing incentives to local communities to showcase their talents, celebrate them, and gain from potential development initiatives.

Human expansion and anthropogenic activities are causing the conversion of forests to other land uses in the Himalayas, which is threatening species with extinction. To address this issue, we used an ensemble model to simulate the future landscape and assess its impact on the Kashmir Musk Deer (KMD) distribution in the context of land use change. Our simulation suggests a decline in croplands and shrublands and increase of mixed forests in the future scenario. Evergreen broad-leaf and needle-leaf forests are likely to convert to mixed forests, while croplands and barren areas transform into savannas. Precipitation, elevation, and mixed forests were found to be the most significant factors influencing KMD distribution. Only 20,690 km2 out of the total area of 324,666 km2 is currently suitable for KMD, but this is projected to increase to 22,701.47 km2 in the future. We predict a habitat gain of about 2,722 km2 in new areas and a loss of 711 km2 in existing habitats for KMD by 2030, with Uttarakhand state losing much of the suitable habitat. However, new habitats in future will become available for the species in Jammu and Kashmir. Our landscape configuration investigation indicates a decline in the number of patches and aggregation index in the future scenario. Most of the suitable KMD habitats are outside the current protected areas (PA), making the current PA network insufficient for long-term conservation. Therefore, we suggest forest managers to rationalize the boundary of the PAs to include suitable habitats that are currently not protected for the long-term survival of the KMD.

The present study aimed to characterize pinto and cranberry bean landraces of Kashmir valley. A set of 30 genotypes including 16 pinto and 12 cranberry type bean landraces and two checks viz., Shalimar Rajmash-1 (SR-1) and Shalimar French Bean-1 (SFB-1) were evaluated for seven qualitative and 10 quantitative traits. There was a substantial variation among 30 accessions (28 landraces and 2 checks) evaluated for all the traits. Out of 28 landrace accessions, 13 were bushy type and 15 were pole type. Pods were predominantly green and seed colour was predominantly brown with characteristic mottling of varying colour shades. Out of 30 accessions, 16 were medium sized with oval seeds. There was substantial variability as depicted by a wide range for both morphological and seed quality traits pertaining to water absorption as well as protein content and phytic acid. The heat map revealed that seed yield had a significant correlation with the number of pods per plant (0.505), followed by seed length (0.455) and seeds per pod (0.414). Similarly, water absorption percentage was significantly correlated with hydration coefficient followed by seed wet weight and hydration capacity but was negatively correlated with hard shell percentage and coat proportion. Principal component analysis based on the seed yield and related traits concentrated the variability in the first three components for morphological traits and four components for seed quality traits explaining 67.23 % and 78.60 % variation, respectively. A number of desirable genotypes could be identified based on consistent performance for various maturity, yield and seed quality traits including high protein and low phytic acid content.

The moist temperate forests extend along the whole length of outer ranges of Himalaya between the subtropical pine forests and sub-alpine timberline formation with a rainfall from 400 mm to 800 mm. The altitudinal range is from 1500 m to 3000 m. The floristic variation in these Himalayan forests is poorly understood especially in the study area. Species composition may be either unpredictable or it may correspond to environmental heterogeneity. Vegetation from 144 stands in between 2000 – 2700 m altitude was sampled. Soil samples were collected to document edaphic conditions. Soils were physically and chemically analyzed. Ordination (DECORANA) and classificatory techniques were used to analyze the vegetation data. No clear disjunct vegetation patterns emerged from these analyses. The major axes brought out by the ordination were related to altitude and although it is possible to relate the units of classification to broad soil types. Soil chemical properties, litter cover and rockiness were significantly associated with the vegetation variation along an altitudinal gradient. The application of classification to the ordination allowed the interpretations of the vegetation variation in terms of topography and predictable climatic factors such as rainfall, wind speed and extent of snow accumulation. The vegetation patterns revealed have been discussed in relation to the general problem of plant community definition in continuous forest type. Our results demonstrate the overlapping rather than clearly discrete boundaries between the vegetation types and species distributions. This overlapping nature of the vegetation types are discussed in terms of overlapping environmental preferences of the species. Our results are consistent with notion that species separate edaphically and landscape scale within the uniform looking forest. This view maintains that differences in soil within the forest are distinct enough to favor different species, and thus create numerous floristically differentiated forest patches along the altitudinal gradients. The findings that non obvious but distinct floristic and edaphic variation exist within the Himalayan moist temperate forests at the landscape scale have important practical implications for forest management. In biodiversity conservation a high degree of habitat heterogeneity implies an increased need for wide-scale information on species distribution and endemism patterns to better assess where the different habitats are, which species they harbor, and where conservation efforts should be concentrated. The overlapping nature of vegetation types and hazy boundaries of the plant communities implies that plant ecologists must continue to attempt the difficult definition of hazy boundaries.

Gloydius is a widespread pitviper group occurring from Eastern Europe to Korea and Siberia, with only one known species, G. himalayanus (Günther, 1864), found south of the Himalayas. We provide combined genetic and morphological data for G. himalayanus from specimens collected from Himachal Pradesh, India. Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analysis were performed on four concatenated mitochondrial genes, along with a multi-locus coalescent analysis of these and five additional nuclear genes. Our results indicate that G. himalayanus from the Chamba Valley, in western Himachal Pradesh, are highly distinct from the remaining studied populations. Haplotype networks of each nuclear locus showed that G. himalayanus contains high haplotype diversity with low haplotype sharing between the Chamba Valley population and populations from further west. Principal component analysis and canonical variate analysis conducted on morphological data of live and museum specimens also highlight the morphological distinctiveness of the Chamba population and we herein describe this population as a new species, Gloydius chambensis sp. nov. Recent descriptions of other new species of snakes from this valley underscores its isolation and suggests that further herpetological investigation of the highly dissected landscapes of the western Himalayas is needed to assess the true diversity of the region.

Quantification of carbon stocks is critical to evaluate the potential of an ecosystem to mitigate the impact of global climate change in the REDD + scenario. Present research project was designed to gauge the sequestered carbon in Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii) dominated forests in the foothills of the western Himalayan region of Kashmir which constitute a significant regional carbon pool. The study outcomes revealed an average carbon stock value of 94.3 Mg/ha from which 68 Mg/ha was shared by soil organic carbon (SOC); whereas average biomass carbon share was 26.3 Mg/ha. P. roxburghii was the most noteworthy species containing an average carbon stock value of 5.93 Mg/ha followed by Quercus incana (3.59 Mg/ha) and Olea cuspidata (2.26 Mg/ha). Average forest biomass was chronicled as 52.5 Mg/ha from which tree biomass was 49.34 Mg/ha. Shrub and herb biomass contributed 1.95 and 0.53 Mg/ha correspondingly whereas the Leaf litter and deadwood necromass produced an average of 0.67 Mg/ha. Ordination analysis revealed that the forest carbon stocks were significantly influenced by the species composition, structural attributes as well as anthropogenic disturbances. Current study has resulted in generating a standard baseline dataset of the regional carbon stocks with diverse implications for sustainable carbon management in REDD + perspective.

The impact of a changing climate, particularly global warming, often harms the distribution of pheasants, particularly those with limited endemic ranges. To effectively create plans of action aimed at conserving species facing threats such as the Western Tragopan, (Tragopan melanocephalus; Gray, 1829; Galliformes, found in the western Himalayas), it is crucial to understand how future distributions may be affected by anticipated climate change. This study utilized MaxEnt modeling to assess how suitable the habitat of the targeted species is likely to be under different climate scenarios. While similar studies have been conducted regionally, there has been no research on this particular endemic animal species found in the western Himalayas throughout the entire distribution range. The study utilized a total of 200 occurrence points; 19 bioclimatic, four anthropogenic, three topographic, and a vegetation variable were also used. To determine the most fitting model, species distribution modeling (SDM) was employed, and the MaxEnt calibration and optimization techniques were utilized. Data for projected climate scenarios of the 2050s and 2070s were obtained from SSPs 245 and SSPs 585. Among all the variables analyzed; aspect, precipitation of coldest quarter, mean diurnal range, enhanced vegetation index, precipitation of driest month, temperature seasonality, annual precipitation, human footprint, precipitation of driest quarter, and temperature annual range were recognized as the most influential drivers, in that order. The predicted scenarios had high accuracy values (AUC-ROC > 0.9). Based on the feedback provided by the inhabitants, it was observed that the livability of the selected species could potentially rise (between 3.7 to 13%) in all projected scenarios of climate change, because this species is relocating towards the northern regions of the elevation gradient, which is farther from the residential areas, and their habitats are shrinking. The suitable habitats of the Tragopan melanocephalus in the Himalayan region will move significantly by 725 m upwards, because of predicted climate change. However, the fact that the species is considered extinct in most areas and only found in small patches suggests that further research is required to avert a further population decline and delineate the reasons leading to the regional extinction of the species. The results of this study can serve as a foundation for devising conservation strategies for Tragopan melanocephalus under the changing climate and provide a framework for subsequent surveillance efforts aimed at protecting the species.

Insufficient research has been conducted on musk deer species across their distribution range, primarily because of their elusive behaviour and the fact they occupy remote high-altitude habitats in the Himalayas above 2500 m. The available distribution records, primarily derived from ecological studies with limited photographic and indirect evidence, fail to provide comprehensive information on the species distribution. Consequently, uncertainties arise when attempting to determine the presence of specific taxonomic units of musk deer in the Western Himalayas. This lack of knowledge hampers species-oriented conservation efforts, as there need to be more species-specific initiatives focused on monitoring, protecting, and combatting the illegal poaching of musk deer for their valuable musk pods. We used transect surveys (220 trails), camera traps (255 cameras), non-invasive DNA sampling (40 samples), and geospatial modelling (279 occurrence records) to resolve the taxonomic ambiguity, and identify the suitable habitat of musk deer (Moschus spp.) in Uttarkashi District of Uttarakhand and the Lahaul–Pangi landscape of Himachal Pradesh. All the captured images and DNA-based identification results confirmed the presence of only Kashmir musk deer (KDM) (Moschus cupreus) in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. The results suggest that KMD inhabit a narrow range of suitable habitats (6.9%) of the entire Western Himalayas. Since all evidence indicates that only KMD are present in the Western Himalayas, we suggest that the presence of other species of musk deer (Alpine musk deer and Himalayan musk deer) was wrongly reported. Therefore, future conservation plans and management strategies must focus only on KMD in the Western Himalayas.

Adaptation to changing environmental conditions is a driver of plant diversification. Elevational gradients offer a unique opportunity for investigating adaptation to a range of climatic conditions. The use of specialized metabolites as volatile and phenolic compounds is a major adaptation in plants, affecting their reproductive success and survival by attracting pollinators and protecting themselves from herbivores and other stressors. The wormseed Artemisia brevifolia can be found across multiple elevations in the Western Himalayas, a region that is considered a biodiversity hotspot and is highly impacted by climate change. This study aims at understanding the volatile and phenolic compounds produced by A. brevifolia in the high elevation cold deserts of the Western Himalayas with the view to understanding the survival strategies employed by plants under harsh conditions. Across four sampling sites with different elevations, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sampling and subsequent GCMS analyses showed that the total number of volatile compounds in the plant headspace increased with elevation and that this trend was largely driven by an increase in compounds with low volatility, which might improve the plant’s resilience to abiotic stress. HPLC analyses showed no effect of elevation on the total number of phenolic compounds detected in both young and mature leaves. However, the concentration of the majority of phenolic compounds decreased with elevation. As the production of phenolic defense compounds is a costly trait, plants at higher elevations might face a trade-off between energy expenditure and protecting themselves from herbivores. This study can therefore help us understand how plants adjust secondary metabolite production to cope with harsh environments and reveal the climate adaptability of such species in highly threatened regions of our planet such as the Himalayas.

Abies pindrow is a keystone tree species of temperate forests in the Himalayan range with immense ecological significance. The current study was designed to investigate the spatial distribution, population structure, associated flora, and sustainability of Abies pindrow in the temperate forests of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan. Vegetation data were collected from 48 forest sites distributed in six districts of AJK with respect to the geography, microclimates, and vegetation structure by employing a systematic quadrate-based methodology. Abies pindrow populations were characterized by an average stem density of 183.9 trees/ha with an average basal area cover of 789 cm. A. pindrow populations showed a regeneration value of 555.6 seedlings/ha. A digital elevation model revealed that A. pindrow exhibited a large extent of distribution in an altitudinal range of 1800–3400 m. GIS analysis identified that north-facing slopes with a moderate degree of slope steepness constitutes the preferred habitat of the species in the Kashmir mountains. A floristic analysis revealed that a total of 282 species from 74 plant families comprised the associated flora of A. pindrow-dominated forests with Pinus wallichiana, Picea smithiana, Aesculus indica, and Viburnum grandiflorum as codominant companion species. A. pindrow forests exhibited significant levels of species diversity and richness with average values of Simpson’s diversity as 0.94, Shannon’s diversity as 3.09, species richness as 1.45, and maturity index value as 45.9%. The A. pindrow populations in the study area were found to be subjected to significant deforestation pressure along with overgrazing and erosion impacts. Results provide valuable scientific information for the conservation management of A. pindrow populations, ensuring the sustainability of temperate forest ecosystems in the Western Himalayan region of Kashmir.

The rising intensity and frequency of extreme temperature events are caused due to climate change and are likely to affect the entire world. In this context, the Himalayas are reported to be very sensitive to changes in temperature extremes. In this study, we investigate the variability of temperature extremes over the Northwest Himalayas in the early 21st century (2000–2018). Here, we used 14 temperature indices recommended by ETCCDI (Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices). The present study reveals the trends of extreme temperature indices on the spatial scale for the western part of the Northwest Himalayas. The 14 temperature indices were used to assess the behavior of extreme temperature trends with their significance. This study reports that the northwestern region of the study area has a cooling effect due to an increase in the trends of cold spells, cold days/nights, and frost days, while the southwestern region significantly shows the warming effects due to the increasing trends in warm spells, warm days/nights, and summer days. On the other hand, the eastern region of the study area shows mixed behavior, i.e., some places show warm effects while some reveal cold effects in the early 21st century. Overall, this study implies the northwestern parts have cooling trends while the southwestern and southeastern parts have warming trends during the early 21st century.

Proglacial lakes are continually developing and expanding across the Himalayan glaciered terrain in response to climate change. These lakes are known to destabilize the glaciers by enhancing their frontal ablation, causing higher than average glacier area and mass losses. Thus, to comprehend the dynamics of proglacial lakes and their influence on the overall glacier health, we study the lake-terminating Dulung Glacier located in the Suru sub-basin, Ladakh, western Himalaya and compare it with the adjacent land-terminating Chilung Glacier. The pronounced melting of the Dulung Glacier, supported by glacier topography (surface gradient between accumulation and ablation zone) and valley morphology (wider near the snout and narrower downwards), seems to be the prime reason for the formation, accommodation and sustenance of the proglacial lake. The expansion in proglacial lake (.008 km2a−1) during 1977–2018 is accompanied by an enhanced degeneration of the Dulung Glacier (mass balance: −.47 ± .06 m w.e.a−1, shrinkage rate: .3 ± .001% a−1; retreat rate: 32 ± .7 ma−1, surface ice velocity reduction: 16%), which has accelerated post-1993. In comparison, land-terminating Chilung Glacier shows lower degeneration rates (mass balance: −.28 ± .02 m w.e.a−1; shrinkage rate: .2 ± .001% a−1; retreat rate: 17 ± 0.7 ma−1, surface ice velocity reduction: 8%) during 1971–2018. This suggests a substantial impact of the proglacial lake in enhancing the Dulung Glacier’s sensitivity towards climate change compared to the Chilung Glacier. If the current rate of lake expansion continues, it would further enhance the Dulung Glaciers’ degeneration rates, thus impacting its stability.

Animal-derived products have an important role in treating many health conditions and have widely been used across cultures. In South Asia, ethnozoological research has been conducted only by a small number of researchers. Therefore, this area of research needs further exploration in order to preserve the eroding ethnozoological knowledge of medicinal animals severely affected by ongoing social change. This study was conducted in the region of Jammu and Kashmir from February 2019 to August 2021. The study was carried out among eight different ethnic groups living in the region. A total of 374 informants were selected and data were collected through semi-structured interviews and verified through group discussions. Data was analyzed using different statistical tools, including R 4.0.0. The cross-cultural data were compared through Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Genomics software and later subjected to further analysis, applying Pearson correlation and ordination techniques (Principal Component Analysis). We recorded a total of 79 animal species being used by the eight studied ethnic groups in the region. Wild animal species were mainly used for therapeutic purposes. Chest infections, sexual problems, and paralysis were frequently treated diseases. Flesh was the most commonly part used. The cross-cultural comparison showed a remarkable heterogeneity in the use of the animals among the different groups, which could be an effect to the historical sociocultural stratifications, as well as different religious affiliation of certain groups preventing them to forage or hunt certain animals. Some groups however showed prominent overlap of uses of some recorded species. For instance, Lerwalerwa and Bubalus bubalis were commonly used by both Gujjar and Pahari, which could be referred to the fact that they have gone through significant socio-cultural contact, and they are exogamous to each other. The Pearson correlation coefficient supported the strength and direction of an association between ethnic groups and regions. The study makes an important contribution to the field of ethnozoology in the Himalayas by providing insights to understand the historical human and nature relationships and supplying a baseline for developing future conservation efforts in the region to protect the wild fauna

Plant resources have always been valuable in human life, and many plant species are used in medicine, food, and ritual, and resource utilization is closely related to cultural diversity. Our study was conducted from June 2019 to April 2021, during which we aimed to document the local knowledge of plant resources of five ethnic groups, i.e., the Gujjar, Bakarwal, Kashmiri, Pahari, and Dogra communities of the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) region, Western Himalayas. Through semi-structured interviews (N = 342) and group discussions (N = 38), we collected data on the ethnobotanical uses of plant resources. The data was subjected to hierarchical cluster analysis and ordination techniques (Principal Component Analysis) via, R software of version 4.0.0. Traditional uses were classified into three groups, i.e., single-, double-, and multi-use groups. The study recorded a total of 127 plant species, belonging to 113 genera and distributed among 64 botanical families. The dominant plant families were the Asteraceae, with 8% of all species, followed by Lamiaceae (6%), Polygonaceae (5%) and Ranunculaceae (4%). The recorded plant taxa were frequently used for medicine (51.4% responses), followed by food (14.9%), and fodder (9.5%). Principal component analysis (PCA) separated three groups of provisioning services depending on plant consumption preference levels. Comparative analysis showed remarkable similarities in plant uses (food, medicinal) among the Gujjar and Bakarwal ethnic groups, as both groups share a common culture. Some plants like Azadirachta indica, Brassica campestris, Ulmus wallichiana, Amaranthus blitum, and Celtis australis were also used for magico-religious purposes. We also recorded some medicinal uses that are new to the ethnobotanical literature of the J&K Himalayas, such as for Betula utilis, Sambucus wightiana, and Dolomiaea macrocephala, in our case for example local medicinal recipe, which is derived from Dolomiaea macrocephala, often known as Nashasta, used to treat weakness, back pain, and joint pain. Similarly, we also recorded new food uses for Eremurus himalaicus. Moreover, we also observed some plants for instance, Fragaria nubicola, Betula utilis and Juniperus communis have spiritual significance (i.e., amulets and scrolls) for this part of the Himalayan region. The present study provides a useful tool for resource management and can help in developing scientifically informed strategies for the conservation of plant resources.

Disappearance of mountain glaciers and formation/expansion of glacial lakes are among the most distinguishable and dynamic impacts of climate warming in the Himalayas. The present research focuses on the identification of potential sites for future lake formation in the 65 selected study glaciers of Chandra basin located in the western Himalayas. The study adopted stress-driven, physics-based GlabTop2_IITB model to obtain the ice-thickness distribution, which was then used to extract the bedrock topography. Based on the overdeepenings determined from the derived glacier bed topographies, a total of 350 potential future glacial lakes (PFGLs) were identified, and a detailed high-resolution database of these lakes was generated. The identified PFGLs were found to occupy an area of 49.56 km2, corresponding to 8.4% of the current total area of the 65 study glaciers (591 km2). The total storage volume of these PFGLs was estimated as 1.08 ± 0.16 km3. In our study region, 20 PFGLs were identified as potentially hazardous in the event of glacial lake outburst flood occurrence, and their combined storage volume was found to be more than 106 m3, which calls for continuous monitoring of the glaciers in this region.

Abstract Background In Himalayas, particularly Jammu and Kashmir, where 85% of people depend on agriculture and allied sectors, 70% of agriculture is rain-fed. While the Himalayas, highly seismic, contribute highest in sediment transported to the world oceans, surface soil is under threat due to erosion, and Rajouri district in western Himalayas is no exception. Various factors, especially land use pattern and climate change, further affect the soil fertility and nutrient contents. However, information on essential nutrients in the soil across the region is meager. Methods We examined soil texture, soil type, lime status, pH, EC and select nutrients in January (non-cropping season) and June (cropping season) in paddy/wheat fields in Rajouri town, and its upstream and downstream locations. We also examined area under major crops, yield and fertilizer inputs from 2000 to 2012. Results Wilcoxon signed-rank test, a non-parametric statistical hypothesis test used when comparing two related samples, showed that pH, EC, K, Zn, Fe and Mn are higher in January than in June while OC, N, P, Na, Mg, Ca and Cu are vice versa. Kruskal–Wallis test, another non-parametric statistical hypothesis test used when comparing more than two related samples, showed nutrients varying significantly from upstream to downstream in both the seasons. Area and yield under rice, wheat and maize cultivation during 2000–2012 did not show any significant change. During the period, while significant increase in N and P input was seen, micronutrients remain neglected. Correlation matrix shows significant relation among the nutrients in January and June. In the case of rice, the yield was significantly positively correlated with area under cultivation, but in the case of wheat, the yield was negatively correlated with the area. Conclusions The study presents baseline information on soil characteristics across seasons and locations in Rajouri. It highlights the inadequacy of the official database and need for generating accurate data on crops and yields that are more authentic.

A survey based questionnaire research was conducted in Sainj Valley, Himachal Pradesh. The survey was conducted in June-July 2015 in an area affected due to hydro power projects (HPPs). A total of 48 individuals participated in the survey. Based on survey questionnaire, it was found that native rural people perceived that HPPs had significantly brought positive change in life of native people and were therefore in favour of HPPs. However, large section of native people had not been benefited of HPPs. The decline in agriculture production, change in cropping pattern and poor access of water to native people were some of the negative implications of these projects. The dependence of native people on forest resources has not declined much and still number of local individuals depends on forest resources to supplement their income. Though, in current scenario people has benefited from such projects, however it is not known if it will be sustained for long time due to current unsustainable agriculture practices and limited employment opportunities. Moreover, Government should provide adequate compensation to the affected individuals by either providing a suitable land for agriculture or employment under various rural sector schemes.

Aim: Ascites is one of the major complications of liver cirrhosis. In addition, ascites can develop because of peritoneal tuberculosis, malignancy, cardiac, and renal disorders. The purpose of this study was to evaluate epidemiological data on the etiological profile of ascites in adults in a tertiary care hospital in the Northern hilly state of the Western Himalayas. Materials and Methods: A 1-year hospital-based cross section observational study was conducted in the Department of Medicine and Gastroenterology in a tertiary care center of Himachal Pradesh, located in the Northern India. In all 168 patients who were diagnosed as ascites on the basis of history, physical examination, ultrasonography, and of age >18 years were included in the study. Detail history examination and investigation were carried in each case as per protocol. Results: Cirrhosis of liver was the leading cause of ascites in our study (60.7%), tuberculosis was the second most common cause of ascites (13%), malignancy and cardiac disorders were the third (7.7%) most common causes for ascites. Alcohol was the leading cause of cirrhosis in 75 patients (73.5%). Conclusion: The study identified cirrhosis of liver as the leading cause of ascites and alcoholism as the most common cause of cirrhosis. The measures on taking care of preventable risk factors are desired.

The interplay of moisture, temperature, and precipitation forced through the orographic processes sustain and regulate the Himalayan cryospheric system. However, factors influencing the Slope Environmental Lapse Rate (SELR) of temperature along the Himalayan mountain slopes and an appropriate modeling solution remain as a key knowledge gaps. The present study evaulates the SELR variations in the monsoon regime of the western Himalaya and proposes a modeling solution for the valley scale SELR assessment. SELR of selected station pairs in the Sutlej and Beas basins ranging between the elevation of 662–3,130 m a.s.l. and that of Garhwal Himalaya between 770 and 3,820 m a.s.l. were assessed in this study. Results suggest that the moisture–temperature interplay is not only forcing the seasonal variations, but also the elevation-depended variability of the temperature SELR. Temperature lapse rate constrianed to the nival–glacier regime is found to be comparable to the saturated adiabatic lapse rate (SALR) and lower than the valley scale SELR. The study also suggests that the bi-modal pattern of the annual temperature lapse rates earlier observed in the Nepal Himalaya is extended up to upper Ganga, Sutlej, and Beas basins in the western Himalaya. This seasonal variability of SELR is found to be closly linked with the seasonal variations in the lifting condensation levels (LCLs) over the region. Inter-annual variation in SELR of the nival–glacier regime are found to be significant while that of the valley scale SELR are more stable. We propose a simple preliminary but robust model for deriving the valley scale SELR of monsoon regime modifying the equation governing pseudo adiabatic lapse rate. The SELR modeling solution is achieved by deriving monthly SELR indices using the data of two station pairs in the Sutlej and Beas basins during the 1986–2005 period through K-fold cross validation. The model sucessfully captures seasonal SELR variations, and was tested compared to the station pairs in the upper Ganga basin as well and showed significant improvement over the standard environmental lapse rate of 6.5 K/km.

Aim: In the present study, genetic characterization of Gaddi goat breed, a native to north temperate western Himalayan region of India, was carried out for the purpose of breed characterization and assessing existing intra-population genetic diversity. Materials and Methods: Totally, 75 blood samples procured at random from genetically unrelated animals of two sexes and different age groups and true to breed type were collected from different locations in the breeding tract of these goats in Himachal Pradesh, of which only 51 samples with desired quantity and quality were subjected to further processing for DNA isolation. The multi-locus genotype data were generated on 51 Gaddi goats sampled across different regions of the breeding tract in Himachal Pradesh using 15 FAO recommended goat specific microsatellite markers, which gave amplification and observed and effective number of alleles, gene frequency, observed and expected heterozygosity were estimated through PopGene software (1.3.1). Results: A total of 135 distinct alleles were observed with mean observed and effective number of alleles as 9.0000±0.82 and 6.5874±0.56 respectively across all 15 studied loci. The maximum (15) alleles were contributed by loci DRBP1 and P19/DYA and the least (5) by SRCRSP5. The mean heterozygosity was observed to be 0.8347±0.01 ranging from 0.7584 (SRCRSP5) to 0.9156 (P19-DYA) across all loci. The mean observed (HO) and expected (HE) heterozygosities across all loci were 0.7484±0.02 and 0.8431±0.01 respectively. The polymorphism information content (PIC) value ranged from 0.7148 (SRCPS5) to 0.909 (P19-DYA) with mean PIC of 0.8105±0.01 in the present study. The average heterozygosity was observed to be 0.8347±0.01 ranging from 0.7584 (SRCRSP5) to 0.9156 P19 (DYA) across all loci. Conclusion: Microsatellite analysis revealed high level of polymorphism across studied microsatellite markers and informativeness of the markers for genetic diversity analysis studies in Gaddi goats. This high level of polymorphism can be utilized to plan future association studies to exploit the uniqueness and adaptability of indigenous Gaddi goat breed of Western Himalayas. Most studied microsatellite markers had desired neutrality, thus proving to be good candidates for genetic characterization and diversity analysis in Gaddi breed of goats also.

To study the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) among newly diagnosed hypertensive patients in a tertiary care hospital in the northern hilly state of Himachal Pradesh, India, located in western Himalayas at a moderate altitude of 2200 m above mean sea level. One hundred and eighteen newly diagnosed hypertensive patients above the age of 20 years were studied in a hospital-based cross-sectional study. MS prevalence was estimated by International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria and modified National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) criteria. Student′s t-test was used to compare the mean of the continuous variables. Chi-square test was used to compare discrete variables. The prevalence of MS in hypertensive patients was 68.6% (modified NCEP-ATP III) and 63.6% (IDF criteria). The most common phenotype of MS with the component of hypertension was the coexistence of waist circumference (90.1%), low high-density lipoprotein (HDL; 70.4%), and high triglycerides (67.9%) as per the modified NCEP-ATP III criteria, and low HDL (76.2%) and high triglycerides (66.4%) as per the IDF criteria. Fasting blood glucose (33.2% as per the modified NCEP-ATP III criteria and 32.6% as per the IDF criteria) was the least significant factor having an association with MS. The prevalence of MS among hypertensive patients was high and indicates the need for metabolic screening in all hypertensive patients at the first diagnosis.

Equivalent to the Lower Siwalik Group, the Late Miocene Chinji Formation in Pakistan consists of interbedded in-channel sandstone (SSt) and overbank mudstone (MSt) sequences. Twelve sandstone and sixteen mudstone samples from three different sections of the formation in southwestern Kohat, NW Pakistan were analyzed for major elements and selected trace elements. The Chinji sandstones are feldspathic and lithic arenites. They are mostly matrix-supported, moderately to well sorted, and contain angular to rounded framework grains. Authigenic carbonate makes up most of the matrix. The framework grains consist of abundant monocrystalline quartz, alkali feldspar, and lithic fragments with subordinate mica and trace to accessory amounts of heavy minerals including epidote, monazite, apatite, garnet, rutile, and brown hornblende. The lithic fragments consist of sedimentary, volcanic, and low-grade metamorphic rocks.The average concentration of Zr, Nb and Y, and the Ba/Sc and Ba/Co ratios in the studied samples are lower than the corresponding values for the upper continental crust (UCC) and Post-Archean Australian Shale (PAAS) indicating the presence of mafic phases in the source area(s). The high average Cr/Zr and Cr/V ratios of the investigated samples relative to UCC and PASS also support the presence of mafic lihtologies, possibly chromite and ultramafic rocks in the source region. The La/Sc and Th/Sc ratios of the Chingi samples are more like the UCC while the Th/Co and Cr/Th ratios suggest a major contribution from mafic rocks. The average percent differences of the Chinji samples from both the UCC and PAAS in terms of critical silicic to basic trace element ratios (Ba/Co, Ba/Sc, La/Co, La/Sc, Th/Co, Th/Sc, Zr/Cr, and Zr/Sc) suggest a mafic contribution of 23 to 47% (mudstone) and 56 to 69% (sandstone). The lower Th/U, Rb/Sr and Zr/Sc ratios in the studied samples than the corresponding values of the UCC and PAAS suggest negligible recycling for the sediments of the Chinji Formation. Petrographic point count data on the Chinji sandstone indicate sediment derivation from a dissected arc, suture belt, and recycled orogen corresponding to the Kohistan-Ladakh Arc, the Indus Suture Zone, and the Himalayan Tectonic units, respectively. The different source rocks identified on the basis of various petrographic and geochemical parameters occur as part of the mentioned tectonic domains.

In recent years, the Quetta Valley and surrounding areas have experienced unprecedented levels of subsidence, which has been attributed mainly to groundwater withdrawal. However, this region is also tectonically active and is home to several regional strike-slip faults, including the north–south striking left-lateral Chaman Fault System. Several large earthquakes have occurred recently in this area, including one deadly Mw 6.4 earthquake that struck on 28 October 2008. This study integrated Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) results with GPS, gravity, seismic reflection profiles, and earthquake centroid-moment-tensor (CMT) data to identify the impact of tectonic and anthropogenic processes on subsidence and earthquake patterns in this region. To detect and map the spatial-temporal features of the processes that led to the surface deformation, this study used two Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) time series, i.e., 15 Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) images acquired by an Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) from 2006–2011 and 40 Environmental Satellite (ENVISAT) Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) images spanning 2003–2010. A Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) technique was used to investigate surface deformation. Five seismic lines totaling ~60 km, acquired in 2003, were used to map the blind thrust faults beneath a Quaternary alluvium layer. The median filtered SBAS-InSAR average velocity profile supports groundwater withdrawal as the dominant source of subsidence, with some contribution from tectonic subsidence in the Quetta Valley. Results of SBAS-InSAR multi-temporal analysis provide a better explanation for the pre-, co-, and post-seismic displacement pattern caused by the 2008 earthquake swarms across two strike-slip faults.

Background: Diabetes mellitus affects individuals of all ages and socioeconomic status. Skin is affected by the acute metabolic derangements as well as by chronic degenerative complications of diabetes. Aims: To evaluate the prevalence of skin manifestations in patients with diabetes mellitus. To analyze the prevalence and pattern of skin disorders among diabetic patients from this region of Western Himalayas. Materials and Methods: One hundred consecutive patients with the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and having skin lesions, either attending the diabetic clinic or admitted in medical wards were included in this study. Results: The common skin disorders were: x0 erosis (44%), diabetic dermopathy (36%), skin tags (32%), cutaneous infections (31%), and seborrheic keratosis (30%). Conclusion: Skin is involved in diabetes quite often and the manifestations are numerous. High prevalence of xerosis in our diabetic population is perhaps due to cold and dry climatic conditions in the region for most of the time in the year.