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The current study represents avian species found in and around Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. 52 bird species belonging to 6 orders and 26 families were recorded. The predominant order and family were Passeriformes and Muscicapidae, respectively. The IUCN assessment reveals that 1 species is Near Threatened (NT), while 51 are Least Concern (LC). Population trends indicate 4 increasing, 13 decreasing, 29 stables, and 6 with unknown trends. The Chailly region of Shimla boasts high bird diversity due to minimal human disturbance with abundant sightings of tits, warblers, bulbuls, streaked laughing thrush, blue whistling thrush and large-billed crows. Shimla is confronted with threats to avian diversity from construction, tourism, and deforestation, putting rare species at risk. Regular analysis of avian fauna is essential for understanding the impact of stressors on regional biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research article gives an account of the abundance and monthly variation of plankton diversity (i.e., phytoplankton and zooplankton) in Ashwani stream, Solan (H.P.). A total of 17 genera were recorded, out of which 11 belongs to Bacillariophyceae, 5 belongs to Chlorophyceae and 1 belongs to Cyanophyceae. Only single genera (Monostyla) of zooplankton were recorded. Study revealed that phytoplankton population was dominated by members of Bacillariophyceae followed by Chlorophyceae and Cyanophyceae. Relative abundance of plankton was higher during the December and January month (winter season) and lowest in April month. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water quality index (WQI) gives the complete information regarding overall quality of particular water body and is an important tool for assessing the quality of surface water. Present research article focuses on the water quality assessment of Kunah stream in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh state in India using Weighted Arithmetic water quality index method, which was determined using different water quality parameters viz., Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Electrical Conductivity (EC), pH, Total Hardness, Hardness due to Ca2+ and Mg2+, concentration of chlorides, nitrates and phosphates. Water sampling was done at two sites (upstream and downstream) of the stream. The value of WQI ranges from 61.97454 upstream to 50.50388 downstream shows that at upstream water quality is poor due to varied anthropogenic activities like bathing, washing clothes, mining and many more (reported upstream), whereas water quality is nearly good downstream supporting diverse biotic communities. But overall stream water is not suitable for drinking prior proper treatment. So, there is urgent need to appraise and monitor anthropogenic activities occurring in the stream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research work deals with the avifaunal diversity and community structure in the grasslands of Majathal Wildlife Sanctuary located in the Solan and Shimla districts of Himachal Pradesh. The present work has revealed the presence of 34 species of grassland birds belonging to 29 genera spread under 19 families and 5 orders. Of these, 14 species were obligate grassland species that depend on the montane grassland ecosystem entirely and 20 species were found to be facultatively dependent. The 16 species were reliant for nesting in the habitat and 18 species partly use the habitat for nesting. The Pearson correlation indicated a strong positive correlation between grass and bird species. An analysis of the impact of various anthropogenic activities has also been presented in the present manuscript. This study is the first attempt to describe grassland-dependent birds from the sanctuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research work deals with ichthyofaunal studies in relation to abiotic parameters in the Man stream, which is a part of the Beas riverine system in Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh. An analysis of various morphological aspects of the Man stream, the physicochemical characteristics of the stream water, and the estimation of fish faunal diversity in different habitats of the aforesaid water body has been presented in the present research paper. The redundancy analysis coordination method is used to show the correlation between environmental variables and fish species. A total of 10 fish species belonging to 5 orders (Cypriniformes, Siluriformes, Anabantiformes, Beloniformes, and Synbranchiformes) and 5 families (Cyprinidae, Channidae, Bagridae, Belonidae, and Mastacembelidae) are recorded. Cypriniformes is the dominant order, represented by five species, followed by Anabantiformes and Synbranchiformes. Threats and recommendations to protect this vital water body have also been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research article gives insight into the morphological aspects of Hill Streams of Himachal Pradesh in relation to the ichthyofaunal diversity based on the work done by the author of this article and other researchers. An account of types of streams, habitat composition, and biotic factors including fish diversity has been presented. Threats and recommendations to protect the ecology of these vital water bodies have also been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]