Distribution pattern and conservation of threatened medicinal and aromatic plants of Central Himalaya, India

Abstract

A study was conducted to examine the distribution pattern of four rhizomatous medicinal and aromatic plant species (MAPs) viz., Angelica glauca, Pleurospermum angelicoides, Rheum emodi and Arnebia benthamii in different forest stands in Central Himalaya. Results show that A. glauca and P. angelicoides had a higher (50%) frequency at Chipkoan, Garpak and Phagati forest, R. emodi had a higher (60%) frequency at Rishikund, Suki and Himtoli, and A. benthamii had a higher (70%) frequency at Suki and Khambdhar The densities of A. glauca (0.6 plants·m⁻²) and P. angelicoides (0.5 plants·m⁻²) were higher at Chipkoan and Garpak sites than at other micro-sites, while densities of R. emodi (0.8 plants·m⁻²) and A. benthamii (1.0 plants·m⁻²) were higher at Suki and Khambdhar sites. A. glauca had highest total basal covers (TBC) (1.2 cm2·m⁻²) at Chipkoan, P. angelicoides had highest TBC (0.92 cm2·m⁻²) at Lati kharak site, A. benthamii had the highest TBC (6.48 cm²·m⁻²) at Khambdhar, and R. emodi had highest TBC (4.53 cm²·m⁻²) at Rishikund. For the four studied species, A. glauca showed a contagious distribution, P. angelicoides and R. emodi showed the random and A. benthamii showed the regular type of distribution.

Keywords

alpine ecosystem / Himalaya / medicinal and aromatic plants / traditional knowledge / Uttarakhand

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