Assessing potential habitats and populations of selected medicinal herbs in Alpine areas of Uttarakhand, Western Himalaya

Abstract

We assessed the areas under suitable habitats and population of ten high value medicinal herbs in alpine region of Uttarakhand, Western Himalaya. Topographic, landcover, physiographic, edaphic and bioclimatic variables were used to predict the potential distribution of these plants in the alpine vegetation zone. Field surveys were conducted to collect occurrence data, and the abundance of species was assessed through rapid mapping exercises. The study found that certain habitat types, particularly Danthonia-dominated grassy slopes, herbaceous meadows, and shrubberies between 3000-4100 m elevations on specific slopes, were preferred by the MAPs. Among the threatened MAPs, Allium stracheyi had the largest potential distribution area (588 km2) with a moderate abundance of 1.7 individuals/m2, while Aconitum balfourii had the smallest potential distribution area (100 km2) with low abundance (0.2 individuals/m2). The results of the MaxEnt analysis identified several significant contributing factors for the potential distribution of threatened species, including aspect, slope, vegetation type, mean diurnal temperature, and precipitation during the wettest months. Based on the potential distribution and abundance data, specific meadows such as Valley of Flowers, Kandara, Ralam, Milam, Tungnath, Panchachuli, and Pindari were identified as priorities for in-situ conservation and management efforts.