Assessment of Vegetation Along an Altitudinal Gradient in Khajrot Beat of Kalatop Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary of District Chamba, Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

A study was conducted to assess the composition of vegetation along an altitudinal gradient with elevations varying from 1900-2300m above msl in Khajrot beat of Kalatop Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary in district Chamba, Himachal Pradesh during 2011. Total number of plant species was 105 belonging to 60 families and 95 genera. The dominant families were Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Polygonaceae, Lamiaceae and Pinaceae. The number of tree species at 1900-2100m and 2100-2300m elevation was 14 and 10 with the dominance of Picea smithiana at both the altitudes. The number of shrub species was 23 and 19 with the dominance of Sarcococca saligna at both the elevations. The number of herb species was 61 and 54 with the dominance of Valeriana jatamansii at 1900-2100m and 2100-2300m elevation ranges respectively. The distribution pattern of most of the plant species was contiguous in all the altitudinal ranges. Index of diversity for herb species in different elevation ranges was 3.301 and 3.334. Out of 50 medicinal plant species recorded from the area, 3 species i.e. Dioscorea deltoidea, Polygonatum verticillatum and Paris polyphylla fall in the category of threatened plants. The better conservation of natural resources can be done through promotion of community based conservation, ex-situ conservation through tissue culture, developing cultivation technologies and nurseries of medicinal plants and conducting of regular training on the procedure of medicinal plants collection and processing among the end users.