Prioritization of habitats and communities for conservation in Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve, Trans Himalaya, India

Abstract

AbstractThe rapid degradation of habitats and communities throughout the globe has necessitated the need for conservation to avoid biodiversity crisis. For framing conservation and management plan for flora of any region, it is very necessary to prioritize species of that region, their preferred habitats and communities with reliable information. In the present study, prioritization of habitats and communities has been done in the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve. Ten habitats and 73 plant communities (45 shrubs and 28 herbs) distributed between 3,109 and 5,019 m were identified. Each habitat and community has been evaluated based on the ecological and socioeconomical parameters. Of the 10 habitats identified, the Moist alpine groove habitat showed highest conservation priority index (CPI), that is, 50 hence prioritized for conservation. The Ephedra gerardiana—Lonicera asperifolia mixed community showed highest CPI, that is, 62; followed by Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. turkestanica—Caragana versicolor—Ephedra intermedia mixed, Rosa webbiana—Ribes orientale mixed and Salix denticulata‐ H. rhamnoides ssp. turkestanica mixed (CPI: 60, each) communities. Regular monitoring of the prioritized habitats and communities has been suggested. Also, mass propagation of native, endemic, economically important and threatened species following biotechnological approaches and their plantation in the natural habitats of Spiti valley have been suggested. This would help in the management of habitats and communities in particular and cold desert ecosystem in general.