Himalayan Mountain Research Articles

FERMENTATION, PURIFICATION AND IN-VITRO EVALUATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL, ANTITUMOR AND ANTIOXIDANT COMPOUNDS FROM A HIMALAYAN ACTINOBACTERIA STRAIN STREPTOMYCES SP. PU-AK14

This study reports the laboratory scale fermentation, compounds purification and bioactivity screening of the strain Streptomyces sp. PU-AK14 isolated from Himalayan mountains range, Pakistan, for its potential to produce antimicrobial, antioxidant and antitumor compounds. For this purpose, laboratory fermentation (20 L working volume) was performed followed by extraction of the compounds by XAD adsorbent gel using the solvents methanol and ethyl acetate. Further purification of the compounds was done by silica gel column chromatography, sephadex column and preparative TLC. A total of 18 partially purified compounds were retrieved from crude extract and were screened for biological activity. The crude extract was more active against gram negative bacteria with MIC of 0.1 mg/ml against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. Eight of the partially purified compounds exhibited activity against MRSA whereas five fractions were active against gram negative bacteria. Seven partially purified fractions exhibited promising antioxidant activity with radical scavenging activity ranging from 78.2 to 42.34 percent. Cytotoxicity of partially purified compounds ranged from 75% to 100% larval mortality at 100mg/ml against Artemia salina and 50% to 52% cell mortality against HCT 116 colorectal cancer cell line at 100mg/ml. The best anti-tumor activity was exhibited by the fraction AK141111L. The study suggested that Streptomyces sp. PU-AK14 is a potential source of chemotherapeutically useful compounds.

Food ethnobotany of forest resource in the high-altitude Himalaya Mountains: Enhancing the food sovereignty of ethnic groups

The vital knowledge of traditional foraging techniques used in indigenous peoples' cuisines may be preserved through gastronomical field studies before it is lost forever. Certain plants are appreciated for their gastronomic, social, economic and ecological importance in the High Himalaya because they play such a significant role in the daily life of the local indigenous populations. To determine the plant cultural indicators for each ethnic group, the data were analyzed using an indicator species analysis. Semi-structured interviews of 167 participants, focus group discussion, and field observations were used to gather information from February 2019 to August 2022 for a comprehensive and systematic gastronomical survey. Across four ethnic groups, a total of (N = 99) wild edible plant species and (N = 9) fungi species from 38 families were documented. Tender leaves were the most commonly used, while tubers were the least commonly used. The majority of the species reported were used as vegetables, followed by species used as fruits and herbal tea. For the first time, we examined cross-cultural similarity and dissimilarity for gastronomic usage: vegetables and savoring plants,fruits, and herbal tea across the cultures studied from the perspective of food ethnobotany. We discovered a clear difference in how different cultures used forest resources, with Gujjar and Pahari showing the most species similarity. This is because these ethic groups are culturally linked with one another and share a common social structure, geography, and language. We calculated plant cultural markers for each species, and 19 of them had significant p-values among the four ethnic groups. The findings revealed a positive relationship between the Gujjar and Pahari ethnic groups and the gastronomical indicator values, while the Kashmiri ethnic group had a negative relationship. The Kashmiri ethnic group experienced the loss of traditional knowledge because of the economic transition that caused people to prefer purchasing vegetables from the market rather than foraging for them in the wild. Traditional knowledge was also dwindling between the Gujjar and Pahari ethnic groups because of social changes brought on by developmental activities that changed their way of life. The identified plant cultural markers were significant to local residents and frequently had adaptations to extremely harsh climatic and environmental conditions. Our finding that 47% of species had market value suggests that these species have a sizable market demand and a promising economic value. They have the potential to boost food security, local community sovereignty, and people's living standards. Food production systems may become more resilient and sustainable by incorporating these indicator species into conventional agriculture. The current study raises awareness about forest resources and enables ethnic groups to live in a natural environment without food scarcity.

Mitogenome Assembly Reveals Gene Migration and RNA Editing Events in Plateau Hongliu (Myricaria elegans Royle.)

The Plateau Hongliu (Myricaria elegans Royle.) is a woody shrub halophyte that thrives in arid areas of western Tibet, in the Himalayan Mountains. It is acclaimed as superior in saline stress acclimation and as a critical pharmaceutical resource of the Tibetan traditional herb. Nevertheless, the mitogenome in the genus Myricaria remains unknown. Here, using the Illumina and PacBio sequencing assays, the first complete mitogenome of the M. elegans revealed a multi-branched skeleton with a total length of 416,354 bp and GC content of 44.33%, comprising two circular molecules (M1 and 2). The complete mitogenome annotates 31 unique protein-encoding genes (PEGs), fifteen tRNAs, and three rRNA genes. The UAA exhibits the most prominent codon usage preference as a termination, followed by UUA codons for leucine. The mitogenome contains 99 simple sequence repeats and 353 pairs of dispersed repeats, displaying the most frequent in palindromic repeats. Gene transfer analyses identified 8438 bp of 18 homologous fragments from the plastome, accounting for 2.03% of the total length. Using the PREP suite, 350 C-U RNA editing sites were predicted, of which nad4 and ccmB were on the top frequency. Syntenic and phylogenetic analyses suggested weakly conserved patterns of M. elegans in Caryophyllales owing to the genome rearrangement. In summary, the deciphered unique features and complexities of the mitogenome in M. elegans provide novel insights into understanding the evolution and biological conservation underlying climate resilience in halophytes.

The Imagined Geography of Mount Everest

The Imagined Geography of Mount Everest

Microbial consortium with multifunctional attributes for the plant growth of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.).

In the past few decades, the pressure of higher food production to satisfy the demand of ever rising population has inevitably increased the use synthetic agrochemicals which have deterioration effects. Biostimulants containing beneficial microbes (single inoculants and microbial consortium) were found as an ideal substitute of synthetic chemical fertilizers. In recent years, microbial consortium is known as a better bioinoculant in comparison to single inoculant bioformulation because of multifarious plant growth-promoting advantages. Looking at the advantageous effect of consortium, in present investigation, different bacteria were isolated from rhizospheric soil and plant samples collected from the Himalayan mountains on the green slopes of the Shivaliks, Himachal Pradesh. The isolated bacteria were screened for nitrogen (N) fixation, phosphorus (P)solubilization and potassium (K) solubilization plant growth promotingattributes, and efficient strains were identified through 16S rRNA gene sequencingand BLASTn analysis. The bacteria showing a positive effect in NPK uptake were developed as bacterial consortium for the growth promotion of eggplant crop. A total of 188 rhizospheric and endophytic bacteria were sorted out, among which 13 were exhibiting nitrogenase activity, whereas 43 and 31 were exhibiting P and K solubilization traits, respectively. The selected three efficient and potential bacterial strains were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Enterobacter ludwigii EU-BEN-22 (N-fixer; 35.68 ± 00.9 nmol C2H4 per mg protein per h), Micrococcus indicus EU-BRP-6 (P-solubilizer; 201 ± 0.004 mg/L), and Pseudomonas gessardii EU-BRK-55 (K-solubilizer; 51.3 ± 1.7 mg/mL), and they were used to develop a bacterial consortium. The bacterial consortium evaluation on eggplant resulted in the improvement of growth (root/shoot length and biomass) and physiological parameters (chlorophyll, carotenoids, total soluble sugar, and phenolic content) of the plants with respect to single culture inoculation, chemical fertilizer, and untreated control. A bacterial consortium having potential to promote plant growth could be used as bioinoculant for horticulture crops growing in hilly regions.

Patterns of forest community diversity, regeneration potential and carbon storages along an altitudinal gradient in Eastern Himalaya, India

This study showed changing patterns in the plant species composition, diversity, and carbon storage potential of different forests along altitudinal gradients (i.e. 100 – 1900 m) in Eastern Himalayan India. Different tree, shrub and herb species were sampled along the altitudinal gradients ranging from tropical to temperate forests through Nested Plot design. In each forest, vegetation sampling was made by establishing a permanent plot of 250 m × 250 m as per ISRO-GBP/NCP-VCP protocol. Individuals of trees ≥10 cm girth at breast height (GBH), shrubs and herbs were recorded in 4, 8 and 16 subplots of 31.62 m × 31.62 m, 5 m × 5 m and 1 m × 1 m, respectively. Community attributes such as species richness, density, basal area, diversity indices and biomass and carbon storages were computed for each study site. A total of 5 forest communities (2 each from tropical and subtropical and one from temperate forest) were identified. The woody species diversity was highest in the subtropical forest followed by tropical and temperate forest. Altitude played an important role in the Eastern Himalayan Mountains in the establishment and distribution of forest community. Forest community composition changes with elevation, for instance, the dominant communities like Dipterocarpus retusus–Phoebe goalparensis–Schima wallichii (D-P-S), Gmelina arborea–Schima wallichii-Duabanga grandiflora (G-S-D), Schima wallichii–Duabanga grandiflora–Alstonia scholaris (S-D-A), Alstonia scholaris–Terminalia myriocarpa–Bischofia javanica (A-T-B) and Acer thomsonii–Rhodendron arboreum–Quercus lamellose (A-R-Q) were present at elevational ranges of 100–300 m, 300–700 m, 700–1100 m, 1100–1500 m and 1500–1900 m, respectively. The study showed that about 41–57% of the tree species exhibited good regeneration followed by 23–30% as fair, 6–16% as poor, and 6–21% species did not show regeneration along the altitudinal gradient. The total biomass carbon (Mg C ha−1) varied from 84.74 to 163.56 in tropical, 103.12 – 156.41 in subtropical and 133.05 in temperate forest. In conclusion, community composition, regeneration pattern and biomass carbon storage changes along altitude because of altered biophysical characteristics. However, despite variations in elevation, factors for forest disturbance at different altitudes significantly contributed to the community attributes and overall accumulation of biomass carbon. Hence, the traditional management practices carried out by local communities also play a crucial role in shaping the structure, composition, and carbon dynamics of forest ecosystems. Understanding the impacts of these practices is essential for promoting sustainable forest management by conserving forests and preserving carbon stocks for mitigating climate change in future. This study emphasizes the importance of long-term forest monitoring to promote biodiversity conservation and formulate conservation strategies that support sustainable forest management policies to which ensure continuous provision of ecosystem services in the region.

GROSS NATIONAL HAPPINESS (GNH): A WAY FROM NATIONAL HAPPINESS TO GLOBAL HAPPINESS

Chasing happiness has become a global agenda in todays unrest life where everyone is helpless before stressful living standard, unsustainable environment, unknown pandemics, ill physical, mental and emotional health, poor psychological wellbeing, pervasive influence of technology, relentless search of self-interest at any cost and so on. Globalising development with happiness is the cry of the Earth today. From the core of Himalayan mountain range, Bhutan, a land- locked country, in a state of peace, good will, natural preservation and promotion of culture, Environmental Conservation, Good Governance and Sustainable and equitable socio- economic development, concerted on Gross National Happiness (GNH), endorsing GNP and GDP as unsustainable measures of development with happiness. The operationalization of the methods and tools of GNH is also improving the quality of the living standard of the people of Bhutan as per the GNH survey 2022. Against this background, the paper is an attempt to generalise the GNH model of happiness in Bhutan in particular and over the globe in general. KEY WORDS: Gross National Happiness, Sustainable Development, Global Happiness, Environmental conservation, Good Governance,

Probabilistic Assessment of Seismic Hazard for Uttarakhand State of India

Abstract Uttarakhand state of India, being located in the seismically active Himalayan mountain range, is highly prone to seismic hazards. This study presents assessment of seismic hazard of Uttarakhand through probabilistic approach. For conducting this study, a homogenous earthquake catalogue for moment magnitude during the period 1953 - 2020 with magnitude range of 2.0 - 6.9 consisting of 522 events was used. Various geological structures viz. folds, faults and lineament as well as thrust, have been identified in the associated regions. The state was divided into several grid points and the seismic hazard was evaluated for each of the grid points through probabilistic method. Finally, based on the analysis results, bedrock level hazard maps were developed for the state for contingency level earthquake (CLE) and maximum credible earthquake (MCE). The estimated peak ground acceleration (PGA) of the state is in the range of 0.16g-0.52g for CLE and the PGA varies for 0.20g-0.61g for MCE level earthquake. Main Central Thrust (MCT), Sunder Nagar fault and Ropar fault were observed to be more hazardous in the northern region of the state.

Traditional Ecological Farming Practices in the Eastern Himalayan Mountain Environment: Case of a Naga Village, Nagaland (India)

The farming systems practised by the tribal communities in the mountain environment of the North-Eastern region of India are eco-friendly and local climate responsive. These play a significant role in ensuring food security and conserving the local agro-ecological diversity. These farming practices are rooted in the local ecological set up, and they reflect the Indigenous people’s response to the environment of the area. The inhabitants of the Khonoma village of Kohima district, Nagaland, the study village, have been traditionally practising unique Alder tree-based jhum (shifting) cultivation, terrace-based panikheti (wet cultivation) and kitchen gardening based on their Indigenous knowledge and skills. They have been practising mixed farming by integrating crops, fish and livestock. The local communities have also evolved some methods for managing the natural settings to sustain their agriculture and livelihoods. This study is an attempt to investigate the methods of traditional farming system of Khonoma, a mountain village in the Eastern Himalayas. This study is based on primary data/ information collected through household survey using semi-structured household survey schedule, participatory rural appraisal (PRA), focus group discussion (FGD), and interviews with key informants and personal field visit in early 2021. The terrace-based panikheti, adopted by the people of Khonoma village, has been proved a location specific eco-friendly method for soil and water conservation. The Alder tree-based jhum practice, as opined by the villagers, is a sustainable livelihood option in the context of the mountain ecological setting and unique cultural values of the people.

Spatially Explicit climate change vulnerability assessment of ecological systems along altitudinal gradients in the Indian Himalayan region

Spatial ecological vulnerability assessments are important for devising management plans for ecological systems to maintain the flow of ecosystem services, especially in the mountains. Himalayan mountains, being a fragile ecosystem, have considerable ecological value, however, information on ecological vulnerability is lacking. The present evaluation attempts to prioritize ecosensitive zones by assessing the altitudinal ecological vulnerability of Garhwal Himalaya, India by devising a framework using a mix of bio-physical parameters. Eight bio-physical parameters, viz., Land Use and Land Cover (LULC), slope, aspect, landscape fragmentation, temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)) were identified and considered to assess vulnerability. Spatial Principal Component Analysis (SPCA) results in five Principal Components (PCs), which were integrated and weighted for the calculation of the Ecological Vulnerability Index (EVI). The analysis results differential vulnerability across the altitudes with above 2000m altitude showed severe vulnerability and classified as potential vulnerability (36.25 %), slight vulnerability (35.25 %), medium vulnerability (20.25 %), high vulnerability (8.25 %) and severe vulnerability (0.25 %). The vulnerable regions were prioritized based on their ecological vulnerability as per the classes viz., region of strict protection (24.70 %), region of focal protection (60.41%) and region of composite development (14.89 %). The study suggetsed priority conservation and management actions for addressing the vulnerable areas for sustainable development of the region. The study provides valuable insights of vulnerability and associated protection measures leading to devising the most suitable management strategies for the sustainability of the ecological systems.

Himalayan Mountaineering, Imperial Masculinity and Altitude Records Before Everest

ABSTRACT Across the nineteenth century, European surveyors, explorers and mountaineers often sought to constitute the Himalaya as spaces of imperial duty, escape from civilisation, and manly experiences against and in nature. Rather than focusing on the homosociality of the better known climbing ventures of the twentieth century, this article instead considers the period before Mount Everest became the main prize. In particular, it examines an eclectic mix of Himalayan expeditions that made claims to the world ‘altitude record’: that is, the highest height ever climbed above sea level. The different ways that climbers discussed and doubted these record-seeking climbs in their accounts, and especially in talks at the Royal Geographical Society in London, provide a series of snapshots into manly self-fashioning around suffering and self-reliance at the edge of the British Empire. Here the masculinities of non-European guides and porters (especially Gurkhas) also always provided both a foil and a challenge. Ultimately, attempts on the altitude record reveal the way that casting the Himalaya as a space for the narration of masculine ideals and imperial expansion could be both mutually reinforcing and in conflict. Expressions of homosociality nevertheless also shifted across the nineteenth century, with the filling in of the last ‘blank spaces’ on the map seemingly narrowing the canvas for manly outdoor experiences. This was compounded by the way the Himalaya were constituted and maintained as spaces for manly experiences in part by the exclusion of women, even as women like Fanny Bullock Workman were themselves climbing towards record heights.

Unveiling of climate change-driven decline of suitable habitat for Himalayan bumblebees

Insect pollinators, especially bumblebees are rapidly declining from their natural habitat in the mountain and temperate regions of the world due to climate change and other anthropogenic activities. We still lack reliable information about the current and future habitat conditions of bumblebees in the Himalaya. In this study, we used the maximum entropy algorithm for SDM to look at current and future (in 2050 and 2070) suitable habitats for bumblebees in the Himalaya. We found that the habitat conditions in the Himalayan mountain range do not have a very promising future as suitable habitat for most species will decrease over the next 50 years. By 2050, less than 10% of the Himalayan area will remain a suitable habitat for about 72% of species, and by 2070 this number will be raised to 75%. During this time period, the existing suitable habitat of bumblebees will be declined but some species will find new suitable habitat which clearly indicates possibility of habitat range shift by Himalayan bumblebees. Overall, about 15% of the Himalayan region is currently highly suitable for bumblebees, which should be considered as priority areas for the conservation of these pollinators. Since suitable habitats for bumblebees lie between several countries, nations that share international borders in the Himalayan region should have international agreements for comprehensive pollinator diversity conservation to protect these indispensable ecosystem service providers.

Prediction of Historical, Current, and Future Configuration of Tibetan Medicinal Herb Gymnadenia orchidis Based on the Optimized MaxEnt in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Climate change plays a pivotal role in shaping the shifting patterns of plant distribution, and gaining insights into how medicinal plants in the plateau region adapt to climate change will be instrumental in safeguarding the rich biodiversity of the highlands. Gymnosia orchidis Lindl. (G. orchidis) is a valuable Tibetan medicinal resource with significant medicinal, ecological, and economic value. However, the growth of G. orchidis is severely constrained by stringent natural conditions, leading to a drastic decline in its resources. Therefore, it is crucial to study the suitable habitat areas of G. orchidis to facilitate future artificial cultivation and maintain ecological balance. In this study, we investigated the suitable zones of G. orchidis based on 79 occurrence points in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) and 23 major environmental variables, including climate, topography, and soil type. We employed the Maximum Entropy model (MaxEnt) to simulate and predict the spatial distribution and configuration changes in G. orchidis during different time periods, including the last interglacial (LIG), the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the Mid-Holocene (MH), the present, and future scenarios (2041-2060 and 2061-2080) under three different climate scenarios (SSP126, SSP370, and SSP585). Our results indicated that annual precipitation (Bio12, 613-2466 mm) and mean temperature of the coldest quarter (Bio11, -5.8-8.5 °C) were the primary factors influencing the suitable habitat of G. orchidis, with a cumulative contribution of 78.5%. The precipitation and temperature during the driest season had the most significant overall impact. Under current climate conditions, the suitable areas of G. orchidis covered approximately 63.72 × 104/km2, encompassing Yunnan, Gansu, Sichuan, and parts of Xizang provinces, with the highest suitability observed in the Hengduan, Yunlin, and Himalayan mountain regions. In the past, the suitable area of G. orchidis experienced significant changes during the Mid-Holocene, including variations in the total area and centroid migration direction. In future scenarios, the suitable habitat of G. orchidis is projected to expand significantly under SSP370 (30.33-46.19%), followed by SSP585 (1.41-22.3%), while contraction is expected under SSP126. Moreover, the centroids of suitable areas exhibited multidirectional movement, with the most extensive displacement observed under SSP585 (100.38 km2). This study provides a theoretical foundation for the conservation of biodiversity and endangered medicinal plants in the QTP.

Female long-term sperm storage results in viable offspring in the Himalayan Mountain Pitviper, Ovophis monticola.

The ability of females to store sperm for extended periods in their reproductive tracts (termed long-term sperm storage, LTSS) has been reported across a diversity of vertebrate taxa. The evolutionary, ecological, and physiological significance of LTSS is wide-ranging and includes the ability to produce offspring when mates may be temporally scarce by way of decoupling copulation from ovulation, inbreeding avoidance, and the generation and maintenance of genetic diversity in progeny. Among vertebrate lineages, nonavian reptiles exhibit a remarkable capacity for LTSS, with the production of viable offspring reported after periods exceeding 6 years since prior contact with a potential mate. Given that female reptiles are able to store viable sperm for prolonged periods, it is important to disentangle LTSS from that of facultative parthenogenesis (FP), a reproductive trait which appears widespread among all reptile lineages. The implications of this distinction are particularly important in the context of the development and management of captive breeding programs. To accurately determine between the two reproductive strategies, genomic screening is highly recommended. Following a period of isolation for 13 months from a potential male mate, a female Himalayan Mountain Pitviper (Ovophis monticola) produced a clutch of three male offspring. Here, through genome-scale analyses of the female and her progeny, we document the first record of LTSS in this genus and exclude FP as the alternative hypothesis.

Learning ecologies and agentic pedagogies: children meeting the world

With a challenge to conceptualize an environmental/sustainability education that employs imaginaries and praxis for learning our way through and beyond our planetary crisis, we consider how posthuman creativity articulates into pedagogical practice. We share insights from our researcher/practitioner experience in two different educational settings, theorizing creative/learning ecologies with posthuman insights from Karen Barad and Dan Harris. Our two “learning ecologies” are located within: a preschool in Western Sydney; and a girls’ school in the Himalayan mountains of Uttarakhand. These learning ecologies intra-act to create agentic pedagogies, equipping children to care-take themselves and their worlds, affected as they are by the ecological distortions inherent in the Capitalocene. The pedagogies, characterized as “a pedagogy of hope” and as “a pedagogy of love and responsibility” respectively, enable students to meet and respond to the world in ways which reclaim human/nature agency.

Morpho-structural signatures of neotectonic activity along the HFT bound Himalayan mountain front in Kathgodam-Chorgallia sector of NW Himalaya, India

Thrusting supports the development of diverse landforms and deformational structures in the Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT) region between Kathgodam and the Chorgallia sector, according to this study. The influence of the active tectonic condition in the area was analyzed using seven geomorphic indices, which also underlined the importance of morpho-structural study utilizing remote sensing, geomorphic indices, tectono-geomorphic landforms, field evidence, and luminescence dating. The investigation of sub-basins surrounding the HFT reveals moderate to high tectonic activity, with tectonic activity concentrating in the eastern half and decreasing toward the west. A topographic discontinuity was also observed in the region as indirect active tectonic evidence. Hanging wall rocks have well-preserved features that govern tectonic transport direction, and the HFT in this region is emergent. Shear sense indications point to southerly tectonic migration, with a few modest northward shear senses indicating northward movement, which might be attributable to reverse thrusting along the HFT at some time during the Outer Himalaya's tectonic history. Petrographic investigations reveal sustained frontal deformation at various intervals, with well-preserved thrust-induced deformation fingerprints in deformed rocks throughout the Jam Raula and Sukhi nadi sections. Micro thrust duplexes, or micro-scale asymmetrical drag folds, are shown in thin section investigations as a result of HFT-related brittle-ductile deformation at moderate temperature and pressure. The sandy unit from the Quaternary sediments yields 10 ± 0.8 ka, 11.8 ± 0.7 ka, 17 ± 1 ka, and 56 ± 3 ka quartz OSL dates, demonstrating the migration of hanging wall rocks on footwall post-Siwalik fluvial deposits along the HFT plane and reactivation of the HFT in the study area.

Study of Space Layout of Museum; A Case of International Mountain Museum at Pokhara, Nepal

Currently, the museum is one of the learning and pass time activities space for the public. A good layout of a museum can bring a wonderful visiting experience to the visitors. Overall, museums play an important role in preserving a town's cultural heritage, providing educational opportunities, attracting tourism, and promoting community engagement. Effective space distribution in a museum is critical for creating an engaging and informative experience for visitors. By carefully considering the needs and interests of different types of visitors, museums can create spaces that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. But there are very few designed museums in Pokhara, one of the growing cities of Nepal. Also, it is one of the tourist attracting places in Nepal. This paper explains the spatial layout of one of the designed museums of Pokhara. For this purpose, a well-known International Mountain Museum is taken as a case area by using observation and questionnaire survey methods. This museum displays a wide range of exhibits related to the Himalayan mountains, mountaineering, and the culture of the people who call the region home. In addition to the mountaineering exhibits, the museum also features displays of the history, culture, geology, flora, and fauna of the Himalayas. Overall, space distribution in a museum is designed to facilitate the flow of visitors through the space, while also highlighting the key messages and themes of the exhibits.

Assessment of Various Gibberellic Acid Concentrations on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Chilgoza (Pinus gerardiana Wall. ex D. Don)

Chilgoza (Pinus gerardiana) forests naturally exist on the highest elevations of the Himalaya Mountains in the provinces of Paktia, Kunar, Nangarhar, Nuristan, and Paktika in the southeast of Afghanistan. These natural chilgoza forests provide a sizable source of income for the people living in these areas. The spread and natural regeneration of chilgoza pine forests is declining in the natural environment as a result of overharvesting, erratic annual seed production, and prolonged dormancy; therefore, it is necessary to find an effective method to enhance seed germination and seedling growth. Different Gibberellic Acid (GA3) hormone concentrations (50 ppm, 75 ppm, and 100 ppm), the removal of the seed coat, and control (untreated) treatments were used to conduct an experiment for this study. For each treatment, seedling growth parameters and the percentage of seeds that germinated were examined. The results showed that the T4 treatment had the highest average length of seedling, shoot, and root, measuring 13.34 cm, 8.1 cm, and 8.4 cm, respectively; whereas the T1 treatment had the shortest average lengths of seedling, shoot, and root, measuring 11.22 cm, 6.5 cm, and 6.2 cm, respectively. The greatest percentage of germination (78.66%) was observed in T4 (100 ppm), whereas the lowest percentage (26%) was documented in T1 (Control). The highest average number of leaves was recorded in T4 (22.25) and the lowest in T1 (15.02) treatment. The results indicated that treating chilgoza pine seeds in a 100 ppm solution of GA3 for 24 hours enhances both the seed germination and sprouting seedling growth.

Community Resilience and Innovation in Livelihood Strategies: Exploring the Drivers of Change in Mountain Agriculture in Lotkuh Valley, Pakistan

Mountain agriculture is the linchpin of the economy in Pakistan's Hindu Kush Karakoram and Himalaya mountain regions. Currently, mountain agriculture is in a state of transition, experiencing rapid changes and innovation due to physical and anthropogenic drivers, resulting in far-reaching consequences on the livelihood sustainability and food security of the local people. This study explores the multifaceted drivers of agricultural transformation in the Eastern Hindu Kush region, specifically in Lotkuh Valley, Pakistan, focusing on the intricate relationship between resilience-building measures and the adoption of innovative agricultural practices. For this purpose, data were explored from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were collected using stratified sampling techniques during extensive field surveys conducted in the study area from 2017 to 2019. Remotely sensed data from 1990 to 2019 were obtained from the USGS site. Secondary data were acquired from the Gazetteer of Chitral 1928, Census Report 1961-2017, and Rural Settlement Report 1988. The collected data have been analyzed through descriptive analysis and advanced geospatial techniques. The findings reveal that vivid changes and transformations have occurred in mountain agriculture. These transformations include land use/cover changes, agricultural land holdings, cropping patterns, livestock populations, arboriculture, etc. From the findings of this study, it is inferred that innovation in mountain agriculture entails a variety of opportunities and has increased agricultural production, resulting in a positive impact on the economy, food security, and livelihood sustainability. This study provides nuanced knowledge and insights for policymakers, mountain agriculturists, and practitioners to effectively develop sophisticated strategies for achieving the ambitious goal of zero hunger and poverty eradication.

Assessing Burned Areas in Sikkim, India through Satellite Mapping

Aim of study: Fire impacts biodiversity and ecosystems, and is crucial for understanding fire causes. This paper aimed to assess burned areas and severity levels in Sikkim's forest fire incidence data from 2004-2019. 
 Area of the study: The study area for the work is the state of Sikkim, situated in the Himalayan Mountain's North-eastern region. 
 Material and methods: Landsat 8 and Landsat 5 satellite image were used for the study and Standard vegetation indices like Delta Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) and Relativized Burn Ratio (RBR) are computed. Also, a linear regression analysis was performed between weather parameters like temperature (℃), wind (Km/h), rainfall (mm) on burn severity (dNBR classes) of forest fires in Sikkim between the year 2009-2019.
 Main results: According to the findings, out of 557 numbers forest fire incidents in Sikkim between 2004 and 2019, 250 numbers were classified as Unburned (46.21 %), 199 numbers as Enhanced Regrowth, Low (35.72 %), and 43 numbers as Enhanced Regrowth, High (7.94 %), while 32 numbers were classified as Low Severity (5.92 %), 9 numbers as Moderate-Low Severity (1.66 %), 5 numbers as Moderate-High Severity (0.92 %), and 2 numbers as High Severity (0.36 %). It was found that the wind (r=0.80, Slope=0.57, SD=0.70) and rainfall (r=0.77, Slope=-0.18, SD=7.00) showed a strong positive and strong negative linear relationships respectively in influencing the burn severity (dNBR). While, temperature (r=0.69, Slope=0.74, SD=0.01) plays a moderate positive role in influencing the burn severity (dNBR).
 Highlights: The study has shown the effectiveness of burn area mapping and remote sensing data products in analyzing forest fire regions with limited resources and diverse landforms and vegetation. Researchers will be able to identify the regions affected by forest fires and those that have not recovered since the fire. Goal of this research is to improve forest fire planning and management by fostering aid to the responsible authorities to evaluate the pattern of vegetation degradation in burn regions and estimate the impact of forest fires