Rhododendron Campanulatum Research Articles

Mass spectrometry and Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy profiles of red and pink Rhododendron flower petals establish them as rich sources of bioactive secondary metabolites

AbstractRhododendron petals are considered high‐value owing to their commercial utility, national/state flower status in certain countries, and bioactive potential from recent studies. Profiling and quantitative analysis of the bioactive metabolites would evaluate if they can be natural sources. This study is focused on the comprehensive profiling of secondary metabolites in the hot aqueous petal extracts of Red and Pink Rhododendron flowers (Rhododendron arboreum and Rhododendron campanulatum) using separation and fragmentation patterns from mass spectrometry (MS) (gas chromatography‐MS and liquid chromatography‐tandem MS) and chemical shifts from proton‐nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The complementary analytical platforms highlighted the petals to be rich in promising bioactive molecules such as quinic acid, chlorogenic acid (caffeoyl quinic acid), protocatechuic acid, coumaroyl quinic acids, catechin, epigallocatechin, and shikimic acid. The analysis also reflected the activity of shikimic acid, phenolic acid, and flavonoid biosynthetic pathways in Rhododendron flowers. These metabolites are well reported for their bioactive potential as anti‐oxidative, anti‐viral, anti‐cancerous, anti‐diabetic, anti‐inflammatory, etc. While the quantitative and multivariate analysis showed variations in the levels of phenolic acids and flavonoids, it is established that red and pink Rhododendron flower petals are a rich source of bioactive phytochemicals of interest to the phytochemical Industry.

Deciphering mycobiota and its functional dynamics in root hairs of Rhododendron campanulatum D. Don through Next-gen sequencing

The Himalayas provide unique opportunities for the extension of shrubs beyond the upper limit of the tree. However, little is known about the limitation of the biotic factors belowground of shrub growth at these cruising altitudes. To fill this gap, the present study deals with the documentation of root-associated microbiota with their predicted functional profiles and interactions in the host Rhododendron campanulatum, a krummholz species. While processing 12 root samples of R. campanulatum from the sites using Omics we could identify 134 root-associated fungal species belonging to 104 genera, 74 families, 39 orders, 17 classes, and 5 phyla. The root-associated microbiota members of Ascomycota were unambiguously dominant followed by Basidiomycota. Using FUNGuild, we reported that symbiotroph and pathotroph as abundant trophic modes. Furthermore, FUNGuild revealed the dominant prevalence of the saptroptroph guild followed by plant pathogens and wood saprotrophs. Alpha diversity was significantly different at the sites. The heatmap dendrogram showed the correlation between various soil nutrients and some fungal species. The study paves the way for a more in-depth exploration of unidentified root fungal symbionts, their interactions and their probable functional roles, which may serve as an important factor for the growth and conservation of these high-altitude ericaceous plants.

Green synthesis of silver nano-particles (AgNPs) from flowers of Rhododendron campanulatum and its potential applications as photo-catalyst and antioxidant

The present work demonstrates the Green synthesis of silver nano-particles (AgNPs) using the Rhododendron campanulatum flower extract and their potential applications as photo catalyst and antioxidant. Several spectral approaches viz., UV-Vis, XRD, SEM-EDAX, BET isotherm and TEM were used to characterise the biosynthesized AgNPs in detail.The UV-Vis spectroscopy showed that the biosynthesized AgNPs have surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak at 472 nm. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies confirmed the crystalline nature of biosynthesized AgNPs with mean crystalline size ~22.97 nm. According to the TEM examinations, the synthesized AgNPs were poly dispersed, smooth in morphology, irregularly shaped, and had an average grain size of 43.75 nm. The adsorption studies showed that the biosynthesized AgNPs have the single point surface area (at P/Po) was 0.1398 m2/gm, BET surface area was 0.1057 m2/gm, Langmuir surface area was 0.1465 m2/gm, and the micro pore area was 0.7834 m2/gm. The antioxidant efficacy of as synthesized AgNPs was determined using DPPH scavenging method, and the IC50 value was observed 38.68 μg/mL. Photocatalytic activity of synthesized AgNPs was determined by studying the adsorption/desorption equilibrium between the AgNPs and the solutions of MB, and RB dyes. The synthesized AgNPs showed the dye degradation efficacy of 73.88% for methylene blue (MB) dye, and 76.62% for Rose Bengal (RB) dye; however, in the absence of AgNPs, the degradation efficacy was observed as17.55% and 48.80% in 4 hours under photo-irradiation for MB and RB dye, respectively.

Distribution patterns of alpine flora for long-term monitoring of global change along a wide elevational gradient in the Western Himalayas

In the current context of climate change, the Western Himalayas are thought to be warming faster than the global average rate. Despite this rapid warming, our understanding of alpine vegetation composition and the underlying factors shaping its patterns in the Western Himalayan alpine highlands of Pakistan remains limited. Extensive field sampling was conducted at 24 sites ranging in altitude from 3300 m to 4200 m. The entire altitudinal range was divided into three belts i.e., low-altitude sites, medium-altitude sites, and high-altitude sites (HAS). Results revealed that alpine flora consisted of 251 species (belonging to 51 families. The findings revealed that 83 of the 251 species evaluated contributed significantly to the change in species composition between three altitudinal sites. The species that contributed the most to the variance in species composition between communities made up 75 % of the total, demonstrating that these species are important in structuring plant communities at different altitudes. Among the alpine flora, a significant (49 %) dominance was observed from nine families, comprising a total of 123 species. The largest family, Asteraceae, had the highest number of species, followed by Poaceae and Rosaceae. Hemicryptophytes emerged as the prevailing life form, while Microphylls were the dominant leaf type. Phytosociological Indices revealed that diversity levels decreased with increasing altitude, indicating a significant impact of altitude on plant diversity. Canonical correspondence analysis suggested that altitude, grazing, and soil erosion are important in explaining variance in plant distribution patterns in the alpine flora. Twelve indicator species were discovered in three different altitudinal groups. In the LAS, Bistorta affinis, Geranium himalayense, Poa nemoralis, and Sibbaldia cuneata, had a significant indicator value, whereas in the medium-altitude sites MAS Allium humile, Bistorta affinis, Juniperus communis, and Rhododendron campanulatum had significant p-values. In high altitude sites HAS, indicator plants were Bistorta affinis, Juniperus communis. Our results identified 51 vulnerable species with very low abundance values whereas 17 threatened species having extremely low (<0.1) abundance values are a vital conservation priority in the region. Results may be helpful to formulate immediate conservation management strategies to conserve the precious floristic wealth of the alpine Region.

Composition, age-structure and dendroecology of high altitude treeline forest in the western Himalaya, India

In the natural treeline ecotones, population structure and tree recruitment dynamics are strong indicators of vegetation responses to global climate change. We dendroecologically investigated age-structure, regeneration and tree-growth climate relationship of Abies spectabilis (D. Don) Mirb. forests along an elevational gradient at high altitude treeline ecotone (3020–3450 m asl) in the Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary, western Himalaya, India. The stand age structure of A. spectabilis was determined by ring counts of tree individuals (n = 95) core and bud scar count in seedlings and saplings. Years taken to reach coring height (CBH-1.37 m) were determined by fitting height-age regression model. Range shift and radial growth-climate relationships were studied to capture the advancement rate and climatic influence on tree growth. The result shows poor regeneration of A. spectabilis and low seedlings and sapling recruitment at the treeline ecotone (∼3340 m), in contrast higher recruitment of Rhododendron campanulatum in meadows zone, forming krummholz line at ∼ 3550 m. The stand age structure shows that older tree individuals were recruited at lower elevations while younger ones were at higher elevations. The treeline migrated upward at ∼10.01 m/decade. A 263-year old ring-width chronology of A. spectabilis shows precipitation of the current year's April month was conducive for radial growth, while the previous year's September and current year's April, May temperature negatively influenced radial growth. The presence of a few A. spectabilis seedlings and saplings within the ecotone limit could be attributed to the combined response of climate change and anthropogenic factors. Despite rapid warming, A. spectabilis treeline in the Tungnath, western Himalaya, has little advanced upslope in contrast with central Himalaya. Positive correlation with winter month’s (DJF) temperature indicated its sensitivity to warming scenario in western Himalaya. It appears that the beneficial effect of warming on tree growth is offset by water stress caused by increased evapotranspiration.

Analysis of phytochemical constituent and biological significance of rhododendrons collected from capital of Laliguras, Laliguras municipality, Tehrathum district, Nepal

The largest genus of the Ericaceae family, Rhododendron includes an inspiring number of species. Some of which have been used in the treatment of various ailments such as diseases associated with heart, dysentery, diarrhea, detoxification, fever, constipation, bronchitis and asthma around the world including Nepal. However, systematic study on phytochemistry and pharmacology of Rhododendrons grown in the Capital of Laliguras, Laliguras Municipality, Tehrathum of Nepal is lacking. So this study was conducted to evaluate the antioxidant activity, α-amylase inhibition activity, total phenolic and flavonoid contents of Rhododendron arboretum and Rhododendron campanulatum from Laliguras Municipality, Tehrathum of Nepal. Plant extracts were prepared in methanol by cold percolation method. Phytochemical constituents were analyzed by following standard methods. Antioxidant activity was measured through 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl assay. Total phenolic and flavonoid content were estimated using Folin–Ciocalteau and aluminum chloride method respectively. Alpha amylase inhibition assay was carried out by starch iodine method. Phytochemical screening of methanolic extract of flower and leaf of R. arboretum and leaves of R. campanulatum displayed the presence of different chemical constituents such as flavonoids, polyphenols, terpenoids, saponins and quinins. Samples showed dose-dependent radical scavenging and α-amylase inhibition activity. Radical scavenging activity and α-amylase inhibition activity of the methanolic extracts of different parts of R. arboretum and R. campanulatum ranged from 19.46 to 95.88% and 13.23 to 68.44% respectively. Flower extracts of R. arboreum showing the strongest radical scavenging activity and α-amylase inhibition with IC50 values 33.61 and 443.44 μg/mL respectively. Among the tested samples, flower extract of R. arboretum showed the strongest antioxidant activity, alpha amylase inhibition activity and contained the highest amount of total phenolic and flavonoid content.&#x0D;

Reciprocal transplants reveal asymmetric local adaptation of Himalayan Rhododendron approaching elevational range limit

AbstractAs plant species expand their upper limits of distribution under current warming, some retain both traditional climate space and biotic environment while others encounter novel conditions. The latter is the case for Rhododendron campanulatum, a woody shrub that grows both above and below treeline at our study site in the Eastern Himalayas where a very conspicuous, stable treeline was defined by a nearly contiguous canopy of tall Abies spectabilis trees, many of which are over a century old. Prior work showed that treeline had remained static in this region while R. campanulatum expanded its elevational range limit. We tested local adaptation of R. campanulatum by performing reciprocal transplants between the species' current elevational range limit (4023 m above sea level [asl]) and just above treeline (3876 m asl). Contrary to expectation, the coldest temperatures of late winter and early mid‐spring were experienced by plants at the lower elevation: R. campanulatum at species' limit (upper site) were covered by snow for a longer period (40 more days) and escaped the coldest temperatures suffered by conspecifics at treeline (lower site). The harsher spring conditions at treeline likely explain why leaves were smaller at treeline (15.3 cm2) than at species limit (21.3 cm2). Contrary to results from equivalent studies in other regions, survival was reduced more by downslope than by upslope movement, again potentially due to extreme cold temperatures observed at treeline in spring. Upslope transplantation had no effect on mortality, but mortality of species limit saplings transplanted downslope was three times higher than that of residents at both sites. A general expectation is that locals should survive better than foreign transplants, but survival of locals and immigrants at our species limit site was identical. However, those species limit saplings that survived the transplant to treeline grew faster than both locals at treeline and the transplants at species limit. Overall, we found asymmetric adaptation: Compared with treeline saplings, those at species limit (147 m above treeline) were more tolerant of extremes in the growing season but less tolerant of extremes in winter and early mid‐spring, displaying local adaptation in a more complex manner than simply home advantage, and complicating predictions about impacts of future regional climate change.

A cross-cultural study of high-altitude botanical resources among diverse ethnic groups in Kashmir Himalaya, India

BackgroundIn the Himalayas, traditional knowledge and biodiversity are strongly linked due to the symbiotic interaction between plant and cultural diversity, as well as the support provided by cultural memories, ecological awareness, and social norms. Our study was focused on documenting the vanishing knowledge in the Kashmir Himalaya with the following main objectives: 1) to document the ethnomedical and cultural knowledge of the local flora, 2) to evaluate the cross-cultural use of the flora in the region, and, finally, 3) to identify the key indicator species utilized by each ethnic group using multivariate statistical analysis.MethodsWe used semi-structured questionnaires to conduct interviews with people of different ethnicity, gender, age, and occupational categories. The intercultural relationships of species utilization among ethnic groups were examined using a Venn diagram. The overall trends between the indicator values and the plant species used by diverse ethnic groups were illustrated using the linear regression model.ResultsWe recorded 46 species belonging to 25 different families used by the local people of the Kashmir Valley belonging to four ethnic groups (Gujjar, Bakarwal, Pahari, and Kashmiri). The dominant families recorded were Asteraceae and Ranunculaceae followed by Caprifoliaceae. Rhizomes were the most utilized plant part, followed by leaves. A total of 33 ailments were treated with plants, and gastrointestinal disorders were treated with most species followed by musculoskeletal diseases and dermatological problems. Across cultural relationships, the Gujjar and Pahari showed greater similarity (17%). This may be due to the fact that both ethnic groups share a common geographical landscape and are exogamous to each other. We identified key indicator species used by different ethnic groups with significant (p ≤ 0.05) values. For instance, in the Gujjar ethnic group, Aconitum heterophyllum and Phytolacca acinosa had significant indicator value, which was due to the fact that these plants were easily accessible and also had a wide range of uses. In contrast, the Bakarwal ethnic group showed different indicator species, with Rheum spiciforme and Rhododendron campanulatum being highly significant (p ≤ 0.05), because this ethnic group spends the majority of their time in high-altitude pastures, using a particularly wide variety of plant species for medicine, food, and fuelwood. While indicator values and plant usage were positively correlated for the Gujjar, Kashmiri, and Pahari ethnic groups, they were negatively correlated for the Bakarwal. The positive correlation indicates cultural preferences for certain plant use and underlines the cultural significance of each species. The current study reported new uses for the following species: raw roots of Jurinea dolomiaea used for tooth cleaning, seeds of Verbascum thapsus applied for respiratory diseases, and flowers of Saussurea simpsoniana given to anyone as a good luck wish.ConclusionThe current study highlights historical ethnic group stratifications and cultural standing while comparing reported taxa across cultures. Each ethnic group made extensive ethnomedical use of plants, and knowledge, originally transmitted verbally, is now available in writing for reference. This could pave the way for providing incentives to local communities to showcase their talents, celebrate them, and gain from potential development initiatives.

Micropropagation of Rhododendron campanulatum D.Don Growing in Kashmir Himalaya

Rhododendron campanulatum D.Don belongs to family Ericaceae, is an ornamental and medicinal plant which is commonly known as ‘Nichnai’ in Kashmir. During the present study, in vitro propagation strategies were used for micropropagation of Rhododendron campanulatum. Seeds of R. campanulatum were inoculated on Anderson Rhododendron basal medium (ARM) and also ARM supplemented with various auxins and cytokinins in different combinations and concentrations. Seed germination was observed on Anderson Rhododendron basal medium (ARM) and ARM + BAP (3mg/l) within 35.34 and 30.42 days of culture respectively. Seed germination was also observed on basal WPM as well as on WPM +2,4-D (4mg/l), WPM+BAP (1mg/l), WPM+BAP (2mg/l) respectively. In addition, callus production as well as shoot formation was observed on ARM supplemented with 2,4-D (3 and 4 mg/l) within 56.41 and 70.16 days respectively. Callus obtained from seed explants was subcultured on WPM supplemented with different cytokinins having different combinations. Among different cytokinin-cytokinin combinations used, WPM+2ip(2mg/l)+TDZ (4mg/l) induced maximum mean number 4.6±0.3 of shoots. The in vitro raised plantlets were acclimatized using cocopeat &amp; perlite having different ratios as well as in garden soil under greenhouse conditions.

Seeing from space makes sense: Novel earth observation variables accurately map species distributions over Himalaya

Topical advances in earth observation have enabled spatially explicit mapping of species' fundamental niche limits that can be used for nature conservation and management applications. This study investigates the possibility of applying functional variables of ecosystem retrieved from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard sensor data to map the species distribution of two alpine treeline species, namely Betula utilis D.Don and Rhododendron campanulatum D.Don over the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot. In this study, we have developed forty-nine Novel Earth Observation Variables (NEOVs) from MODIS products, an asset to the present investigation. To determine the effectiveness and ecological significance of NEOVs combinations, we built and compared four different models, namely, a bioclimatic model (BCM) with bioclimatic predictor variables, a phenology model (PhenoM) with earth observation derived phenological predictor variables, a biophysical model (BiophyM) with earth observation derived biophysical predictor variables, and a hybrid model (HM) with a combination of selected predictor variables from BCM, PhenoM, and BiophyM. All models utilized topographical variables by default. Models that include NEOVs were competitive for focal species, and models without NEOVs had considerably poor model performance and explanatory strength. To ascertain the accurate predictions, we assessed the congruence of predictions by pairwise comparisons of their performance. Among the three machine learning algorithms tested (artificial neural networks, generalised boosting model, and maximum entropy), maximum entropy produced the most promising predictions for BCM, PhenoM, BiophyM, and HM. Area under curve (AUC) and true skill statistic (TSS) scores for the BCM, PhenoM, BiophyM, and HM models derived from maximum entropy were AUC ≥0.9 and TSS ≥0.6 for the focal species. The overall investigation revealed the competency of NEOVs in the accurate prediction of species' fundamental niches, but conventional bioclimatic variables were unable to achieve such a level of precision. A principal component analysis of environmental spaces disclosed that niches of focal species substantially overlapped each other. We demonstrate that the use of satellite onboard sensors’ biotic and abiotic variables with species occurrence data can provide precision and resolution for species distribution mapping at a scale that is relevant ecologically and at the operational scale of most conservation and management actions.

Identification and Validation of Microsatellite Markers in &lt;i&gt;Rhododendron campanulatum&lt;/i&gt; D. Don through cross transferability

The genetic diversity maintained by Forest Genetic Resources (FGRs) bestow them the capability for survival, adaptation and evolution in response to the changing climatic conditions. Population genetic studies based on DNA based marker may aid in understanding the actual level of diversity and its distribution within and among the populations, gene flow, allele fixation, structuring etc. that could be wisely used in their conservation and management. Rhododendron campanulatum is a medicinally, horticulturally and ecologically important tree species growing at tree line throughout the Himalayas. In the present study, efforts were carried out to identify simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in R. campanulatum through cross species amplification. In total, 15 SSR markers developed in R. arboreum (Choudhary et al., 2014) were tested for cross transferability and polymorphism in R. campanulatum. Of these, 12 primer pairs were positively amplified but only 5 (SSR-7, SSR-8, SSR-11, SSR-25 and SSR-29) showed polymorphism across the populations. Mean Polymorphic Information Content (PIC), expected heterozygosity (H ) and observed heterozygosity (H ) of these markers were e o recorded as 0.609, 0.360 and 0.343, respectively. Other measures such as genetic differentiation (F ) and gene flow (N ) were recorded as 0.467 and ST m 0.486, respectively. Population of Valley of Flowers had the highest percentage of polymorphic loci (100.0%). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed about 25% among the populations and 75% within population. The markers identified in the study could be highly useful for detailed population genetic analysis of this species.

Population structure, regeneration potential and leaf morphological traits of Rhododendron campanulatum D.Don along an altitudinal gradient in Western Himalaya

The vegetation of the alpine treeline ecotone is among the most vulnerable and sensitive to global climate change. Treeline species respond to global warming through changes in their population structure, regeneration, plant functional traits and shift in their habitat. This study was carried out on Rhododendron campanulatum D.Don, a typical plant species of the Himalayan treeline ecotone, to understand the variation in population structure, regeneration potential and leaf morphological traits along the altitudinal gradient (3100–3550 m.a.s.l.) in Tungnath, Western Himalaya. We reported the higher seedling (3480 stem ha−1) and juvenile (2210 stem ha−1) density of the species above the treeline at 3400 m.a.s.l. This clearly shows a good regeneration status and indicates the upward shift of the species. Leaf morphological traits such as length, width, and the specific leaf area decreased with an increase in elevation but leaf thickness increased with an increase in elevation. SLA was higher (71.14 cm2/g; p < 0.001) at 3100 m.a.s.l. located below the treeline than 3550 m.a.s.l. (60.08 cm2/g; p < 0.001)) located above the treeline. The results indicate that the species has large flexibility in the morphological performance and its high level of plasticity in morphological traits may explain its wider niche and ability to survive in harsh alpine conditions.

Predictors of the Success of Natural Regeneration in a Himalayan Treeline Ecotone

The sensitivity and response of climatic treelines in the Himalayas to climate change is still being debated. Regeneration of tree species in the treeline ecotone is considered a sensitivity indicator and thus of great scientific interest. The aim of this study is to detect predictor variables for regeneration densities of the major tree species in central Himalayan treeline ecotones (Abies spectabilis, Betula utilis, Rhododendron campanulatum), analysing five development stages from seedling to mature tree. We applied negative binomial generalized linear models with predictors selected from a wide range of soil, topography, climate and stand characteristic variables. We found considerably varying predictors across the tree species and their stages of development. Soil conditions, topography and climate, as well as competing and facilitating tree species, had high predictive power for population densities. These predictors were clearly species- and development stage-specific. Predictors’ spatial- and development-specific heterogeneity induce a high degree of complexity and diversify any potentially linear response of tree population densities and treeline position to changing climatic conditions.

Determination of α-Amylase Inhibitory potential of leaf extracts of Rhododendron arboreum Sm. and Rhododendron campanulatum D. Don

The biological activity of plant-derived substances/metabolites may be considered as a source of new anti-enzyme drugs. Therefore, traditional Indian plants i.e. Rhododendron arboreum and R. campanulatum which are commonly used as remedies to control different diseases were screened to discover possible plant-derived α-amylase inhibitors. In the present investigation, inhibitory effects of leaf extracts of Rhododendron arboreum and R. campanulatum were determined against porcine α-amylase at a concentration range of 0.2-1.0 mg/mL. R. arboreum displayed 51.10, 44.00 and 35.40% inhibition at a concentration of 1 mg/mL for methanol, acetone and aqueous leaf extracts respectively. On the other hand, R. campanulatum showed 21.15, 18.25 and 15.85% α-amylase inhibition for methanol, acetone and aqueous extracts respectively at 1 mg/mL. The inhibitory activity increased altogether with increasing concentration of each plant extract. The results further indicated that methanol extracts of medicinal plants exhibited maximum inhibitory effects than other solvent (acetone, methanol) extracts.&#x0D; Keywords: Rhododendron arboreum, Rhododendron campanulatum, porcine α-Amylase, Leaf extracts, Inhibition

Ensemble modelling enables identification of suitable sites for habitat restoration of threatened biodiversity under climate change: A case study of Himalayan Trillium

In an era of climate change, identifying suitable habitats for ecosystem restoration is critical for conservation of globally threatened biodiversity. Here, we integrate the insights gained from ensemble modelling with the community ecology data on threatened Himalayan Trillium (Trillium govanianum) to identify the suitable sites for its habitat restoration. We used ensemble modelling to map the current potential distribution and predict the future suitable habitats for the species under future climate change scenarios. The predictive accuracy of the ensemble model was fairly good; and the most influential variables governing the distribution of Himalayan Trillium were precipitation of the driest month followed by mean diurnal range. The current potential suitable habitats for this species are mostly located in western parts of the Himalaya; however, a range shift from western to eastern Himalaya is predicted under future climate change scenarios. Further, the results of community data revealed that Himalayan Trillium is positively associated with two tree species (Abies pindrow and Taxus wallichiana) forming forest top-story, four understory shrubs (Viburnum grandiflorum, Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana, Skimmia laureola and Rhododendron campanulatum) and one herbaceous species (Podophyllum hexandrum). In particular, the shrubs serve as natural micro-refuges by facilitating the suitable growth and protect the species from unsustainable extraction and livestock grazing. Our findings highlight a two-pronged strategy for habitat restoration of Himalayan Trillium: (i) identification of suitable habitats using ensemble modelling at the pan-Himalayan scale, (ii) and its integration with the community information at local scale. Such an integrated approach offers a nature-based solution in guiding the climate change-integrated restoration programs in the Himalaya, and elsewhere in the world.

Variation in Tree Layer Composition Across Mid and Higher Elevation Forest Sites in Kumaun Himalayan Region, Uttarakhand

The Himalayan forests are rich in biodiversity and distributed over a large extent from lower to higher elevations. The dependence of the locals for their daily requirements of fuel, fodder and medicinal plants is high on these forests. The study was conducted at altitude varied between 1725 and 3250 masl (above sea level) in Kumaun region. The study deals with the comparison of tree layer vegetation in higher elevation sites (HES) and mid elevation sites (MES) with reference to Diversity, Richness, Basal area (BA), Dominance and Important Value Index. The MES were dominated by mixed Quercus leucotrichophora and Pinus roxburghii forests where as HES sites were dominated by Quercus semecarpifolia and Aesculus indica forests and Rhododendron campanulatum in the understory. Across all the sites the tree species richness ranged between 9 and 15. Tree density was maximum (1400 trees/ha) at MES. Tree diversity and total basal area were maximum at HES. The study will be useful in developing baseline data for carrying out future studies. The data generated will be helpful for the conservation of biodiversity of the region.

Explore the unexplored: Potential anti-tumor properties of Rhododendron against bladder cancer.

Explore the unexplored: Potential anti-tumor properties of Rhododendron against bladder cancer.

High altitudinal vegetation dynamics including treeline ecotone in Langtang National Park, Nepal

Identification of high altitudinal vegetation dynamics using remote sensing is important because of the complex topography and environment in the Himalayas. Langtang National Park is the first Himalayan park in Nepal representing the best area to study vegetation change in the central Himalaya region because of the high altitudinal gradient and relatively less disturbed region. This study aimed at mapping vegetation in Langtang National Park and its treeline ecotone using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Two treeline sites with an altitude of 3927 and 3802 meters above sea level (masl) were selected, and species density was measured during the field survey. The linear slope for each pixel and the Mann Kendall test to measure significant trends were used. The results showed that NDVI has significantly increased at the rate of 0.002yr-1 in Langtang National Park and 0.003yr-1 in treeline ecotone during 2000-2017. The average 68.73% equivalents to 1463 km2 of Langtang National Park are covered by vegetation. At the same time, 16.45% equivalents to 350.43 km2 are greening, and 0.25%, i.e., 5.43 km2 are found browning. In treeline ecotone, the vegetation is mostly occupied by grasses, shrublands and small trees where the NDVI was found from 0.1 to 0.5. The relative changes of NDVI in barren lands are negative and vegetative lands above 0.5 NDVI are positive between 2000 and 2017. The dominant treeline vegetation were Abies spectabilis, Rhododendron campanulatum, Betula utilis and Sorbus microphyla, with the vegetation density of 839.28 and 775 individuals per hectare in sites A and B, respectively. The higher average NDVI values, significantly increased NDVI, and higher density of vegetation in both A and B sites indicate that the vegetation in treeline ecotone is obtaining a good environment in the Himalayas of Nepal.

Indian Himalayan Timberline Ecotone in Response to Climate Change – Initial Findings

This article enumerates the findings of a team research on the Indian Himalayan timberline ecotone, with focus on three sites (located in Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Sikkim). Timberline elevation increased from west to east, was higher in the warmer south aspect than the cooler north aspect, and was generally depressed. Betula, Abies, Rhododendron and Juniperus were important treeline genera. The Himalaya has not only the highest treelines (Juniperus tibetica, at 4900 m), but also the widest elevational range (>1700 m). Remotely sensed data revealed that the timberline is a long, twisting and turning ecotone, traversing a length of 8–10 km per km horizontal distance. Surface temperature lapse rate in the monsoonal regions was lower (–0.53°C/100 m elevation) than generally perceived and varied considerably with season, being the lowest in December. The Himalayan treeline species are not water-stressed at least in monsoonal regions, predawn tree water potential seldom getting below –1 MPa. The upward advance of Rhododendron campanulatum (a krummholz species) may deplete alpine meadows with climatic warming. Tree-ring chronology indicated that winter warming may be favouring Abies spectabilis . Early snowmelt increased growth period and species richness. Treelines generally are stable in spite of decades of warming. Dependence of people on timberline was still high; so economic interventions are required to reduce the same.

Investigation of Catalytic Property of Plant Mediated Silver Nanoparticles as Degradation of Toxic Dyes in Water

Nowadays, silver nano-compounds mediated by plant materials are widely used material in daily life chemistry as well as across the industries, medical, electronics, ceramics, and in all research fields, because it has some specific characteristics such as non-toxic, inexpensive, nature-friendly, heat resistant, catalytic activity, high electric conductivity and so on. In the present work we reported the photo-catalytic dye degradation of green synthesized silver nanoparticles of size 43.75 nm by using the flowers extract of Rhododendron campanulatum tree. Synthesized AgNPs have worked as a strong nano-catalyst for the degradation of toxic dyes such as malachite green (MG), and acridine orange (AO). As a catalyst, synthesized AgNPs degraded the malachite green (MG) dye 47.22 % within 90 min, and acridine orange (AO) dye 66.16 % in 4 h of solar irradiation, while in the absence of nanocatalyst, MG and AO dye degraded upto 22.13 % in 90 min and 46.75 % in 4 h of photo-irradiation respectively. Synthesized nano material (AgNPs) may be applicable as a strong catalytic agent for the degradation of toxic dyes, water purifying agent as well as a good antioxidant agent.