Western Himalaya Research Articles

Citation Behaviour of Physics and Astronomy Researchers in the Western Himalayan Region

The study aims to examine the citation behaviour of Physics and Astronomy researchers from Indian central universities in the Western Himalayan region. By employing Bibliometrix and Biblioshiny packages in R Studio, an analysis of 13,065 cited sources was conducted using data from the Scopus database over a ten-year span (2012- 2021). The findings highlight a preference for influential journal articles and reviews, with an inclination towards articles authored by two or three individuals. These findings offer valuable insights for stakeholders including researchers, policymakers, and funders, to enhance research impact in the region. The study also draws attention to ‘undefined’ tags in bibliographic data and calls for refinement in defining metadata to enhance bibliographic data quality and reliability.

Spatial and temporal patterns of fuelwood consumption and its associated CO2 emissions in Muzaffarabad division, a western Himalayan region

BackgroundIn the Himalayan region, fuelwood serves as a critical energy source for rural communities. Being vital for meeting energy needs, fuelwood combustion is a source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission and, consequently, global warming, as well as deforestation and public health damage. Therefore, quantifying fuelwood consumption patterns and its associated CO2 emissions is essential to understand the environmental impact and promote sustainable resource management.MethodsThis research conducts an evaluation of fuelwood burning patterns and the associated CO2 emissions in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), situated within the western Himalayan region. The study entails an extensive survey of 24 villages representing 240 households, equally distributed between the subtropical and temperate regions, each comprising 120 households. Data collection was executed through a combination of direct queries and the weight survey method, following standard protocols.ResultsIn the study area, the mean annual fuelwood comsumption per household amounts to 24.28 ± 3.1 Mg (or 3.195 ± 1 Mg capita−1). A variance was observed between subtropical and temperate zones, with the latter exhibiting higher consumption rates. The consequential CO2 emissions were assessed as 41.88 ± 4.5 Mg per household (5.51 ± 0.6 Mg capita−1). On a daily basis, households consumed an average of 66.52 ± 6.4 kg of fuelwood (8.75 ± 1.5 kg capita−1), resulting in a daily CO2 release rate of 114.745 ± 8.6 kg (15.095 ± 2 kg capita−1). The findings unveiled seasonal variations, indicating increased fuelwood consumption and emissions during the winter season. Statistical analysis shed light on the significance of altitude and family size in shaping the patterns of fuelwood use.ConclusionsThe results revealed the importance of prioritizing forest conservation and strategically implementing sustainable practices, including reforestation, afforestation, responsible harvesting, and actively promoting sustainable fuel sources. This research highlights the vital role of well-designed policies focused on preserving ecosystems and improving energy management. Policy intervention can ensure the sustainable stewardship of local and regional forest resources.

Morels as a source of Food, Medicine and Income in Himachal Pradesh - A North West Himalayan Region, India

Himachal Pradesh is situated in north India between 300 22’ to 330 12’ N latitudes and 750 47’’ to 790 04’ E longitudes within the Western Himalayas in northern India. The elevation varies from 450 meters to more than 7,026 meters above the mean sea level. Tribal and indigenous communities of Himachal Pradesh are associated with collection of wild mushrooms for edible, medicinal and sale purpose. The Morels (Morchella spp.) are fungi belong to family Morchellaceae commonly known as Guchhi in Himachal Pradesh. The traditional people of Himachal Himalayan Region (HHR) cooked it as food and used in medicine and health care system. Traditionally, it has been used for gastric problems, as a tonic, to cure cuts and wounds, and reduce joint pain. The native people gather it from the forest regions and sold it to nearby merchants after drying it at home. Presence of nutrients like amino acids, vitamins and minerals, the Guchhi mushrooms are in high demand not only in India but also in various foreign markets such as Switzerland, France, the USA, Italy etc. Commercial cultivation of Guchhi mushrooms will help rural masses and farmers obtain benefits due to their high demand.

Glacier area change (1993–2019) and its relationship to debris cover, proglacial lakes, and morphological parameters in the Chandra-Bhaga Basin, Western Himalaya, India

Glacier area change (1993–2019) and its relationship to debris cover, proglacial lakes, and morphological parameters in the Chandra-Bhaga Basin, Western Himalaya, India

Impacts of hydropower-induced flow alterations on composition and diversity of riparian vegetation in the Western Himalayas: A case study in Uttarakhand, India

Impacts of hydropower-induced flow alterations on composition and diversity of riparian vegetation in the Western Himalayas: A case study in Uttarakhand, India

The genesis of Suket Satyagraha and the birth of Himachal Pradesh

This article is primarily based on a study of more than a thousand documents consulted in the Integrated Library of the Tribune Trust, Chandigarh. These documents, largely comprising news items, special reports by staff correspondents or representatives, feature articles, editorials, and letters to the editor, have escaped the attention and scrutiny of researchers and historians of modern Himachal Pradesh. What is fascinating to note is that the word ‘Himachal Pradesh’ was coined at the Solan conclave held during 26–28 January 1948, 2 years before India became a democratic republic; however, Himachal Day is celebrated since 15 April 1948. This article discusses the genesis of and the circumstances that led to the participation of the masses of the Western Himalayan princely states in the Suket Satyagraha, and describes how subsequent events in the ‘Himalayan Prant’ culminated in the creation of what a Tribune correspondent called a new star on India’s firmament—the present-day state of Himachal Pradesh.

Impact of climatic anomalies and reservoir induced seismicity on earthquake generation using Federated Learning

In this article, impact of climatic anomalies and artificial hydraulic loading on earthquake generation has been studied using federated learning (FL) technique and a model for the prediction of earthquake has been proposed. Federated Learning being one of the most recent techniques of machine learning (ML) guarantees that the proposed model possesses the intrinsic ability to handle all concerns related to data involving data privacy, data availability, data security, and network latency glitches involved in earthquake prediction by restricting data transmission to the network during different stages of model training. The main objective of this study is to determine the impact of artificial stresses and climatic anomalies on increase and decrease in regional seismicity. Experimental verification of proposed model has been carried out within 100 km radial area from 34.708o N, 72.5478o E in Western Himalayan region. Regional data of atmospheric temperature, air pressure, rainfall, water level of reservoir and seismicity has been collected on hourly bases from 1985 till 2022. In this research, four client stations at different points within the selected area have been established to train local models by calculating time lag correlation between multiple data parameters. These local models are transmitted to central server where global model is trained for generating earthquake alert with ten days lead time alarming a specific client that reported high correlation among all selected parameters about expected earthquake.

Catchment scale volume and mass changes for glaciers in the Parvati basin of Western Himalaya during 2000–2015

Catchment scale volume and mass changes for glaciers in the Parvati basin of Western Himalaya during 2000–2015

Notes on Asian Orchidaceae – I: Cremastra appendiculata var. appendiculata and Hemipilia nana

AbstractNervilia gleadowii described from Western Himalaya and Cremastra amabilis described from China, are placed under the synonymy of Cremastra appendiculata var. appendiculata based on morphological similarities. Orchis chusua var. nana is resurrected at species rank, and, to accommodate it in the genus Hemipilia, following the current taxonomic trends, a new combination of Hemipilia nana is published. This name had six syntypes available (all belonging to R. Pantling 326), one of which is designated here as a lectotype. Apetalanthe gracilis described from Vietnam, is reduced to the synonymy of H. nana and accordingly, Apetalanthe is reduced to Hemipilia (because A. gracilis is the type species of this monotypic genus).

First Record of Leucopholis lepidophora Blanchard, 1850 (Scarabaeidae; Melolonthinae) from Western Himalayas along with a Checklist of the Genus Leucopholis from India

Melolonthinae is a subfamily of June beetles and contains many species of agronomic importance in India. It holds major genera like Brahmina (Blanchard 1850), Eotrichia (Medvedev 1951), Holotrichia (Hope 1837) and Sophrops (Fairmaire 1887) in India. A survey based on light trap collection was conducted in the terai foot hills of the Western Himalaya in Uttarakhand to check for the presence of the species. During surveys in the years 2021-22 and 2022-23, various chafer beetles were collected to observe the distribution pattern and their hosts. Among these various species, one beetle species is here reported for the first time i.e., Leucopholis lepidophora Blanchard, 1850, from Uttarakhand, India. This also represents their first record for Western Himalaya. Their habitus and male genitalia are provided herein to aid in identification. A preliminary checklist of Indian Leucopholis is also provided.

Contradistinctive floral attributes, pollination guilds and their consequence on the outcrossing rate in two elevational morphs of Rhododendron arboreum Sm.

Infraspecific floral trait variations may appear in response to elevational differences in alpine plant species. There is enormous information on the selection of such morphs mediated by biotic and/or abiotic variables. Whether such differences contribute to differences in reproductive strategy and mating outcomes is rarely investigated. We investigated these aspects in two distinct elevational floral morphs (Red and Pink) of Rhododendron arboreum Sm. in Western Himalaya. The red morphs occupy the lower elevations while pink morphs the higher elevations. The two morphs differ in floral traits like phenology, dimension, display, quality of floral rewards, and pollinators that happen to influence interaction with available pollinator pool at each elevation. The pink morph exhibits entomophily, while the red ones show ornithophily. Although experimental pollinations established that both the morphs are self-compatible, selfing results in significantly lower fruit-set than either cross- or open-pollinations. The outcrossing rate in the red morph, as determined by using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, was higher (tm=0.82) than that in the pink morph (tm=0.76), with a tendency of the latter to be shifting towards mixed-mating strategy. However, the extent of biparental inbreeding was comparable among the two morphs. It is inferred that the differences in the mating outcomes among the morphs in the tree species are linked to those emerging from floral traits and the pollination by different functional groups of floral visitors.

Tectonic analysis of the Mula River Basin, Kirthar fold belt, Pakistan, using hypsometric index

The Mula River Basin is in an active tectonic region of the Kirthar fold fault belt in the Western Himalayas. The presence of numerous major faults like Chaman Fault, Kirthar Frontal Fault, and Bannh Fault near the study suggests complex tectonic processes in the region. The seismic record of the study area also indicates that this area is tectonically active. This makes the study area an ideal site to measure tectonic activity through geomorphic indices like hypsometric integrals (HI). For tectonic analysis of the Mula River Basin, we divided the study area into 309 subbasins. The results obtained from the HI calculations for the subbasins led us to the classification of the study area into three classes, i.e., class 1 (0.51–0.78), class 2 (0.37–0.50), and class 3 ([Formula: see text]), where class 1 is for the highest tectonic activity, class 2 responds to moderate, and class 3 is for the lowest tectonic activity. We calculated the hypsometric curves to understand the geomorphological cycle of the Mula River Basin. We quantified the subbasins of the Mula River Basin inside the highly active tectonic zone of Kirthar fold and fault zone as per their tectonic activity and found that a major portion of the study area indicates low tectonic activity (44.33%), medium tectonically active, and high tectonically active subbasins are 37.86% and 17.79%, respectively. These findings are supported by the presence of high-relief areas and known faults in the study area.

Relative contribution from different water sources to supraglacial runoff in western Himalaya

Conservative tracers are often used in mixing models to estimate the contribution from different end-members to proglacial streams. The supraglacial runoff generated below the equilibrium line represents a combination of snow and ice melt, and rainfall, since additional mixing from englacial and subglacial drainage is not possible. Thus, supraglacial runoff offers a reliable proxy for the seasonal variations in end-member contribution to glacier-fed streams.In this study, we used stable water isotopes (δ18O, δD and d-excess) to estimate the seasonal variations in end-member contributions to the supraglacial runoff with a novel mixing model. During the early, mid, and late summer 2016, we collected and analysed the supraglacial runoff and its potential water sources: rain, ice, and snow. Accounting for fractionation processes occurring from solid to liquid phases, we calculated the isotopic signatures of the snowmelt and the ice melt. Based on our models, the supraglacial runoff was mainly composed of snowmelt (68.1 ± 7.9 %), followed by rainwater (16.6 ± 6.4 %) and ice melt (15.3 ± 6.1 %). Our results partially agree with those from a numerical glacio-hydrological based model estimates on the outflow of the same glacier. We discuss the slight discrepancies of the two modelling frameworks, and attribute them to the hydrological relevance of the subglacial aquifer system.

Cross-cultural ethnobotany of the Baltis and Shinas in the Kharmang district, Trans-Himalaya India-Pakistan border

Human communities that inhabit the political borders live a transitional life, which is due to several socio-political and geo-climatic factors. The current cross-cultural ethnomedicinal study was conducted at the highly elevated Pakistan-India borders of the Western Himalayas in order to address the medicinal flora and folk knowledge of Balti and Shina communities. Ethnobotanical field surveys were conducted from May 2021 to September 2022. We used semi-structured interviews in order to collect the ethnomedicinal data. The collected data was analyzed using the relative frequency of the citations, use value, and Venn diagrams. A total of 140 interviews were conducted, which comprised of 90 (64.28%) Baltis and 50 (35.71%) Shinas. The interviews recorded 60 medicinal plant species that belong to 56 genera and 35 families. Asteraceae (5 spp.), Lamiaceae (5 spp.), and Apiaceae (4 spp.) were the families that were the most represented. These medicinally valued plants were being used for 55 health issues that are related to different body systems. Delphinium brunonianum, Thymus linearis, Hymenolaena candollei, Corydalis adiantifolia, and Seriphidium brevifolium were medicinal taxa with maximum RFCs and UV. The Baltis have comparatively more ethnomedicinal knowledge than the Shinas. The Baltis commonly used 22 (36.66%) species, which 34 (56.66%) were exclusive to the Baltis and 4 (6.66%) to the Shinas. Both ethnic groups collectively hold significant ethnobotanical knowledge that demands the preservation of risked folk knowledge, which is due to uncertain border situations, outmigration, and permeating allopathic drugs.

The Second Garhwal Expedition of the St. Petersburg Association of Scientists & Scholars (the Western Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India, May 2023)

This paper briefl y describes the interdisciplinary biogeographical expedition to the Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand state (India) in May 2023. It was organized by the Center for Himalayan Research of the St. Petersburg Association of Scientists & Scholars (SPASS) and took place under the fl ag of the Russian Association of Researchers of the Himalaya and Tibet. This was the 7th expedition of SPASS to the Western Himalaya and the 2nd expedition of SPASS to Garhwal. Participants explored the eastern part of this region west of the Nanda Devi mountain from the Indo- Gangetic Plain to the southern foot of the Transhimalaya (Zanskar Range, 4330 m). Observations were made and materials were collected in the fi elds of botany, zoology (entomology, herpetology), hydrobiology and microbiology.

The essential oil composition of Phlomis bovei subsp. maroccana Maire, an endemic species of Morocco

Phlomis L. is a genus belonging to the Lamiaceae family, distributed in Macaronesia, the Mediterranean basin, Northeast Africa, Central Asia, and Western Himalaya. Plants of this genus are used against various diseases in the ethno-medicine of several countries and some of them are also utilised for culinary purposes. In the present study, the essential oil chemical composition of the aerial parts of Phlomis bovei subsp. maroccana Maire, an endemic species of Morocco, was analysed by GC-MS. No previous paper has been previously published on this taxon. Main constituents of the essential oil were sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (44.48%) with curcumene (11.20%), a very rare compound in Phlomis essential oils, β-himachalene (6.22%), and β-cedrene (3.81%) as principal metabolites. 1-hexadecanol (7.75%) and 1-octadecanol (5.32%) were the main constituents among the alcohols (19.66%). A comparison with all the other essential oils from Phlomis taxa has been carried out.

Soil Quality under Polyhouse and Open Field Conditions as Affected by Continuous Fertilizer and Manure Applications

ABSTRACT Intensive cultivation coupled with scrupulous use of fertilizers could be detrimental to soil health and quality of the produce in the long run. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the predominant protected/polyhouse and open field vegetable production on soil quality. The changes in soil quality in comparison to control (fallow) indicate, whether the management practices being adopted under both the systems are sustainable or not. Thus, a study was conducted to identify the most appropriate soil quality indicators and finally to know about the status of soil quality both under polyhouse and open field system of cultivation in mid hills of North western Himalayas. Principal component analysis (PCA), a data reduction tool was employed to get the minimum data set for the assessment of soil quality. Geo-referenced soil samples were collected from 25 progressive farmers’ cultivating vegetables under polyhouse, as well as open field conditions and analyzed for various physical, chemical and biological indicators of soil quality. The PCA was performed which screened out the three principal components (PCs) with eigen value > 1. Average soil quality index (SQI) for different sites was observed to be on higher under polyhouse conditions (0.815) as compared to open field cultivation for vegetables (0.760) and control (0.703). Where, soil organic carbon contributed maximum to soil quality (75.6%) followed by pH (13.9%), water holding capacity (6.8%) and EC (3.6%). Conclusively, polyhouse cultivation system revealed high category of soil quality. Whereas, open field cultivation system revealed medium category of soil quality.

Assessment of crop water requirement and irrigation scheduling of potato using weather models under sub temperate climatic condition of North-Western Himalaya

To optimize irrigation water and enhance yield, appropriate amount of irrigation water and its scheduling according to real time weather data can help in reducing crop water foot prints. The evapotranspiration (ET) based irrigation scheduling using present weather conditions reflecting changed climatic scenarios in the study regions in the past few decades has proved to be sagacious use of water. To study the ET based irrigation scheduling, field experiment conducted with the treatments comprising four ET based weather models irrigation scheduling methods viz. no irrigation or rainfed, Thornthwaite, Hargreaves method, Temperature and modified Penman Monteith under sowing windows of 20th December and 20th January were conducted at research farm, of Department of Agronomy, CSK HPKV, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh during Rabi season of 2015-16. The estimated crop evapo-transpiration (ETc) with different ET estimation methods under North Western Himalayas showed variation during crop season. The highest estimated ET was observed in December as compared to January sown potato crop with Hargreaves method (376.8 mm) followed by Temperature (354 mm), Thornthwaite (329.5 mm) and the lowest in modified Penman Monteith methods (241.9 mm). The estimated ETc from pan evaporation observed to be the highest to the tune of (382.3 mm) compared to other methods of ETc estimation. The crop coefficients modeled at different pheno-phases were used for estimating water requirement of potato crop. It was found that irrigation scheduling based on modified Penman Monteith of ET estimation saved one irrigation to the tune of 60 mm during crop period without affecting significantly growth, and tuber yield of the potato as compared to other methods, viz., However, the irrigation schedule based on Thornthwaite method has recorded highest total potato tuber yield (171.76 q ha-1) being at par with irrigation schedules worked out from other ET estimation methods. The total water footprints were the lowest in modified Penman Monteith to the tune of 300 liters per kg of potato yield compared to other methods.

Natural or man-made? Finding the drivers of forest fires within the protected area habitats: a case study from the lower Shivalik Landscape, Western Himalaya

Natural or man-made? Finding the drivers of forest fires within the protected area habitats: a case study from the lower Shivalik Landscape, Western Himalaya

Seasonal and long-term changes in litterfall production and litter decomposition in the dominant forest communities of Western Himalaya

Understanding changes in litter fall is paramount for effective management, as it directly impacts ecosystem health, nutrient cycling, and overall biodiversity. It informs strategies for conservation, land use planning, and mitigating ecological disruptions. Therefore, present study investigates the seasonal and long-term changes in litterfall dynamics within the dominant forest communities of Western Himalaya. A total four distinct forest ecosystems, including Sal, (Shorea. robusta) Chir-pine (Pinus roxburghii), Banj-oak (Quercus leucotrichophora), and Mixed-oak (Q. leucotrichophora, Q. floribunda and Q. lanuginosa) forests were selected for the study. The total annual litter production across the forest stands varied from 741.59 to 841.22 g−2, with the highest recorded in the Banj-oak stand (841.22 g−2) and the lowest in the Sal stand (741.59 g−2). Leaf fall reported for the highest proportion of total litterfall (64.88% to 71%) across the forest stands, and peak litterfall was observed during the summer months in all forest sites. The leaf litter decomposition rate of selected species shows significant variation (F5, 10 = 3.41, p < 0.05) between species. Interestingly, litterfall production increased in all forest sites from 1980 to 82 to 2017–19. However, no significant changes were observed in the decomposition rate. The findings reveal significant variations in litterfall dynamics across different forest ecosystems, with leaf fall contributing substantially to total litter production. The observed increase in litterfall production over the studied period highlights the need for continued monitoring and adaptive management strategies to address potential ecological implications. These insights are invaluable for informing conservation efforts, land use planning, and mitigation strategies aimed at preserving ecosystem health, sustaining biodiversity, and ensuring the long-term resilience of Western Himalayan forests in the face of environmental change.