Ethnobotanical Studies of Plant Species Associated with Hippophae sp. in Chandra Valley a Part of Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

Himalayan ecosystem is known for its unique climate and plants wealth but the indiscriminate use of plant resources and increasing human interventions increases serious threat to their survival. The present study provides the information on the distribution patterns and traditional uses of medicinal plant species in the high-altitude (3298 m asl) cold desert of India in Himachal Himalayas. The people still depend upon household and traditional uses for remedies and health care. In this survey a total of 27 important medicinal plant species belonging to 15 families were recorded in grassland under Seabuckthorn community. Based upon importance value index, Eragrostis minor (44.30), Equisetum arvense (15.28) and Chaerophyllum villosum (8.41) showed its dominance in the grassland habitat. The Diversity Index (H’) was highest in case of Eragrostis minor (0.37), Carex setosa (0.29) and Astragalus grahamianus (0.12). The value of Concentration dominance (Cd) was found to be highest in Eragrostis minor, Equisetum arvense and Carex setosa. This study provides a framework for making the effective implementation of conservation strategies in the Himalayan region.