scholarly journals Plant Diversity, Ethnobotany and Conservation Issues at Swoyambhu World Heritage, Kathmandu, Nepal

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keshab Shrestha
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Exotic Species ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Northern Slope ◽  
Pinus Roxburghii ◽  
Total Plant ◽  
Pristine Forest

Lying at western corner of the Kathmandu city, the Swoyambhu hillock (1403.76m) represents a surviving pristine forest in the metropolitan capital of Nepal. Once an extension of Jamaca (2096m) with luxuriant sub-tropical forest is now invaded by dense human population and other developmental activities. This hillock is still rich with a total plant species of 319. Of them, 65 are trees, 43 shrubs, 194 herbs and 17 climbers. Northern slope of the hillock is rich in tree species with scattered patches of under-growing bushes and ferns, whereas southern, western and eastern slopes are much disturbed with exotic species of plants, creating challenges to the norms of the heritage standard. Domination by Pinus roxburghii (chire pine) and Eucalyptus, Jacaranda and Callistemon, etc are altering the indigenous nature of the hillock. And also the forested hillock has been randomly utilized for refreshment, yoga, ayurbedic remedy and food. Due to growing constructions and exploitations, the forested hillock is now facing a threat to maintain its pristine ecosystem. <i>Nepal Journal of Science and Technology</i> Vol. 7, 2006

scholarly journals What would happen to the trees and lianas if apes disappeared?

Oryx ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 442-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Beaune
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Pan Paniscus ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Dispersal Vectors ◽  
Natural Range ◽  
Almost All

AbstractApes, like many frugivorous animals, are crucial allies for the reproduction of several fruiting tree species. Almost all apes, however, including bonobos Pan paniscus, are threatened with extinction. How will this affect tree conservation? How can plants that are adapted to seed dispersal by apes reproduce without their dispersal vectors? At LuiKotale, in an evergreen tropical forest of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the recruitment of 22 plant species in the absence of seed dispersal was investigated under the parental canopy, where a proportion of seeds fall without horizontal dissemination. Most bonobo-dispersed plant species (95% of 19 species) were unable to self-recruit under the canopy. As 40% of the tree species (65% of trees) at LuiKotale are dispersed by bonobos there is a risk of ecosystem decay and simplification (reduced biodiversity) if Pan paniscus disappears from its natural range. The extinction of other apes from their forests could have similar consequences. The conservation of tree species, therefore, must encompass conservation of pollinators, seed dispersal vectors and other species that provide ecological services to the trees and other fruiting plants.

scholarly journals Diversity of Traditional Medicinal Plants in Agro Forestry Landuse in Govind Pashuvihar Wildlife Sanctuary Uttarakhand India

2020 ◽  
pp. 54-63
Author(s):  
Showkat Aziem ◽  
Ajeet Kumar Negi ◽  
Naseer A. Mir
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Medicinal Plant ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Wildlife Sanctuary ◽  
Traditional Medicinal Plants ◽  
Agro Forestry

The present investigation was carried out to document ethano-medicinal plant diversity in agroforestry land-use in Govind pashuvihar wildlife sanctuary Uttarakhand. For the present study 10 sample plots of 1 hectare each were randomly placed in 5 selected villages across the wildlife sanctuary. A total of 29 plant species including 22 herbs, 5 shrubs and 2 tree species were recorded to have medicinal importance in the local recipe. Asteraceae (4), Rosaceae (4) and Polygonaceae (4) form the dominant families of medicinal importance. These plants were used to treat a total of 17 different diseases. The medicinal plants in high altitudes are facing multiple threats due to multiple causes and it is thus imperative to have alternative land-use for conservation of these medicinal plants and agroforestry being the prominent land-use could be precursor for the conservation of medicinal plants and evade pressure from the natural habitat.

scholarly journals Plant Diversity and Its Effects on Populations of Cucumber Beetles and Their Natural Enemies in a Cucurbit Agroecosystem

HortScience ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 511B-511
Author(s):  
Jason Walker ◽  
John S. Caldwell ◽  
Robert H. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Height Distribution ◽  
Diabrotica Undecimpunctata Howardi ◽  
Cucumber Beetles ◽  
Total Plant ◽  
Insect Populations ◽  
Cucumis Sativa

To assess the value of uncultivated vegetation for control of cucumber beetles, populations of striped (Acalymma vittatum Fabr.), spotted (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber), and western cucumber beetles (Acalymma trivittatum Mann.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and natural enemy Diptera flies (as an indicator of Celatoria spp. parasitoids), Pennsylvania leatherwings (Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus DeGeer) (Coleoptera: Cantharidae), lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Hymenoptera wasps, and spiders were monitored with sticky traps on 50-m transects running through a field of Cucumis sativa L. `Arkansas Littleleaf' into bordering uncultivated vegetation. Plant species composition was determined in square plots around each sticky trap by estimating total plant cover and height distribution of plants from 0 to 1.0 m. In both years, numbers of cucumber beetles increased and numbers of Diptera decreased towards the crop. These trends increased monthly to peaks in Aug. 1995 (0.3 to 6.0 striped cucumber beetles; 40.0 to 15.3 Diptera) and July in 1996 (0.1 to 7.1 striped cucumber beetles; 46.7 to 15.5 Diptera). Abundance of individual plant species contributed more to maximum R2 regression of insect populations than did measures of plant diversity in sampling squares. Diptera were negatively correlated with sweet-vernal grass (r = –0.65 at 0 m) and wild rose (r = –0.62 at 0.5 m) in 1995, and goldenrod (r = –0.31, –0.59, and –0.53 at 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 m, respectively) in 1996, but positively correlated with wild violets (Viola spp.) (r = +0.38 at 0 m) in 1996. Cucumber beetles were negatively correlated with wild violets (r = –0.30 at 0 m) and white clover (Trifolium repens) (r = –0.37 at 0 m) in 1996. These results suggest that increasing or decreasing specific plants in uncultivated vegetation might be useful for influencing pest and beneficial insect populations in cucurbit production.

Medicinal plants and sustainable livelihood in Pauri district of Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India.

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (06) ◽  
pp. 4589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vardan Singh Rawat
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Skin Diseases ◽  
Sustainable Livelihoods ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Sustainable Livelihood ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Total Plant

The present study was conducted in the Thalisain block of Pauri Garhwal to document the medicinal plants used by the local communities. 53 plant species distributed in 38 families were documented. Of the total plant species 49% were herbs, 26% trees, 23% shrubs and 2% climbers. 16 different plant parts were used by local communities for different ailments. Medicinal plants were widely used by major sections of the community against common colds, cough, skin diseases, snake bite, fever, joint pains, bronchitis etc. Women and local healers called vaids have a vital role in environmental management due to traditional knowledge and use of plants as medicine with undocumented knowledge. It has been observed as one of the best option of sustainable livelihoods for the residents of the area.

A case of gender equality: absence of sex-related costs in a dioecious tropical forest tree species

Plant Ecology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valéria Forni Martins ◽  
Rafaela Letícia Brito Bispo ◽  
Priscilla de Paula Loiola
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Tree ◽  
Forest Tree Species

scholarly journals Effect of Soil Diversity on Forest Plant Species Abundance: A Case Study from Central-European Highlands

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 534
Author(s):  
Pavel Samec ◽  
Jiří Volánek ◽  
Miloš Kučera ◽  
Pavel Cudlín
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Plant Distribution ◽  
Soil Diversity ◽  
Abiotic Environment ◽  
Soil Group ◽  
Biogeographical Regions ◽  
Forest Distribution

Plant distribution is most closely associated with the abiotic environment. The abiotic environment affects plant species’ abundancy unevenly. The asymmetry is further deviated by human interventions. Contrarily, soil properties preserve environmental influences from the anthropogenic perturbations. The study examined the supra-regional similarities of soil effects on plant species’ abundance in temperate forests to determine: (i) spatial relationships between soil property and forest-plant diversity among geographical regions; (ii) whether the spatial dependencies among compared forest-diversity components are influenced by natural forest representation. The spatial dependence was assessed using geographically weighted regression (GWR) of soil properties and plant species abundance from forest stands among 91 biogeographical regions in the Czech Republic (Central Europe). Regional soil properties and plant species abundance were acquired from 7550 national forest inventory plots positioned in a 4 × 4 km grid. The effect of natural forests was assessed using linear regression between the sums of squared GWR residues and protected forest distribution in the regions. Total diversity of forest plants is significantly dependent on soil-group representation. The soil-group effect is more significant than that of bedrock bodies, most of all in biogeographical regions with protected forest representation >50%. Effects of soil chemical properties were not affected by protected forest distribution. Spatial dependency analysis separated biogeographical regions of optimal forest plant diversity from those where inadequate forest-ecosystem diversity should be increased alongside soil diversity.

scholarly journals Mountain definitions and their consequences

Alpine Botany ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Körner ◽  
Davnah Urbach ◽  
Jens Paulsen
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Climatic Change ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Short Communication ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Mountainous Terrain ◽  
Human Population Density

AbstractMountains are rugged structures in the landscape that are difficult to delineate. Given that they host an overproportional fraction of biodiversity of high ecological and conservational value, conventions on what is mountainous and what not are in need. This short communication aims at explaining the differences among various popular mountain definitions. Defining mountainous terrain is key for global assessments of plant species richness in mountains and their likely responses to climatic change, as well as for assessing the human population density in and around mountainous terrain.

Restoration of floral diversity through plantations on abandoned agricultural land

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 1218-1235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven G Newmaster ◽  
F Wayne Bell ◽  
Christopher R Roosenboom ◽  
Heather A Cole ◽  
William D Towill
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Geographic Region ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Community Interactions ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Floral Diversity ◽  
The Impact

Plantations have been claimed to be "monocultures", or "biological deserts". We investigated these claims in the context of a long-term study on plant diversity within plantations with different indigenous tree species, spacings, and soil types that were compared with 410 native stands. Soil type had no influence on plantation species diversity or abundance, and wider spacing resulted in higher richness, lower woody plant abundance, slightly higher cover of herbaceous plants, and large increases in cryptogam cover. We also found a canopy species × spacing interaction effect, where the impact of increased spacing on understory vegetation was more pronounced in spruce than in pine plantations. The dynamic community interactions among species of feathermoss appear to be in response to the physical impediment from varying amounts of needle rain from the different tree species. High light interception and needle fall were negatively correlated with understory plant diversity, as was lack of structural diversity. This study indicates that through afforestation efforts agricultural lands can be restored to productive forests that can harbour nearly one-half of the plant species found in equivalent natural forests within the same geographic region in as little as 50 years. We recommend applying afforestation using indigenous conifer species as a first step towards rehabilitating conifer forests that have been converted to agriculture and subsequently abandoned.

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