Floristic composition of an alpine grassland in Bandipora, Kashmir

Abstract

Floristic composition of a high-altitude alpine grassland, located in Bandipora district of Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir, was investigated. The grassland comprises three broad zones (a) flat valley with only few habitat types, (b) lower slope, and (c) upper slope with diverse habitat types (numerous rock boulders, rock crevices and high passes). Two study sites per zone (2 ha each) were established for vegetation survey. The degree of disturbance is most severe on the flat valley, while the upper slope experiences a light to moderate grazing due to steep slopes and high elevations. A total of 88 plant species belonging to 35 families and 70 genera were recorded in the grassland. Five dominant families are Asteraceae (15 spp.), Lamiaceae (8 spp.), Polygonaceae (5 spp.), Boraginaceae (4 spp.) and Rosaceae (3 spp.). The number of species is highest (40) in a site protected by nomads in the upper slope, while it is lowest (18) in an abandoned site in the flat valley. In terms of life form spectrum, the vegetation is characterized by a high proportion of hemicryptophytes followed by therophytes, indicating a heavy biotic interference in the form of overgrazing. Although the species richness is highest in the upper slope, the low occurrence of some rare and useful species in this zone demands a long term conservation plan, if their survival is to be continued in this grassland. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.