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Abstract
The life form classification and construction of biological spectrum of Chiktan valley of Kargil district in Ladakh region of North West Himalaya has been done after complete enumeration of floristic composition. A total of 79 plant species has been listed and grouped into various life form classes after Raunkiaer (1934). Hemicryptophytes (40.50%) and Therophytes (24.05%) dominated the landscape of this area followed by Chamaephyte (17.72%), Phanerophytes and Geophytes (8.86%). The life form spectrum was the characteristic of desert climate with scanty rainfall and steppe vegetation. Compared to the normal biological spectrum of Raunkiaer, Phanerophytes showed maximum deviation (-37.14) followed by Hemicryptophytes (+14.50) and Therophyte (+11.50).
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References
- Chaurasia, O. P and Singh, B. 1997. Cold desert plants DRDO [Defence Research and Development Organization] Leh: Field Research Laboratory.
- Danin, A and Orshan, G. 1990. The distribution of Raunkiaer life forms in Israel in relation to the environment. Journal of Vegetation Science.1: 41–48.
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- Kharkwal, G., Mehrotra, P., Rawat, Y. S and Pangtey, Y. P. S. 2005.Phytodiversity and growth form in relation to altitudinal gradient in the Central Himalayan (Kumaun) region of India. Current Science. 89: 873–878.
- Kumar. R. 2009. Environmental Impact Assesment of Chutuk Hydroelectric Project on phytodiversity. Ph.D thesis submitted to Department of Environmental Sciences. University of Jammu, Jammu.
- Rana, T. S., Butt, B and Rao, R. R. 2002. Life Forms and Biological Spectrum of the Flora of Tons Valley, Garhwal Himalaya (Uttranchal), India.Taiwana. 47 (2):164-169.
- Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography. Clarendon Press, Oxford. 632p.
- Rawat, G. S. and Adhikari, B. S. 2005. Millenia of grazing history in eastern Ladakh, India, reflected in range land vegetation. In: Proceedings of 2nd global mountain biodiversity assessment, La Paz Bolivia. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 201–212.
- Sharma, M. and Rajpal, K. 1991.Life-forms and biological spectrum of the flora of the Punjab State, India.Bull. Bot. Surv. India. 33 (1–4): 276 – 280.
- Sharma, C. M., Suyal, S., Gairola, S and Ghildiyal, S. K. 2009. Species richness and diversity along an altitudinal gradient in moist temperate forest of Garhwal Himalaya. Journal of American Science. 5(5):119-128.
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References
Chaurasia, O. P and Singh, B. 1997. Cold desert plants DRDO [Defence Research and Development Organization] Leh: Field Research Laboratory.
Danin, A and Orshan, G. 1990. The distribution of Raunkiaer life forms in Israel in relation to the environment. Journal of Vegetation Science.1: 41–48.
Dhar, O. N and Mulye, S. S. 1987. A brief appraisal of precipitation climatology of the Ladakh region. In: Pangtey YPS, Joshi SC (eds) Western Himalaya: environment, problems and development. Gyanodaya Prakashan, Nainital.
Grytnes, J. A and Vetaas, O. R. 2002. Species richness and altitude: A comparison between null models and interpolated plant species richness along the Himalayan altitudinal gradient, Nepal.The American naturalist. 159(3):294-304.
Klimes, L. 2003. Life-forms and colonality of vascular plants along an altitudinal gradient in E Ladakh (NW Himalayas). Basic and Applied Ecology .4(4): 317-328.
Khan M., Hussain F., Musharaf S. and Imdadullah, 2011, Floristic composition, life form and leaf size spectra of the coal mine area vegetation of Darra Adam Khel, Khyber Pakhtonkhwa, Pakistan. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences. 1(3): 1-6.
Khan M., F. Hussain, and S. Musharaf, 2012, Degree of Homogeneity of Plant Life in Tehsil Takht-e-Nasrati, Pakistan.Global Journal of Science Frontier Research. 12(4): 65-72.
Kharkwal, G., Mehrotra, P., Rawat, Y. S and Pangtey, Y. P. S. 2005.Phytodiversity and growth form in relation to altitudinal gradient in the Central Himalayan (Kumaun) region of India. Current Science. 89: 873–878.
Kumar. R. 2009. Environmental Impact Assesment of Chutuk Hydroelectric Project on phytodiversity. Ph.D thesis submitted to Department of Environmental Sciences. University of Jammu, Jammu.
Rana, T. S., Butt, B and Rao, R. R. 2002. Life Forms and Biological Spectrum of the Flora of Tons Valley, Garhwal Himalaya (Uttranchal), India.Taiwana. 47 (2):164-169.
Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography. Clarendon Press, Oxford. 632p.
Rawat, G. S. and Adhikari, B. S. 2005. Millenia of grazing history in eastern Ladakh, India, reflected in range land vegetation. In: Proceedings of 2nd global mountain biodiversity assessment, La Paz Bolivia. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 201–212.
Sharma, M. and Rajpal, K. 1991.Life-forms and biological spectrum of the flora of the Punjab State, India.Bull. Bot. Surv. India. 33 (1–4): 276 – 280.
Sharma, C. M., Suyal, S., Gairola, S and Ghildiyal, S. K. 2009. Species richness and diversity along an altitudinal gradient in moist temperate forest of Garhwal Himalaya. Journal of American Science. 5(5):119-128.
Tareen, R. B. and Qadir, S. A. 1993. Life form and leaf size spectra of the plant-communities of diverse areas ranging from Harnai, Sinjawi to Duki regions of Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Botany.25: 83–92.