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![Comparison of observed and expected numbers of species according to their naturalization status and native biogeographical region. The Pearson's residuals derived from the contingency table are shown. Positive values of residuals sign higher observed values than expected, negative residuals sign lower observed values than expected. The color represents the associated Pearson's residuals. [Nativity -AFR = Africa, ATM= Asia temperate, ATR = Asia tropical, AUS = Australasia, EUR = Europe, NAM = Northern America, PAC = Pacific, SAM = Southern America].](profile/Anzar-Khuroo/publication/362371194/figure/fig2/AS:11431281078772652@1660239384051/Comparison-of-observed-and-expected-numbers-of-species-according-to-their-naturalization.png)
Comparison of observed and expected numbers of species according to their naturalization status and native biogeographical region. The Pearson's residuals derived from the contingency table are shown. Positive values of residuals sign higher observed values than expected, negative residuals sign lower observed values than expected. The color represents the associated Pearson's residuals. [Nativity -AFR = Africa, ATM= Asia temperate, ATR = Asia tropical, AUS = Australasia, EUR = Europe, NAM = Northern America, PAC = Pacific, SAM = Southern America].
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The Himalaya – a global biodiversity hotspot – harbours diverse flora and fauna, but increasingly beset with multiple threats, including biological invasion by invasive alien species. Here, we aimed to investigate the diversity, distribution, and drivers of alien flora in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), a region spread across 12 states/union ter...
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Context 1
... status were not equally distributed across the species' origins (χ 2 = 49.60, df = 7, p < 0.001). Species from Europe, Northern America, and Southern America had the highest probability of being naturalized; this category was over-represented in the naturalized species, while cultivated species from these continents were under-represented (Fig. ...
Context 2
... Pearson's correlation analysis showed that total traffic length (TTL) was highly correlated with each of the total road lengths (TRL), railway length (RL), surfaced road length (SRL), and total population (TP) (r > 0.80), while as total area (TA) was highly correlated with the protected area (PA) (r = 0.92) (Supporting Appendix-D Fig. S4). Thus, from each pair of highly correlated variables, we selected TTL instead of TRL, RL, SRL, and TP and, TA instead of PA for further analysis. ...
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... Diversity patterns and structural compositions are two major prioritized factors that should be considered to improve our understanding of ecosystem conservation and management (Altaf et al., 2022;Wani et al., 2022). Several research has been conducted on floristic compositions based on different parameters, such as topographical (elevation, slope, aspect, etc.) and environmental variables (e.g., temperature, precipitation, etc.), explaining the importance of mountain forests in the world (Báez et al., 2022;Cheng et al., 2023;Li et al., 2020;Monge-González et al., 2020) and in India (Ahmad et al., 2020;Buragohain et al., 2023;Murthy et al., 2016). ...
... Furthermore, concerning studies on elevation, beta diversity is crucial (Baselga, 2010). The Sorensen dissimilarity index is one of the common methods used to assess beta diversity (Krishnadas & Osuri, 2021;Wani et al., 2022) based on presenceabsence data (Koleff et al., 2003). Based on the Sorensen (β sor ) and Simpson (β sim ) indices, the overall spatial dissimilarity is partitioned into two parts (nestedness and turnover). ...
... The dissimilarity among the zones may be due to the high difference in elevation, a key driver for this study, which is consistent with other studies (Hilmers et al., 2018;Swenson et al., 2011), while in their studies, they have also suggested that age and time can also be a reason for the changes in species turnover. For example, in our study, we have observed that based on the partitioning of β sor , turnover (β SIM ) contributed more compared to nestedness (β SNE ) to overall dissimilarity for all the zones, which aligns with similar studies (Viana et al., 2016;Wani et al., 2022;Yao et al., 2020). A significant contribution of the turnover component could point to a natural process of species replacement (Soininen et al., 2018). ...
Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary holds significant value being a part of Western Ghats, which
remains unexplored in terms of vegetation. The current study is the first quantitative assess-
ment of tree distribution along an elevation gradient combined with environmental variables.
Sampling was conducted from December 2020 to April 2021 in six elevation zones (Z1 to Z6). A
total of 135 plots of 20m × 20m size were established, and the stems were measured (>30 cm
GBH). Across a 5.4 ha studied area, 2157 individuals representing 188 tree species and 48
families were documented. Tree density (348-473 ind. ha−1), basal area (21.71-36.59 m2 ha−1),
and species richness (84-122) were highest at mid-elevations. One-way ANOVA result high-
lighted the significant influence of elevation on species richness (p < 0.05). Canonical
Correspondence Analysis revealed a good correlation between environmental variables and
elevation. Furthermore, beta diversity showed intermediate dissimilarity between zones, ran-
ging from 0.30 to 0.61. Z1 and Z6 exhibited the most dissimilarity (60%). Our study revealed
tree diversity was least at higher elevations, suggesting good evidence of elevation and
environmental filtering in shaping the overall tree diversity. Besides, the scarcity of a few
species showed a point of concern. Hence, the current study suggests the implementation of
strategic conservation plans to conserve species diversity in this area.
... It covers 12 states of India of India from Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. Its forest cover is vital to maintain environment and ecological balance (Wani et al 2022) and provide numerous ecological and environmental services. Indian Himalayan Region is mostly dominated with different types of s . ...
is one of the dominant species of the Indian Himalayan region. The species is well known for its beautiful Rhododendron arboreum flowers and ecological importance. The flowers of is used by the local people to make juice, jam, syrup, chutney, honey, squash, R. arboreum etc. But, increasing demand of its products and uncontrolled collection of flowers by local inhabitants for ethno-botanical purposes and fulfillment of their basic livelihood, the species is facing threat in its natural habitat. Additionally, reduced regeneration capability due to various ecological and anthropogenic factors has led to drastic reduction in natural population of in forest. Sustainable harvesting R. arboreum practices and community awareness can help balance human needs with ecological preservation ensuring the survival of this vulnerable species for future generations. Present review focuses on ecological behavior of the species, its socioeconomic importance, regeneration, threats and an immediate conservation measure to combat it's over exploitation.
... Trees, Forests and People 18 (2024) 100721 (Wani et al., 2023). However, many studies (Ahmad et al., 2021;Rawat and Negi, 2021;Wani et al., 2022) revealed that topography and climatic conditions in the Himalayan region vary significantly, contributing to variations in species diversity and distribution patterns with respect to slope, aspect and altitude. Particularly, the temperature system and diversification of forest species are regulated by altitude of an area (Bhardwaj et al., 2021). ...
... India, one of the mega-biodiverse countries in the world, is home to four global biodiversity hotspots (Mittermeier et al., 2004;Myers et al., 2000). Among these hotspots, the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), representing the world's largest and highest mountain range, harbors a treasure-trove of biodiversity (Rana et al., 2019;Wani, Ahmad et al., 2023;Wani et al., 2022). The formation of the Himalaya is considered to be one of the most significant geophysical events in the Earth's history (Harrison et al., 1992;Manish & Pandit, 2018b;Wang et al., 2012). ...
... The IHR, spread across the north-western to northeastern frontiers of India, is home to two global biodiversity hotspots: the Himalaya and the Indo-Burma (Wani, Ahmad et al., 2023;Wani et al., 2022). The majority of the Himalaya is formed by IHR, with an area of $419,873km 2 (Wani, Ahmad et al., 2023). ...
... The IHR extends from Jammu and Kashmir in the north-west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east of India (Khuroo et al., 2021;Wani, Mugal et al., 2023), and is situated between 27 -36 N latitude and 74 -97 E longitude ( Figure 1). The IHR consists of 13 administrative states/ union territories (hereafter provinces): Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur, Darjeeling range of West Bengal, and the mountainous regions of Assam (Wani, Ahmad et al., 2023;Wani et al., 2022) (Figure 1). The IHR, with diverse climatic and soil conditions, is recognized as the treasure-trove of biodiversity with a rich pool of genetic resources, species diversity, and a variety of ecosystems (Pathak et al., 2021;Wani, Mugal et al., 2023). ...
Despite recent efforts to make large-scale biodiversity datasets available, several data shortfalls still exist that preclude our progress in achieving global conservation and sustainability goals. In this study, we present a comprehensive native tree dataset (1689 species) from the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR)—home to two global biodiversity hotspots— assembled from an extensive data synthesis. Based on this database, we investigate the geographic patterns and drivers of α- and β-taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of the native trees among 13 different provinces of IHR. Our results revealed a considerable variation in the α- and β-taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity among the provinces of IHR, with the highest values in eastern provinces. We found phylogenetic clustering mostly in the western provinces, and phylogenetic dispersion in the eastern provinces. We found a positive correlation between the taxonomic and phylogenetic dissimilarity across the IHR. Also, the different sets of explan- atory variables explained the variation of tree species richness, standardized effect size of phylogenetic diversity, net relatedness index, and nearest taxon index, with maximum contribution by temperature seasonality (Bio4). Furthermore, temperature-related climatic distance individually explained most of the variation in the taxonomic and phylogenetic dissimi- larity between the provinces of IHR. Overall, our findings unveil the patterns of taxonomic, biogeographic, and phylogenetic dimensions of tree flora in the IHR, which in turn can help in formulating scientific data-based regional policy and conservation strategies. Looking forward, we presented a model study for bridging the Linnean, Wallacean, and Darwinian short- falls in the globally data-deficient biodiversity-rich regions.
... The Himalayan region is recognized for its breath-taking landscape and unique biodiversity, which includes an immense variety of animal, plant and microorganism species. However, the biodiversity of this unique landscape is under threat due to escalating human activities and rising temperatures (Thapa et al., 2018;Wani et al., 2022). Globally, the spread of invasive species is recognized as one of the dominant causes for environmental changes (Khuroo et al., 2007;McDougall et al., 2011;Pysek et al., 2020). ...
... During the last decade there are many studies have examined the status, distribution, and spread dynamics of invasive species in the Himalayas (Sood et al., 2011;Sekar, 2012;Jaryan et al., 2013;Thapa et al., 2018;Lamsal et al., 2018;Pathak et al., 2019;Rai and Singh, 2021;Wani et al., 2022;Joshi et al., 2024a;Nayak et al., 2024). Recently, Wani et al. (2022) documented 771 alien plant species in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), with many being invasive. ...
... During the last decade there are many studies have examined the status, distribution, and spread dynamics of invasive species in the Himalayas (Sood et al., 2011;Sekar, 2012;Jaryan et al., 2013;Thapa et al., 2018;Lamsal et al., 2018;Pathak et al., 2019;Rai and Singh, 2021;Wani et al., 2022;Joshi et al., 2024a;Nayak et al., 2024). Recently, Wani et al. (2022) documented 771 alien plant species in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), with many being invasive. However, sociological studies on plant invasions have been relatively lower in recent years (Chaudhary et al., 2022;Kumar and Garkoti, 2024). ...
... This chapter primarily focuses on the Himalayan region, as shown in Fig. 1. The Himalayas, spanning multiple countries in South Asia, holds a prominent position among the world's mountain systems (Wani et al., 2022). Indeed, the Himalayas are the most extensive mountain range globally, stretching approximately 2500 km from west to east. ...
The concentration of greenhouse gases in the air is gradually rising because of human activity and industrialization, leading to global warming and climate change. Climate change and global warming will affect temperature and other factors, including precipitation intensity and amount, cloud shelter, breeze, and radiation. The melting of ice sheets and glaciers throughout the planet is a sensitive and obvious sign of the global average temperature rise scenario. Sea-level rise (SLR), mountain-fed river hydrology, the freshwater balance of the seas, natural catastrophes, and even the Earth’s physical attributes (rotational behaviour and shape) are just a few examples of processes that may be directly impacted. The faster pace of retreat compels us to consider the other elements influencing it right now, even if glacial evacuation is a natural occurrence caused by the earth’s transition to a warmer phase. This chapter discusses the impact of changing climate on the Cryospheric Region and the glacier retreat in the Himalayan Region. The chapter highlights the immediate and long-term consequences of glacier retreat, including rising sea levels, water availability changes, and threats to local communities and ecosystems. The chapter also presents case studies from the Himalayan region, including the Dokriani, Chhota Shigri, Satopanth and Bhagirath Kharak, and Milam glaciers, to illustrate the influence of climate change on glaciers and the surrounding areas. Finally, the chapter concludes that immediate and concerted action is essential to mitigate the special effects of climate change on glaciers in the Himalayan region and ensure the sustainability of the natural resources and communities.
... Mountainous ecosystems harbour around half of the world's biodiversity hotspots and are among the most productive landscapes on the Earth, supporting diverse vegetation zones under varied environmental conditions (Xu et al., 2019). Currently, these biodiversity-rich regions are facing a higher risk of invasion due to the changing climate and increasing human disturbances (Khuroo et al., 2007;McDougall et al., 2011;Wani et al., 2022). The Himalayan mountain range is recognised as one of the world's biodiversity hotspots (Dar and Khuroo, 2020). ...
... Furthermore, the region has experienced a higher degree of urbanisation in recent years due to the promotion of tourism, with major implications for the region's land use and land cover scenarios (Ahmed et al., 2022). These unprecedented changes in land use and climate are predicted to promote proliferation of the IAS in the Himalaya (Pathak et al., 2019;Wani et al., 2022). Therefore, an analysis of the contribution of different drivers in determining the diversity and distribution of invasive alien species in this mountainous region is crucial. ...
Invasive alien species (IAS) are currently considered as one of the major causes of global environmental change. To manage the IAS, it is crucial to identify the different environmental and associated anthropogenic drivers that contribute to invasion of alien species in non-native regions. Although multiple drivers of invasion have been identified at a global scale, the relative roles of these are known to vary considerably at regional scales. Here, we investigate the role of key environmental and anthropogenic drivers in determining the diversity and distribution of selected invasive alien plant species in Kashmir Himalaya. We generated an extensive distribution dataset of these species through field sampling across the region and supplemented it with novel herbarium records. We also extracted data on the relevant environmental (climatic, soil and topographic) and anthropogenic drivers for the study region. The random forest model was employed to quantify the relative contribution of these drivers to determine the two common diversity metrics (species richness and abundance) of selected invasive alien plants. We found that soil water content followed by distance to city, the maximum air temperature, soil pH, soil temperature and human population density exerted the greatest influence on species richness of the invasive plants. Species abundance was significantly influenced by the maximum air temperature followed by soil temperature, distance to city, slope, soil pH and human population density. Overall, our findings help in disentangling the individual and interactive roles of multiple drivers of plant invasions, with wide-ranging implications for management in this Himalayan region and similar landscapes elsewhere.
... This phenomenon has been observed in other Himalayan regions as well, where roads have played a role in dispersing plant species to higher elevations (Rawat, 2010). The expansion of the tourism sector in the region has also been recognized as a vector for the spread of alien plant species (Yang et al., 2021;Wani et al., 2022). As tourism increases, there is a higher likelihood of seeds being transported inadvertently and establishing in new areas, this can contribute to the spread of alien plant species. ...
Range shifts are a key mechanism that species employ in response to climate change. Increasing global temperatures are driving species redistributions to cooler areas. Studies have documented climate change–induced shifts in species distributions. The range shift in three plant species, namely Bellis peren- nis L., Cannabis sativa L., and Portulaca oleracea L. to the Himalayan highlands of Ladakh, India, is reported for the first time. These species are not native to the region but have naturalized and are currently occurring as large natural populations at multiple sites. By providing detailed information on taxonomic descriptions, habitat characteristics, distribution maps, global distribution and ecology, the study aims to facilitate the identification of these species in the field which is required for early response and timely interventions to pre- vent them from becoming invasive in the natural habitats of the Himalayan region.
... In such a scenario, documentation of biodiversity at multiple spatial scales, spanning from regional to global, is required to devise policy planning, guide conservation strategies, and inform ecosystem restoration (Carwardine et al., 2019;Jones et al., 2022). The biotic inventories, that form baseline biodiversity data, are generally compiled for a specific the data availability and linkage with other previous studies (Bhatt et al., 2020;Wani et al., 2022Wani et al., , 2023, and above all to make the tree database compatible with potential policy implications at the geographical/political scale. The IHR forms the majority of the Himalaya with approximately 4,19,873 km 2 (about 18 % of India, 70 % of the Himalaya and 3.5 % of Indo-Burma), situated between 27-36 • N latitude and 74-97 • E longitude, and stretches from the Arunachal Pradesh in the east to Jammu and Kashmir in the west (Khuroo et al., 2021;Samant, 2021;Wani et al., 2022) (Fig. 1). ...
... The biotic inventories, that form baseline biodiversity data, are generally compiled for a specific the data availability and linkage with other previous studies (Bhatt et al., 2020;Wani et al., 2022Wani et al., , 2023, and above all to make the tree database compatible with potential policy implications at the geographical/political scale. The IHR forms the majority of the Himalaya with approximately 4,19,873 km 2 (about 18 % of India, 70 % of the Himalaya and 3.5 % of Indo-Burma), situated between 27-36 • N latitude and 74-97 • E longitude, and stretches from the Arunachal Pradesh in the east to Jammu and Kashmir in the west (Khuroo et al., 2021;Samant, 2021;Wani et al., 2022) (Fig. 1). In India, the study area comprises 13 states/union territories (hereafter referred to as provinces for convenience): Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, and the hilly areas of Assam and Darjeeling area of West Bengal (Wani et al., 2022) (Fig. 1). ...
... The IHR forms the majority of the Himalaya with approximately 4,19,873 km 2 (about 18 % of India, 70 % of the Himalaya and 3.5 % of Indo-Burma), situated between 27-36 • N latitude and 74-97 • E longitude, and stretches from the Arunachal Pradesh in the east to Jammu and Kashmir in the west (Khuroo et al., 2021;Samant, 2021;Wani et al., 2022) (Fig. 1). In India, the study area comprises 13 states/union territories (hereafter referred to as provinces for convenience): Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, and the hilly areas of Assam and Darjeeling area of West Bengal (Wani et al., 2022) (Fig. 1). The vast biological and cultural diversity of the IHR is the result of its distinct geography, climatic factors, and soil properties (Samant, 2021). ...
The recent adoption of Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework requires empirical synthesis of biodiversity data spanning across broad biogeographic scales to inform conservation policy and management. Although the availability and access to biodiversity databases have recently improved, yet majority of these databases lack sufficient geographic coverage, especially from the biodiversity hotspot regions of developing countries, thereby severely limiting their utility and generalizability across the globe. Here, we present a comprehensive tree database (2199 species) of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) – home to two global biodiversity hotspots – collated from a quantitative synthesis of 234 studies published over the last one century. Taking leverage of this novel database, we unravel the patterns of diversity, distribution, and drivers of the trees of IHR. We found that the species richness, compositional similarity, distribution patterns, and biome affiliation of the tree diversity vary significantly across the IHR, with nearly half of the tree species affiliated with the wet tropical biome. Of the 10 climatic and environmental drivers used, the annual mean temperature and elevation width in combination best predicted the variation in tree diversity across the IHR. We also document 117 endemic and 88 threatened tree species in the IHR, which merit conservation priority. Our findings have significant utility in formulating management and restoration strategies for biodiversity conservation across the IHR. Overall, our study showcases a model biodiversity database with wide policy implications in the planning and management of tree-focussed environmental programs to restore the degraded forest landscapes and plantation-specific climate change mitigation strategies in the region.
... Knowledge on the diversity and distribution of alien flora is central to determine the status of infestation by various taxa (Pyšek 2003), particularly for regions where invasive species pose a serious risk to food security and agricultural production, and also for regions which lack human and financial resources to monitor, manage and mitigate the impacts of invasions (Early et al 2016). Furthermore, future invasion patterns are expected to change geographically, and it is predicted that IAS will soon become a greater threat to the developing countries, especially those supporting the biodiversity hotspots (Seebens et al. 2015;Wani et al. 2022). The Global Naturalized Alien Flora (GloNAF) database, provides a better global picture of naturalized plant species, highlights the huge data gaps, notably in the tropical and temperate Asia, and in many regions of Africa (van Kleunen et al. 2015. ...
... In order to avoid the analysis from being biased, we preferred equal distribution across the categories rather than mean values. This in turn prevents the analysis to overemphasize the categories with larger sample sizes and underemphasize the categories with smaller sample sizes (Gulzar et al. 2022;Wani et al. 2022). The deviation of observed values from expected values within individual category was expressed using Pearson's residuals in "vcd" package (Meyer et al. 2020). ...
... In order to avoid the analysis from being biased, we preferred equal distribution across the categories rather than mean values. This in turn prevents the analysis to overemphasize the categories with larger sample sizes and underemphasize the categories with smaller sample sizes (Gulzar et al. 2022;Wani et al. 2022). The deviation of observed values from expected values within individual category was expressed using Pearson's residuals in "vcd" package (Meyer et al. 2020). ...
Worldwide, invasive alien species (IAS) cause significant ecological and economic impacts. To meet the Target-6 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework that deals with IAS, it is crucial to fill the geographical knowledge gaps in invasion research. Towards this end, making available inventories of IAS from data-deficient regions of the world merits urgent research attention. Here we present an integrated inventory of invasive alien flora of South Asia—the most populous region of the world. We assembled the inventory by reviewing 236 studies published from 1890 to 2022, supplemented with expert validation. The inventory comprises 241 invasive alien plant species (IAPS) with perennial lifespan (65%) and herbaceous life form (61%) as the dominant life history traits. The number of IAPS varies considerably across the seven countries in the region with the highest in India (185) followed by Bhutan (53), Sri Lanka (45), Bangladesh (39), Nepal (30), Pakistan (29) and the lowest in Maldives (15). We found the highest species’ similarity between India and Bhutan and the lowest between India and Maldives, thus highlighting the role of geographical proximity and connectivity in shaping a similar species pool. Southern America was the major contributor both at country level and across the region, thereby indicating that the tropical climate matching aids in the establishment and spread of alien species. Our study will fill existing data gaps in the global reports, foster further research on biological invasions in South Asia, and guide invasion policy formulation and management strategies within each country and much beyond the political boundaries across the region.
