Kavita Khatri

Kumaun University · Department of Botany

Phenology is acknowledged as one of the important traits that contribute significantly to the success of alien species. Differences in the life history traits related to invasive and native vegetation have been shown to influence the success and extent of the plant invasion. Therefore, to obtain this information, we documented and contrasted the du...

The hazardous invasive weed Ageratina adenophora has successfully invaded diverse habitats belonging to different climate zones in Central Himalaya, India. This study tested whether phenotypic plasticity and/or local adaptation plays an important role invasion success of A. adenophora in diverse environmental conditions. Eight populations from diff...

Factors such as topography, soil composition, and nutrient availability significantly influence the density patterns of Ageratina adenophora. Understanding these dynamics addresses a gap in our knowledge of the species' adaptive mechanisms in mountainous regions. Furthermore, the impact of habitat features along road corridors on the population dyn...

The medicinal plant usage by Jaunsari tribe in Chakrata forest of Dehradun district, India were documented. The study area was divided into five elevation gradients. The data was collected through interviews with local communities to document medicinal plants and their uses, while simultaneously assessing their ecological characteristics. A total o...

The present study was designed to assess the allelopathic potential of invasive weed Ageratina adenophora leaf extracts on seed germination and seedling development efficiency of native tree [viz. Quercus leucotrichophora A. Camus (Oak) and Pinus roxburghii Sarg. (Pine)] and crop [(Triticum aestivum L. (Wheat) and Lens culinaris Medik. (Lentil)] sp...

Growth rate is a vital trait for plants because both survival and reproduction depend on it. A high growth rate, which is associated with a high photosynthetic rate, has been found to contribute to the invasiveness of some invasive plants. The impact imposed by invasive species on native co-occurring species depends specifically on interacting spec...

Invasive plant Ageratina adenophora (Sprengel) R. King & H. Robinson has invaded majority of the temperate forests in Kumaun, Central Himalaya. Information on A. adenophora invaded forest types, their structural attributes, population demography and regeneration status are still at rudimentary level. Considering this, the present study was conducte...

Invasive plant species pose a serious threat to agricultural yield, although how the threat varies with the distance of crops from invasive plants remains unclear. Therefore, utilizing this viewpoint, objectives were formulated to quantify differences in the native vegetation and performance of crops growing near A. adenophora–invaded (treatment pl...

Successful invasion of biological entities does not merely depend on the rigorous habitat attributes of invaded regions, besides, the intrinsic traits of the invader species also play a significant role in the process of invasion. Evaluation of plants’ functioning across habitats helps in understanding which traits are contributing to invasion succ...

This study was conducted to investigate growth inhibitory or stimulating effects of leaf residues derived from a globally recognized invasive alien weed Ageratina adenophora on two dominant tree species viz. Banj oak (Quercus oblongata) and Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) of Kumaun Himalaya, India. Leaves of different life cycle stages (fresh leaves a...

Biological invasion not only depends on the environmental characteristics of any region but also on the fundamental characteristics of the invader species. Assessment of plant performance across diverse habitats and altitudinal gradients provide insights into the traits contributing to invasion success in addition to its habitat suitability, suscep...

Ageratina adenophora is among the most appalling invasive alien weeds spreading over the majority of habitats in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Agricultural lands are one of the major invaded areas by this weed and its luxuriant growth has been reported along the croplands. To lessen the harmful impacts posed by this weed, farmers and land ma...

Ageratina adenophora (Sprengel) King and Robinson popularly known as the Crofton weed is a highly hazardous invasive weed migrating at different times, naturalizing and altering biodiversity. The weed grows rapidly, forming dense thickets and has potential to grow in the diverse habitats. Many studies have indicated that with increasing roads netwo...

Himalayas with diverse topographical and ecological zones sustain diverse agroecosystems. Differences in precipitation regimes, cropping systems, land-use systems and availability of resources significantly affects energy flow within agroecosystems (AGEs) of the region. Thus, the present study was aimed to evaluate the energy use pattern and econom...

Coriaria nepalensis, a nitrogen-fixing actinorhizal shrub, is a prominent and successful colonizer of bare rocks and landslide affected degraded lands. Field experiments were conducted to determine the differences in biomass decomposition and nutrient release pattern of different plant parts of C. nepalensis using litter bag technique. Results show...

Since coexisting invasive and native plant species are exposed to similar environmental circumstances and selection pressures, variation in the morpho-functional, resource allocation and reproductive performance of these species could reflect the strategies adopted by the former for their invasion success. This study observed general differences in...

Coriaria nepalensis is one among the shrubs which mitigate the frequency of perilous natural events or natural calamities by its ability. This paper elucidates the nutrient dynamics of C. nepalensis shrublands in degraded hills of Kumaun Himalaya. The average nutrient concentration (N, P and K) in aboveground components of C. nepalensis was in the...

Elevational gradients as well as habitat variability provide variation in environmental conditions enabling plants to alter their functional traits with respect to their surroundings on the way to sustain and better perform. Phenotypic plasticity has been suggested as one of the foremost mechanisms that invasive species implement to endure and inva...

This study investigated the effects of Ageratina adenophora Sprengel (King and Robinson) on the growth and grain yield of two millet crops viz. finger millet (Eleusine coracana) and red and white variety of barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea). Plants of selected millet crops growing at three distances (0, 1 and 5 m) from A. adenophora were ha...

To study the impact of altitudinal variation on plant community composition, structure, dispersion and regeneration status of Quercus semecarpifolia forest in Kumaun Himalaya. Along the altitudinal gradient, the forest stands between 2400 and 2610 m asl were selected at low, mid and high altitude. The phytosociological analysis was carried by layin...

Ageratina adenophora is a perennial herb of family Asteraceae expanding as a serious threat to ecological integrity and biodiversity. This study aims to assess the allelopathic potential of fresh and dry leaf and root aqueous extracts of this invasive species on germination, early seedling growth, seedling biomass and seed vigor of two rice (Oryza...

Ageratum conyzoides L. is an invasive weed that has severely infested cultivated lands and interferes with the growth of crops. In this study aqueous extracts of 50 and 100% concentration were prepared from fresh and air dried plant parts (Leaves and roots) of A. conyzoides and their allelopathic effect was observed on seed germination and seedling...