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Symphyotrichum subulatum (Michx.) G.L.Nesom (Asteraceae): a new distribution record of an alien plant species in Kashmir Himalaya, India

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Symphyotrichum subulatum (Michx.) G.L.Nesom (Asteraceae) is reported as a new alien plant record for Kashmir Himalaya. The taxonomic identification of species is confirmed on the basis of shape of involucre, floral and seed characters. Detailed description, distribution map, and comments on distribution and ecology are also provided along with photographic illustration to facilitate easy identification of this species.
Symphyotrichum subulatum (Michx.) G.L.Nesom (Asteraceae):
a new distribution record of an alien plant species in Kashmir
Himalaya, India
Ruquia Gulzar1, Anzar A. Khuroo1*, Zubair A. Rather1, Rameez Ahmad1, Irfan Rashid2
1 Centre for Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
• RG: mirruquia1@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7970-3512 • AAK: anzarak@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0251-
2793 • ZAR: zubairrather4@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6924-2321 • RA: rameezkhuroo929@gmail.com https://orcid.org/
0000-0002-4229-986X
2 Department of Geoinformatics, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India • IR: irfangis@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-
0002-5214-1919
* Corresponding author
Abstract
Symphyotrichum subulatum (Michx.) G.L.Nesom (Asteraceae) is reported as a new alien plant record for Kashmir
Himalaya. The taxonomic identication of species is conrmed on the basis of shape of involucre, oral and seed
characters. Detailed description, distribution map, and comments on distribution and ecology are also provided along
with photographic illustration to facilitate easy identication of this species.
Keywords
Alien species, biodiversity, diagnostic characters, Himalaya, taxonomy
Academic editor: Arjun Prasad Tiwari | Received 28 November 2020 | Accepted 15 March 2021 Published 30 March 2021
Citation: Gulzar R, Khuroo AA, Rather ZA, Ahmad R, Rashid I (2021) Symphyotrichum subulatum (Michx.) G.L.Nesom (Asteraceae): a new
distribution record of an alien plant species in Kashmir Himalaya, India. Check List 17 (2): 569–574. https://doi.org/10.15560/17.2.569
Introduction
Asteraceae, one of the largest families of angiosperms, is
currently represented by 32,872 species globally (CWG
2020). The members of this family are easily recognized
by their characteristic capitulum (head) inorescence,
which usually comprises of ray and disc orets. The
Asteraceae exhibit great variability in characters such as
the number and association of stamens, shape and type
of anther, stigma, and pappus, and form, size, and mor-
phology of achenes (Funk et al. 2009). In Asteraceae, the
genus Symphyotrichum Nees comprises approximately
100 species, which are mainly distributed across the
New World (Tunckol et al. 2017). Symphyotrichum taxa
are mostly annual or perennial herbs, with stem erect or
ascending, leaves of two types (basal and cauline), invo-
lucre cylindrical, hemispheric, or campanulate, phylla-
ries in 2–5 series, ray orets in 1–5 series, disc orets
bisexual and funnel-shaped, and achenes lanceoloid to
obovoid.
Only one species of Symphyotrichum, S. subulatum
(Michx.) G.L.Nesom, has been reported in India, from
the tropical to subtropical areas of the Gangetic Plains
biogeographical zone (Sharma et al. 2012), and from
Check List 17 (2): 569–574
https://doi.org/10.15560/17.2.569
2
17
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distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
NOTES ON GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
570 Check List 17 (2)
Uttar Pradesh by its synonym, S. squamatum (Spre n g.)
G.L.Nesom (Tripathi and Sharma 2019; Fig. 1). From
Kashmir Himalaya, a temperate mountainous region
located at the northwestern edge of the Himalayas bio-
geographical zone, another species, Symphyotrichum
pilosum (Willd.) G.L.Nesom, has been recorded, but its
occurrence there is doubtful, as there has been no sub-
sequent authentic record in that region and no voucher
specimen is available (Kaul 1975). During recent botan-
ical surveys, we collected specimens of a naturally
occurring Symphyotrichum species which we found in
abundant populations from various localities in Kashmir
Himalaya. On detailed study of the diagnostic features of
collected fresh plant material, and a review of the taxo-
nomic literature (Nesom 2005; Sharma et al. 2012), we
identied the species as Symphyotrichum subulatum,
which is a newly recorded alien plant species in Kashmir
Himalaya (Fig. 1). The species is actually native of New
World with distribution range from eastern Canada to
Mexico and the Caribbean (POWO 2019).
We document the new records of S. subulatum in
Kashmir Himalaya and provide a detailed taxonomic
description based on the voucher specimens collected
from this Himalayan region. Microphotographs of diag-
nostic characters of S. subulatum are included, which
will facilitate its identication in the eld.
Methods
Our study was conducted in Kashmir Himalaya, which
has an area of approximately 15,000 km2 with 64%
of it mountainous (Fig. 1). The climate is primarily
continental and temperate, with cold, wet winters and
relatively dry, hot summers (Rashid et al. 2019, 2020).
The region’s temperature ranges from an average daily
maximum of 31 °C and minimum of 15 °C during sum-
mer to an average daily maximum of 4 °C and minimum
of −4 °C during winter. The average annual precipitation
is 1055 mm, mostly in the form of snow. The region’s
natural vegetation mostly consists of alpine meadows
and coniferous forests (Dar and Khuroo 2013).
During oristic surveys, standard taxonomic meth-
ods have been followed for the collection, drying, and
processing of herbarium specimens (Bridson and For-
man 1998). The specimens have been deposited in Uni-
versity of Kashmir Herbarium (KASH). To identify
the species, we consulted relevant taxonomic literature
(Nesom 2005; Sharma et.al 2012), online oras (Flora of
China 2008; POWO 2019; eFlora of India 2020; Jepson
Flora 2020). The eld photographs were taken using a
Xiaomi Redmi Note7 mobile phone camera. The micro-
photography of the diagnostic characters was carried out
under a Leica S9D stereozoom microscope integrated
with LAS X image processing software.
Results
Symphyotrichum subulatum (Michx.) G.L.Nesom
Annual Saltmarsh Aster
Figures 2, 3
Global distribution. Native to North America and
South America; introduced into Europe, Africa, Austral-
asia, Asia temperate and Pacic (GRIN 2020)
Figure 1. Distribution map of Symphyotrichum subulatum in Kashmir Himalaya. A. Previous records in mainland India. Star = Patiala (Pun-
jab) and pentagon = Noida (Uttar Pradesh). Cyan rectangle represents Kashmir Himalaya. B. New occurrence records across the Kashmir
Himalaya (triangles 1–10).
Gulzar et al. | Symphyotrichum subulatum in Kashmir Himalaya 571
Materials examined. INDIA • Jammu and Kashmir,
Sopore Baramulla; 34°17′21″N, 074°26′46″E; 1594 m
a.s.l.; 21 Sep. 2020; R. Gulzar, A.A. Khuroo leg.; KASH
45035 Hazratbal Srinagar; 34°08′28″N, 074°50′20″E;
1600 m a.s.l.; 10 Sep. 2020; R. Gulzar, A.A. Khuroo leg.;
KASH 45036 Tengpora Srinagar; 34°04′11″N, 074°
46′46″E; 1610 m a.s.l.; 6 Oct. 2020; R. Gulzar, Z.A.
Rather leg.; KASH 45037 • Narbal Budgam; 34°07′02″N,
074°39′51″E; 1591 m a.s.l.; 7 Oct. 2020; R. Gulzar, Z.A.
Rather leg.; KASH 45041• HMT Srinagar; 34°06′16″N,
074°44′14″E; 1574 m a.s.l. ;7 Oct. 2020; R. Gulzar,
A.A.Khuroo leg.; KASH 45040 • Kakapora Pulwama;
33°56′53″N, 074°55′17″E; 1593 m a.s.l.; 14 Oct. 2020; R.
Gulzar, A.A. Khuroo leg.; KASH 45043 • Awantipora
Pulwama; 33°55′19″ N, 075°01′18″E; 1591 m a.s.l.; 14
Oct. 2020; R. Gulzar, A.A. Khuroo leg.; KASH 45042
• Kachkoot Pulwama; 33°48′01″N, 074°57′55″E; 1594 m
a.s.l.; 14 Oct. 2020; R. Gulzar, A.A. Khuroo leg.; KASH
45039 Nasrullahpora Budgam; 34°02′51″N, 074°41′
58″E; 1626 m a.s.l.; 18 Sep. 2020; R. Gulzar, A.A. Khu-
roo leg.; KASH 45034 Wachi Shopian; 33°48′01″N,
075°01′35″E; 1598 m a.s.l.; 30 Sep. 2020; R. Gulzar, A.A.
Khuroo leg.; KASH 45038.
Identi cation. Annual herb, 16–200 cm tall. Stem erect,
Figure 2. Symphyotrichum subulatum. A. Habit. B. Leaves. C. Axillary branch. D. Inorescence head with ray and disc orets. E. Two- to
three-seriate ray orets. F. Cylindrical lateral view of head with four-seriate phyllaries, purplish tipped. G. Phyllaries from basal (left) to
upper (right) series.
572 Check List 17 (2)
branched, glabrous, green, becomes purplish on matu-
rity. Leaves of two types: basal leaves petiolate, lanceo-
late to ovate, wither at anthesis; cauline leaves sessile,
linear to lanceolate, 2–14 × 0.1–1.0 cm, becoming smaller
in size upwards, adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces gla-
brous, base attenuate, margin serr ulate to entire, apex
acute. Inorescence capitula in paniculiform synores-
cences. Involucre cylindrical, phyllaries 3- or 4 seriate,
lanceolate, clearly unequal, 2–6 × 0.2–0.5 mm, margin
entire, tip acute and prominently purplish. Ray orets
2- or 3 seriate, 34–36 in number, 6–7 mm long, lamina
bluish or pinkish white, coiling backwards; stigma bi-
d; bristles whitish, 3–4 mm long. Disc orets 12–14
in number, yellow, 5–6 mm long; lobes erect and trian-
gular; stigma feathery and spoon-shaped. Fruit cypsela
(achene), lanceoloid, 2.5 × 0.6mm, 6-veined, strigillose.
Pappus bristly, white, 3–4 mm long. (Figs. 2A–G, 3A–I).
Phenology. Flowering and fruiting from August to
Nove mber.
Habitat. Growing along paddy elds and roadsides and
at riparian sites.
Figure 3. Flower and fruit characters of Symphyotrichum subulatum. A. Ray oret with bid stigma. B. Curling of petal in ray oret. C. disc
oret. D. Feathery, bid, and spoon-shaped stigma in disc oret. E. Inorescence head with cypsela fruits. F. Cypsela with pappus. G.
Dorsal view of cypsela with ridges and furrows. H. Attachment of cypsela with receptacle. I. Lateral view of cypsela.
Gulzar et al. | Symphyotrichum subulatum in Kashmir Himalaya 573
Associated species. Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., Trifo -
lium pratense L., Poa annua L., Echinochloa crus-galli
L., Erigeron canadensis L., Setaria viridis (L.) P.Beauv.,
Persicaria hydropiper (L.) Delarbre, Plantago major L.,
Cichorium intybus L., Bromus catharticus Vahl, Cirsium
arvense (L .) Scop., and Taraxacum ocinale Anon.
Invasion status. Based on our eld studies, S. subulta-
tum may be potentially invasive (sensu Pysek et al. 2004)
in Kashmir Himalaya. This species is capable of produc-
ing a large number of viable seeds ranging from 500 to
50,000 per individual (Fig. 3) and has spread from So-
pore in the north to Shopian in the south of Kashmir Hi-
malaya, which cover more than 100 km (Fig. 1).
Discussion
Of the various shortfalls in biodiversity knowledge, the
Wallacean shortfall refers to lack of distributional data
(Hortal et al. 2015). To ll the Wallacean shortfall, new
distribution data for plants and animals from around the
world (Rasheed et al. 2015; Arshid et al 2016; Rather et
al. 2019) and in particular the data-decient biodiversity
hotspots in the developing world, such as the Himalaya,
are an urgent research priority. Also, biological invasions
by alien species have emerged in recent times as one of
the main drivers of global biodiversity loss (Khuroo et
al. 2011; Thapa et al. 2018). Thus, identifying and record-
ing the alien species which have the potential to become
invasive is crucial in developing well-informed inva-
sion management strategies (Khuroo et al. 2012). Kash-
mir Himalaya is situated on the north-western side of
the Himalaya, a globally signicant biodiversity hotspot
(Zachos et al. 2011). The region is well known for its rich
biodiversity with a large proportion of endemic species
(Dar and Khuroo 2020). The region possesses an esti-
mated 3000 plant species (Dar and Khuroo 2013). In fact,
new additions to the ora of Kashmir Himalaya are con-
tinuously reported (Ganie et al. 2014; Rasheed et al. 2015;
Muzafar et al. 2016; Hassan et al. 2020).
With reportedly rapid climate change in the Hima-
laya, it is important to document distributional and altitu-
dinal changes in the distribution of species (Hamid et al.
2018; 2020). In various parts of Kashmir Himalaya, alien
species which have been established for many years are
common in orchards, parks, crop elds, and gardens, as
well as along roadsides. In Kashmir Himalaya, as many
as 54 alien species of Asteraceae have been reported, and
some of these have become naturalized and displace the
native vegetation (Khuroo et al. 2007). Some of these
alien species have become invasive and have negative
eects on the growth and propagation of native biodi-
versity (Ahmad et al. 2019a; 2019b). In this context, we
record for the rst time S. subulatum as an alien plant in
the Kashmir Himalaya, India. Our data on this species in
the Himalayan region may help in predicting the future
spread of this potentially invasive species and initiating
actions for its management and control.
Acknowledgements
We thank research students: Maroof, Tabasum, Aadil,
Bilal, Firdoos, and Tajamul at the Centre for Biodiver-
sity and Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University
of Kashmir, for their kind help. Ruquia Gulzar acknowl-
edges nancial support received as a Junior Research
Fellow from the Council of Scientic and Industrial
Research (India) during this study. Two anonymous re-
viewers and the academic editor, Arjun Prasad Tiwari,
are acknowledged for their useful comments, and Rob-
ert Forsyth for language editing, which improved the
manuscript.
Author Contributions
AAK conceived the study; RG, AAK, ZAR, and R A
collected the eld data; AAK and RG identied the
specimens; RG and ZAR carried out photography; IR
prepared the distribution map; RG wrote the rst draft
of the manuscript with input from AAK and IR; all the
authors reviewed the draft manuscript and agreed to its
submission.
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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.
Chapter
This Manual is based on the research work carried out by the authors in the Kashmir Himalaya. For documentation of the alien flora, we regularly surveyed the study region for field sampling, collection of data and plant specimens from 2019 to 2021. The study region lies between coordinates 33° 20′ to 34° 50′ North Latitude, 73° 55′ to 75° 35′ East Longitude and altitude of the region ranges from 1600 to 5420 m amsl [74]. Kashmir Himalaya covers an area of ~15,000 km2 with 64% of the area being mountainous [85]. The 'Karawas’, which are plateau-like tablelands developed during the Pleistocene Ice Age and made of clay, sand, and silt of lacustrine origin, are a prominent geological feature of the region [86]. The region, located at the junction of the Holarctic and Paleotropical Floristic Realms, is home to a rich floristic diversity of considerable scientific interest and economic promise [87]. The stunning scenery of this biodiversity-rich area has drawn visitors from far and wide from very early times. This is one of the key reasons for the intentional or unintentional introduction of various floral elements from various phytogeographical regions of the world, which have been supported by distinct bioclimates, a wide range of elevations, and habitat heterogeneity. In fact, the region has long served as a major halting point for historical trade routes travelling from far-east Asia to the Mediterranean coast via Central Asia and vice versa [88]. The climate is primarily of continental temperate type with cold and wet winters and relatively dry and hot summers [89]. The temperature of the region ranges from an average daily maximum of 31°C and minimum of 15°C during summer to an average daily maximum of 4°C and minimum of -4°C during winter and receives an average annual precipitation of 1055 mm, mostly in the form of snow. The natural vegetation of the region mostly consists of alpine meadows and coniferous forests [74] (Fig. 2.1).
Article
Invasive alien species are currently considered as one of the dominant drivers of global environmental change. Till now, the majority of studies have focused on single or a few traits of alien species that facilitate their invasion. Also inclusion of all the traits which determine the transition of aliens along the different stages of invasion continuum (casual, naturalised and invasive) has remained largely overlooked. In this study, we collected a comprehensive trait dataset on 144 alien plant species of Kashmir Himalaya – a global biodiversity hotspot region. To test which traits of alien species, individually or in combination along with anthropogenic factors, determine their transition along the invasion continuum, we employed chi-square tests, boosted regression trees and phylogenetic methods. We found the perennial lifespan, longer residence time, greater number of introduced regions, and better seed dispersal mechanism were critical in determining the transition from casual to naturalised. The herbaceous growthform (therophytes), annual lifespan, achene fruit, longer residence time and broader introduced range were the species’ traits determining transition from naturalised to invasive. Aliens introduced as ornamentals have more propensity to become naturalised; whereas aliens introduced unintentionally show overrepresentation at the invasive stage. Phylogeny alone showed mixed results indicating both clustering and dispersion; however in combination with other traits, it plays a significant role in determining the stage of invasion. Overall, our results disentangle the individual and interactive roles of multiple traits that determine the transition of alien species’ along the invasion continuum. Further, we foresee the potential applicability of our findings in designing robust invasion risk analysis protocols and stage-specific invasion management strategies in this Himalayan region, with learnings for elsewhere in the world.
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Apple cultivation is one of the most significant means of subsistence in the Kashmir region of the northwestern Himalayas. It is considered as the backbone of the region's economy. Apple cultivation in the region is dominated by a late maturing cultivar “Red Delicious” which usually on maturity causes glut in the market. In order to bring new cultivars in the cultivation, and to expand the maturity season, it is necessary to evaluate the new cultivars on fruit physico-chemical attributes which ultimately decide the market rates before recommending to farmers for cultivars adoption. Therefore, the current study was carried out to evaluate thirteen apple cultivars on physico-chemical attributes over two years, 2017 and 2018 under agro-climatic conditions of Kashmir region The results revealed that cultivars differed significantly in terms of physico-chemical properties. Cultivars with the highest and lowest values for initial fruit set, fruit drop, final fruit retention, and fruit firmness in 2017 did not follow the same trend in 2018. During 2017 and 2018, cultivar Mollie's Delicious possessed the highest fruit length (72.39 mm and 81.45 mm), fruit diameter (81.18 mm and 84.14 mm), and fruit weight (205.85 g and 247.16 g), whereas cultivar Baleman's Cider had the lowest values (50.76 mm and 52.83 mm, 60.10 mm and 62.08 mm, and 71.46 g and 86.94 g), respectively. The harvesting dates were quite spread out during both years of study. Cultivar Mollie's Delicious was harvested the earliest in both years, on August 5th, 2017 and August 8th, 2018. Cultivar Fuji Zehn Aztec was the last cultivar harvested in 2017 on October 2 and in 2018 on October 5. The maximum number of seeds per fruit was noticed in the cultivar Mollie's Delicious (8.34 and 8.71) during both 2017 and 2018, respectively. Cultivar Starkrimson had the fewest seeds per fruit in 2017 (7.11) and 2018 (7.42). Cultivar Baleman's Cider had the highest acidity in 2017 (0.63%) and 2018 (0.52%). In both 2017 (0.25%) and 2018 (0.23%), the Adam's Pearmain cultivar was the least acidic. Cultivar Allington Pippin (16.13 °Brix) and Red Gold (16.73 °Brix) had the highest TSS in 2017 and 2018, respectively, whereas Vance Delicious (12.30 °Brix) and Top Red (10.78 °Brix) had the lowest TSS in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The cultivars Mollie's Delicious and Red Gold had the highest total sugars (11.33 and 11.40%) in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Cultivar Baleman's Cider had the lowest total sugars (9.82%) in 2017 while Top Red (9.78%) in 2018. The cultivar Vance Delicious had the highest ratio of leaves to fruits in 2017 (55.44) and for Shalimar Apple-2 in 2018 (49.65). In 2017, cultivars Fuji Zehn Aztec (29.26) and Silver Spur (24.51), had the fewest leaves per fruit. The highest leaf chlorophyll content was recorded in cultivar Shireen (3.50 and 3.57 mg g−1 fresh weight) during the years 2017 and 2018, respectively. Cultivar Baleman's Cider had the lowest leaf chlorophyll content (2.15 mg g−1 fresh weight) during 2017, while cultivar Allington Pippin (2.09 mg g−1 fresh weight) had the lowest leaf chlorophyll content in 2018. The cultivars Fuji Zehn Aztec, with a yield efficiency of 0.78 kg/cm2 and Silver Spur with a yield efficiency of 1.14 kg/cm2 were the most yield efficient during the years 2017 and 2018, respectively. Cultivar Shalimar Apple-2 was least performing with yield efficiencies of 0.05 and 0.07 kg/cm2 during 2017 and 2018, respectively.The findings suggest that cultivar Mollie's Delicious commercially matures first and has the highest fruit length, diameter, and weight; hence, it can be a good option for cultivation so as to fetch the maximum price in the market when other cultivars are still maturing. Shalimar Apple-2 is precluded for cultivation due to least yield efficiency, whereas cultivars Fuji Zehn Aztec and Silver Spur are recommended to farmers for their higher yield efficiency.
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Understanding the impact of plant invasions on the terrestrial ecosystems, particularly below-ground soil system dynamics can be vital for successful management and restoration of invaded landscapes. Here, we report the impacts of a global plant invader, Leucanthemum vulgare Lam. (ox-eye daisy), on the key physico-chemical soil properties across four sites selected along an altitudinal gradient (1600–2550 m) in Kashmir Himalaya, India. At each site, two types of spatially separated but environmentally similar sampling plots: invaded (IN) and uninvaded (UN) were selected for soil sampling. The results revealed that invasion by L. vulgare had a significant impact on key soil properties in the IN plots. The soil pH, water content, organic carbon and total nitrogen were significantly higher in the IN plots as compared with the UN plots. In contrast, the electrical conductivity, phosphorous and micronutrients, viz. iron, copper, manganese and zinc, were significantly lower in the IN plots as compared with the UN plots. These changes in the soil system dynamics associated with L. vulgare invasion were consistent across all the sites. Also, among the sites, soil properties of low-altitude site (1600 m) were different from the rest of the sampling sites. Overall, the results of the present study indicate that L. vulgare, by altering key properties of the soil system, is likely to influence nutrient cycling processes and facilitates positive feedback for itself. Furthermore, the research insights from this study have wide management implications in the effective ecological restoration of the invaded landscapes.
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Invasive alien plant species (IAPS) can pose severe threats to biodiversity and stability of native ecosystems, therefore, predicting the distribution of the IAPS plays a crucial role in effective planning and management of ecosystems. In the present study, we use Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) modelling approach to predict the potential of distribution of eleven IAPS under future climatic conditions under RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5 in part of Kailash sacred landscape region in Western Himalaya. Based on the model predictions, distribution of most of these invasive plants is expected to expand under future climatic scenarios, which might pose a serious threat to the native ecosystems through competition for resources in the study area. Native scrublands and subtropical needle-leaved forests will be the most affected ecosystems by the expansion of these IAPS. The present study is first of its kind in the Kailash Sacred Landscape in the field of invasive plants and the predictions of potential distribution under future climatic conditions from our study could help decision makers in planning and managing these forest ecosystems effectively.
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In the present study, 4 gridded satellite precipitation data products for September 2014 flood, IMERG (Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM), GSMaP (Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation), TRMM-3B42 (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) and INSAT-3D-IMR (INSAT Multispectral Rain), were evaluated against the Indian Meteorological Department rain-gauge data from Sep-1st to Sep-7th 2014. Three evaluation indices; Correlation coefficient (CC), the Relative bias (RB) and the NashSutcliffe coefficient (NSC), were used to evaluate the robustness of satellite precipitation estimates with actual rainfall measurements. IMERG precipitation product has a near perfect positive CC and NSC values of 0.94 and 0.99 respectively; while the CC and NSC values are 0.7 and 0.5 for GSMaP_Gauge; 0.69 and 0.05 for INSAT-3D-IMR; and 0.9 and 0.8 for TRMM-3B42 respectively. The RB estimates indicate that IMERG, with a bias of 2%, is a best-fit dataset when compared to the surface rain-gauge observations. In contrast, TRMM-3B42, GSMaP and INSAT-3D-IMR have underestimation biases of −31%, −58%, and − 86% respectively. Analysis of the indices indicates that IMERG precipitation product performed better than other three satellite precipitation products owing to the closeness of values with surface gauge station data over Kashmir. Owing to scanty observation of rainfall in the region, IMERG has a potential to become a cost effective input data source for designing a flood early warning system (FEWS) for Kashmir. However, it is suggested to evaluate the robustness of different satellite derived precipitation estimates compared to rain gauge observations by incorporating more extreme events from different mountain regions globally for establishing the best satellite derived precipitation product.
Book
Biodiversity and its conservation are among the main global topics in science and politics and perhaps the major challenge for the present and coming generations. This book written by international experts from different disciplines comprises general chapters on diversity and its measurement, human impacts on biodiversity hotspots on a global scale, human diversity itself and various geographic regions exhibiting high levels of diversity. The areas covered range from genetics and taxonomy to evolutionary biology, biogeography and the social sciences. In addition to the classic hotspots in the tropics, the book also highlights various other ecosystems harbouring unique species communities including coral reefs and the Southern Ocean. The approach taken considers, but is not limited to, the original hotspot definition sensu stricto and presents a chapter introducing the 35th hotspot, the forests of East Australia. While, due to a bias in data availability, the majority of contributions on particular taxa deal with vertebrates and plants, some also deal with the less-studied invertebrates. This book will be essential reading for anyone involved with biodiversity, particularly researchers and practitioners in the fields of conservation biology, ecology and evolution.