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Riparian plant species of Sherichhu River in Eastern Bhutan: their diversity, distribution, and ethnobotanical uses

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Abstract

The floristic study along the Sherichhu River was carried out to determine the riparian plant species diversity and distribution pattern. A total of 34 study plots were laid on either side of the riverbank and recorded 72 woody species belonging to 52 families and 61 genera. Based on ocular inspections and topography, the areas were categorised into U-shaped and V-shaped valley. These two valleys, though differing in topography, has fostered the existence of diverse plant species in the study area. A considerable variation in the species diversity and richness was observed between the V-shaped and U-shaped regions based on the Shannon diversity index (P = 0.013) and species richness (P = 0.005) values. The Importance Value Indices (IVI) were highest for Desmodium elegans, Mallotus philippensis, and Rhus paniculata in the V-shaped area and Murraya koenigii Duabanga grandiflora and Quercus glauca had the highest IVI in the U-shaped area. Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Anacardiaceae exhibited a high family value index (FVI) in the V-shaped area, while the U-shaped area had a high FVI for Rutaceaec, Lythraceae, Fagaceae, and Myrtaceae. Structurally, the Mallotus-Desmodium-Rhus community was dominant in the V-shaped area, while Duabanga-Terminalia-Murraya and Quercus-glauca woodland communities were dominant in U-shaped valley. The CCA analysis revealed that the slope and litter thickness had shown greater influence on the plant species composition. In general, topography, micro-habitat conditions, river channel width, and flood regimes may have influenced riparian plant species diversity and distribution patterns. Thus, identifying key plant community types and underlying environmental conditions may help to accomplish and safeguard forest resources in the area. Riparian vegetation along the Sherichhu River is also a habitat for medicinal plants (11 out of 72 woody species), a source of food and income to rural communities. Thus, future studies should also focus on devising appropriate strategies for protecting and conserving Bhutan's riparian ecosystem from global warming.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the Higher Education Research Promotion and Thailand's Education Hub for Southern Region of ASEAN Countries Project of the Higher Education Commission; the Graduate School, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla; and Centre of Excellence on Biodiversity, Office of Higher Education Commission (BDC-PG3-160016), Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Thailand, for the technical guidance and the Council for the CNR Research of Bhutan (CoRRB) under the Ministry of Forest and Agriculture, Bhutan, for their approval to conduct the research. S. choezom and U. Takchu are also thanked for providing valuable support and time for accompanying in the field for data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yangchenphug Higher Secondary School, Ministry of Education, Thimphu, Bhutan

    Tenzin Jamtsho

  2. National Health and Medical Research Council Research Fellow Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, 4878, Australia

    Phurpa Wangchuk

  3. Center for Molecular Therapeutics (CMT), Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM), James Cook University, Cairns Campus, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia

    Karma Yeshi

  4. Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Sherubtse College, Royal University of Bhutan (RUB), Kanglung, Trashigang, Bhutan

    Karma Yeshi

  5. Wangbama Central School, Ministry of Education, Thimphu, Bhutan

    Tobgay

  6. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand

    Kitichate Sridith

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  1. Tenzin Jamtsho
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TJ designed the study, carried out the data collection, field measurements, analysed the data and wrote the manuscript. PW analysed the data and reviewed the manuscript. KY contributed to writing the manuscript and reviewed the manuscript. T contributed in the field work and reviewed the manuscript. KS design the study, contributed to writing the manuscript and reviewed the manuscript.

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Jamtsho, T., Wangchuk, P., Yeshi, K. et al. Riparian plant species of Sherichhu River in Eastern Bhutan: their diversity, distribution, and ethnobotanical uses. Trop Ecol 62, 563–579 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42965-021-00173-2

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