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Geospatial modelling approach for identifying disturbance regimes and biodiversity rich areas in North Western Himalayas, India

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Abstract

The present study is a comprehensive effort for making spatially explicit vegetation type information, one of the basic inputs for species and habitat conservation, readily available to the decision makers, resource managers and nature conservationists. The present study was carried out to understand the vegetation composition and structure in Doda area of Western Himalayas, India. During the study, vegetation types were mapped using on-screen image interpretation technique of multispectral high resolution satellite data. A total of ten types of vegetation were delineated from the satellite data. Phytosociological data was collected for the forest, pasture and scrub classes using nested-quadrat approach to characterize the vegetation. A total of ten phytosociological parameters were analyzed. Pinaceae, Rosaceae and Asteraceae were the dominant plant families with most of the identified plant species having a very high medicinal value. Other important component of the study involved landscape modelling, using the Spatial Landscape Analysis Model for identifying disturbance regimes and biodiversity rich landscapes in the area. The model results indicate that most of the area contains a very rich biodiversity repository with only a few areas showing signs of disturbance where terrain is either complex or where the anthropogenic pressures on forest resources are apparent. The forest and nature conservation managers could use the conservation measures suggested on the basis of these research findings for developing biodiversity conservation strategies in the region.

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Acknowledgments

The research work was conducted as part of the DOS-DBT sponsored national project on biodiversity characterization and the financial assistance received under the project to accomplish this research is thankfully acknowledged. The authors express gratitude to the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions on the earlier version of the manuscript that greatly improved the content and structure of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Remote Sensing and GIS Lab, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar, 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Irfan Rashid & Shakil Ahmad Romshoo

  2. Centre for Environment, Institute of Science Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

    Tartiparti Vijayalakshmi

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  1. Irfan Rashid
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  2. Shakil Ahmad Romshoo
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  3. Tartiparti Vijayalakshmi
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Correspondence to Irfan Rashid.

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Table 6 Phyto-sociological analysis results
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Rashid, I., Romshoo, S.A. & Vijayalakshmi, T. Geospatial modelling approach for identifying disturbance regimes and biodiversity rich areas in North Western Himalayas, India. Biodivers Conserv 22, 2537–2566 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-013-0538-9

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