Mapping biodiversity conservation priorities for threatened plants of Indian Himalayan Region

The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is known for its rich biodiversity and lacking for comprehensive information on geographic distribution of threatened plants. Realizing the importance of location specific dataset, we have compiled the information on threatened plants in grid-based formats across the IHR. The state-of-the-art information on threatened plants of IHR includes 85 species (18 CR, 34 EN, 31 VU and 2 EW) representing 41 trees, 34 herbs, 3 shrubs, 3 mosses, 2 vines, and 2 bryophytes belonging to 56 genera under 41 families. Orchidaceae was the dominant family with 12 threatened species followed by Dipterocarpaceae (7 species), Fabaceae and Zingiberaceae (6 species each). As compared to Western Himalaya the Eastern Himalayan states harbor more richness of threatened plants. Arunachal Pradesh is the richest with 34 species followed by Meghalaya (33) and Assam (28). The paper provides locations specific information on threatened plants which can be targeted for implementing conservation planning, actions and appropriate approach can further be applied for their conservation.

Automated summary

The paper presents comprehensive information on threatened plants in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), including 85 species representing various plant types and families. The Eastern Himalayan states, particularly Arunachal Pradesh, harbor a greater richness of threatened plants compared to the Western Himalaya. This information can be used for targeted conservation planning and actions.