Assessment of Angiosperm taxa at Bharsar and its adjoining area of district Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India with emphasis on ethnomedicinal uses

Abstract

Abstract. Bisht AS. 2017. Assessment of Angiosperm taxa at Bharsar and its adjoining area of district Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India with emphasis on ethnomedicinal uses. Asian J For 1: 1-17. The Himalayas region becomes an enigma for various aspects including biological diversity. Bharsar region, district Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India is a biologically important region in the Himalaya, yet there is limited information on the flora diversity comprised in this region. This paper aimed to reveal the biological diversity of plants within Angiosperm in the Bharsar region. Botanical surveys were conducted in Bharsar and its adjoining area from December 2014 to December 2016. A total of 75 families and 274 species of Angiosperm plant were recorded during the study period with 237 species were dicotyledons (66 families), and 37 species of monocotyledons (9 families). Out of the 75 angiosperms families, Asteraceae contributed the highest with 13.14% (36 species), followed by Fabaceae 6.16% (17 species), Lamiaceae and Rosaceae both 5.43 % (15 species), Poaceae 4.71%, Ranunculaceae 4.35 % (12 species), Polygonaceae 4.04% (11 species). The people in this region use a variety of plant species for various purposes including medicine, food, fuel, and fodder. Bharsar happens to be one of the newly developed areas and experiences different types of biotic pressure of plant life which are especially accelerating with the process of developmental activities. This study serves as baseline information for future studies including those aiming to monitor the biodiversity in Bharsar region.