Srinagar, Sep 07: Beyond Gulmarg’s famed meadows, ski slopes, and snow-covered mountains lies a remarkable botanical world that sustains the ecological fabric of the Kashmir Himalaya.
A detailed study of the Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary (GWLS) has documented 364 vascular plant species and 18 distinct plant communities, revealing a rich and complex ecosystem spread across its forest and alpine landscapes.
The study, published in the Nordic Journal of Botany, recorded 10 forest communities and eight alpine communities in the sanctuary. The researchers said the findings demonstrate the region’s high species richness and underline the importance of Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary in conserving the floral diversity of the Kashmir Himalaya.
“The present study recorded 364 vascular plant species along with 18 plant communities (10 forest and 8 alpine communities) from the sanctuary,” the researchers said, describing the findings as indicative of the sanctuary’s high species richness.
What makes the findings particularly significant is the composition of this botanical wealth. The study found that 44.23 per cent of the recorded species are native, while 22.52 per cent are endemic, highlighting the sanctuary’s role in protecting plant species that are closely associated with the Himalayan region.
However, behind the impressive numbers lies a conservation warning. Using the Conservation Priority Index (CPI), the researchers assessed 41.8 per cent of the species as threatened or near threatened in the sanctuary.
“The occurrence of 44.23% of native and 22.52% of endemic plant species in the sanctuary signifies the importance of the sanctuary for maintaining species richness and diversity,” according to the study. It notes the high proportion of species requiring conservation attention.
The researchers have consequently called for habitats and plant communities supporting useful, native, endemic and threatened species to be given priority in conservation planning.
Their argument is simple but significant: protecting an entire habitat or plant community can help conserve all the species that form part of it, rather than attempting to protect individual plants in isolation.
For Gulmarg, one of Kashmir’s most visited destinations, the study’s recommendations carry particular significance. The researchers have called for clear guidelines for visitors to minimise the trampling of herbaceous plants and recommended that tourist numbers be regulated according to the carrying capacity of the sanctuary.
The warning comes against the backdrop of a landscape where fragile vegetation shares space with growing human activity. While tourism is economically important, uncontrolled movement of visitors through sensitive habitats can disturb vegetation and gradually alter plant communities.
The researchers have therefore stressed that tourism management needs to be aligned with ecological limits. They have also recommended monitoring the spread of invasive species and studying their interaction with native and endemic plants. Such monitoring, they said, is necessary to understand whether invasive species are beginning to alter the composition and functioning of natural communities.
The study makes a strong case for moving beyond occasional surveys towards systematic, long-term monitoring. Researchers have recommended quadrat-based monitoring of different plant growth forms through georeferenced plots representing habitats and communities identified as conservation priorities. The study also places local communities at the heart of conservation.
It recommends awareness programmes, training workshops and biodiversity camps for both local inhabitants and visitors to improve understanding of the ecological value of the sanctuary.
“Participation of the local inhabitants in the conservation and management of biological resources needs to be ensured,” the researchers said.
They have further proposed building an effective network linking local communities with research organisations, universities, NGOs and policymakers.
The significance of the study extends beyond Gulmarg. The researchers point out that detailed investigations into the characterisation of forest and alpine plant communities remain limited across the Kashmir Himalaya. In that context, they describe the GWLS study as a potential template that can be replicated in other protected as well as unprotected areas.
“Present study in the GWLS provides a template, which can be replicated in other protected as well as unprotected areas of the Kashmir Himalaya,” the researchers said.
