Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 July 2024 | 16(7): 25598–25603

 

 

ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) 

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8154.16.7.25598-25603

#8154 | Received 21 August 2022 | Final received 29 June 2024 | Finally accepted 12 July 2024

 

 

Bryophyte diversity of Berinag (Pithoragarh District) in Kumaun Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India

 

D. Dhami 1  & P. Chaturvedi 2

 

1,2 Department of Biological Sciences, College of Basic Sciences & Humanities, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand 263145, India.

1 deekshadhami@gmail.com, 2 an_priti@yahoo.co.in (corresponding author)

 

 

Editor: Anonymity requested.                 Date of publication: 26 July 2024 (online & print)

 

Citation: Dhami, D. & P. Chaturvedi (2024). Bryophyte diversity of Berinag (Pithoragarh District) in Kumaun Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 16(7): 25598–25603. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8154.16.7.25598-25603

  

Copyright: © Dhami & Chaturvedi 2024. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.  JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication.

 

Funding: No funding was received from any agency for this work.

 

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

 

Author details: Deeksha Dhami completed her M.Sc. thesis on diversity of bryophytes in Berinag. Her research interests include different aspects of bryophytes and medicinal plants. Dr. P. Chaturvedi is currently professor & head, Department of Biological Sciences, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar.  For the last 25 years, she has been working on biodiversity and bioprospecting of bryophytes and conservation biology of threatened medicinal flora of Uttarakhand.

 

Author contributions: DD collected the samples, prepared the herbarium specimens and wrote the first draft. PC conceptualized and designed the study and prepared the final draft.

 

Acknowledgements: Both the authors are highly grateful to Dr. S.D. Tewari, retired professor, I.P.G.P.C.C. Haldwani for providing generous support to conduct this study. Authors are also thankful to the dean, CBSH and G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar for providing the necessary lab facilities.

 

 

Abstract: This study reports the diversity of bryophytes of Berinag (Dist. Pithoragarh), Uttarakhand (India). In the investigation, a total of 33 species were reported, out of which eight were liverworts and 25 were mosses. Majority of the taxa were terricolous and corticolous. Liverwort species belonged to six genera of five families and two orders whereas mosses belonged to 24 genera of 17 families and eight orders. Out of the 10 orders dealt in the present work, Hypnales was the largest consisting of seven families, nine genera, and nine species followed by Dicranales and Marchantiales both consisting of three families, five, and four genera, respectively. In mosses, Bryaceae was the dominant family consisting of three genera and four species followed by Calymperaceae, Leucobryaceae, Anomodontaceae, Leskeaceae, and Polytrichaceae. Out of 25 mosses, 15 were acrocarpous and 10 were pleurocarpous. Aytoniaceae was dominant among liverworts. Marchantia, Frullania, and Bryum were the dominant genera of the region.

 

Keywords: Acrocarpous, bryoflora, corticolous, hornworts, hypnales, liverworts, Marchantiales, mosses, pleurocarpous, Pottiaceae.

 

INTRODUCTION

 

India is one of the mega diverse countries blessed with four global diversity hotspots, home to more than 49,000 species of plants, bestowed with 18,800 species of Angiosperms, 82 species of Gymnosperms, 1,307 species of Pteridophytes, 7,434 species of Algae, 2,786 species of Bryophytes, and 2,917 species of Lichens. According to Plant Mao et al. (2020), bryophytes constitute 5.57 % of total plants of India.

State-wise distribution list of liverworts and hornworts in India (Singh et al. 2016) suggested that the state of Uttarakhand ranked second in the country holding 47 families of liverworts and hornworts. The state is home to 84 genera and 259 species and infraspecific taxa of liverworts and hornworts ranking fourth and fifth in the country, respectively, for number of genera and species. There are 339 species belonging to 129 genera of mosses in Uttarakhand (Suman et al. 2010).

Luxuriant forests, varied topography, and suitable climatic conditions made Kumaun Himalaya of Uttarakhand, very rich in bryophyte diversity. Pithoragarh is the easternmost district in the Kumaun region of Uttarakhand. The study area (29.781–29.778 °N & 80.045–80.048 °E), Berinag, is a hill station and one of the six administrative subdivisions (tehsil) of Pithoragarh famous for tea estates (Figure 1). It is located at an elevation of 2,540–1,674 m (source: Google Earth). It got its name from Naga Devta temple locally called ‘Bedinag’ situated at the top of Berinag Hill. Limestone, sandstone, slate, gneiss, and granite rocks are very common in the region. It has a humid and cold climate. Earlier, most of the land was covered by the forest, however, due to rapid urbanization, biodiversity of this area is under threat. Today, various types of new projects like electricity production from pine needles, tourism and small-scale industries are flourishing in this area, however, threat to the biodiversity remains unaddressed. For the biodiversity conservation of the area, a complete taxonomic data of the region is essential. In the ongoing decade of ecosystem restoration (www.unep.org), diversity of the pioneers of vegetation needs to be assessed for getting the up-to-date health profile of the fragile mountain ecosystems. The present study, attempts to document the bryophytic flora of Berinag and prepare a preliminary checklist based on this.

 

 

MATERIAL AND METHODS

 

The present work is the outcome of several plant surveys done in the study area by the first author (DP) from September 2018 to June 2019. Systematic collection of bryoflora was done from the various localities. Plants from different terrestrial habitats were collected, air dried and were kept in paper packets (15 x 10 cm). Field data such as name, locality from where the collection was done, date of collection, habitat, substratum, collector’s name, associated species were written on the paper packets followed by the identification of collected samples using the available monographs of Gangulee (1969–1980), Chopra (1975), & Aziz & Vohra (2008) for mosses and Kashyap (1929), Watson (1968), Singh & Singh (2009), & Dey & Singh (2012) for liverworts. Bryonet and bryophyte experts were also consulted to confirm the identity of some confusing taxa. Standard abbreviations of authors’ names have been followed according to Brummit & Powell (1992). The collected samples have been deposited in Cryptogam section of Herbarium of G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar (GBPUH). Enumeration is done in accordance with the classification given by Crandall-Stotler et al. (2009) for liverworts and Goffinet et al. (2009) for mosses. Orders and families have been arranged as per adopted classifications. The genera within each family and the species within each genus have been arranged alphabetically. All species were verified against TROPICOS data base (www.tropicos.org), The Plant List 2013 (www.theplantlist.org), and Catalogue of Life (CoL 2021).

 

 

RESULTS

 

Increased tourism activities, unabated biological resource usage and unrestricted infrastructure development in the hills have been the major factors responsible for diminishing plant diversity of the region. Bryophytes along with pteridophytes and herbaceous angiosperms form the major ground flora of the hill forests. Besides, the miniature cryptogams also adorn the tree barks and rocky surfaces. Habitat preference of bryophytes itself signifies their role as an important indicator of ecosystem health. To recreate and restore diminishing health of fragile ecosystems of mountainous tourist spots, bryofloristic assessment and conservation is essential. Bryophytes of Berinag along with their local distribution, information about their substratum and taxonomic hierarchies of species are listed in Table 1.  Out of the 33 taxa reported in the region, eight taxa belonged to liverworts and remaining 25 were mosses. Hornworts were not found in the study area. This accounted for 1.18% of total bryophytes in just around 0.0002% of total geographic area of the country. Substratum details give the idea of dominance of terrestrial and corticolous forms of bryophytes in Berinag (Figure 2). Out of 25 mosses, 15 were acrocarpous mosses and 10 mosses were pleurocarpous making acrocarpous growth forms most dominant amongst mosses (Figure 3).

Hypnales and Marchantiales were the most dominant orders with representation of seven and three families respectively. Bryum, Frullania, and Marchantia were represented by two species each in the study area. A preliminary checklist enlisting 51 taxa has earlier been reported by Alam et al. (2012) from Dharchula and Munsyari tehsils of Pithoragarh wherein, Hypnales was the most dominant order represented by seven families followed by Bryales and Dicranales representing three families each among mosses. Marchantiales was the most dominant order among liverworts representing eight families. According to the moss checklist of western Himalaya (India) by Alam (2013), there are 745 species of mosses belonging to 230 genera and 55 families. Hypnales is the most diversified order of mosses followed by Pottiales and Bryales. In the present study also, Hypnales was the most dominant group of mosses followed by Dicranales.

Family wise comparison of distribution of collected genera and species in the world, in western Himalaya, in Uttarakhand, in Pithoragarh District and in the study area (Berinag) is provided in the Table 2. According to The Plant List (2013), a total of 1,822 plant genera in 177 families of bryophytes are present in the world out of which maximum number of genera and species belong to family Pottiaceae (138 genera, 3,223 species) followed by Bryaceae (43 genera, 2,108 species).  Dandotiya et al. (2011) reported total 1,786 species of mosses in 355 genera and 675 species of liverworts in 121 genera  in India, out of which maximum number of taxa belonged to family Pottiaceae (38 genera, 207 species) followed by Lejeuneaceae and Notothyladaceae. Sahu & Asthana (2015) reported 72 moss taxa belonging to 24 families from Pithoragarh and adjoining areas with Bryaceaee being the most diverse family represented by nine genera. The present bryofloristic study of Berinag also reports maximum number of species belonging to Bryaceae but with a lesser representation, i.e., three genera and four species only (Tables 1 & 2). According to Alam (2013), maximum diversity of mosses in western Himalaya (India) is represented by family Pottiaceae which included 116 species belonging to 32 genera. Unlike the general trend in western Himalaya or India or Uttarakhand, in the present study, Bryaceae is having maximum diversity. This may be due to dominance of mixed pine-oak forests in the region. Bryaceae members prefer shade and lower temperature while Pottiaceae is more common in comparatively drier and open areas. Habitat preference of the bryophytic vegetation suggests the dominance of both terricolous and corticolous forms represented by 11 species each. Habitat wise distribution of bryophytic vegetation of district Nainital and selected mineralized localities of Almora and Pithoragarh districts of Kumaun Himalaya have earlier been reported by Tewari and Pant (1994).

 

Table 1. Bryophytes of Berinag (Pithoragarh District), Uttarakhand.

 

Family

Species

Local distribution

Substratum

A)

 LIVERWORTS

   1

Aytoniaceae

 

Plagiochasma appendiculatum Lehm. & Lindenb.

New Bazar Berinag, 29.778°N, 80.053°E

Cemented wall

 

2

Reboulia hemisphaerica (L.) Raddi

New Bazar Berinag, 29.778°N, 80.053°E

Cemented wall

 

3

Dumortieraceae

Dumortiera hirsuta (Sw.) Nees

Kanera (Site rich in water)

29.672°N, 80.055°E

Stone

4

Marchantiaceae

Marchantia papillata Raddi

Degree College Berinag, 29.775°N, 80.050°E

Cemented wall

 

5

Marchantia polymorpha L.

 

Naula Berinag, 29.778°N, 80.053°E

Stone

6

Frullaniaceae

Frullania ericoides Nees (Mont).

Kanera, 29.672°N, 80.055°E

Bark of Quercus leucotricophora A.Campus and Mangifera indica L.

7

Frullania muscicola Steph.

Kalibinayak, 29.704°N, 80.054°E

Bark of Q. leucotricophora A.Campus

8

Porellaceae

 

Porella caespitans (Steph.) S.Hatt.

 

Kanera, 29.672°N, 80.055°E

Bark of Q. leucotricophora A.Campus

B)

MOSSES

9

Bartramiaceae

Philonotis mollis (Dozy & Molk.)

Forest of Berinag, 29.780°N, 80.055°E

Soil

10

 

 

Bryaceae

 

 

 

 

 

Bryum argenteum Hedw.

Berinag Main Market, 29.778°N, 80.053° E

Humus mixed soil

11

Bryum mildeanum  Jur.

Berinag forest 29.780°N,

 80.055°E

Soil

12

Ptychostomum capillare (Hedw.) Holyoak & N.Pedersen.

Berinag forest, 29.780°N, 80.055°E

Soil

13

Rhodobryum roseum (Hedw.). Limpr.

Berinag forest, 29.780°N, 80.060°E

Soil

14

Mniaceae

Mnium integrum Bosch & Sande Lac.

Berinag forest, 29.780° N, 80.055° E

Soil

15

Calymperaceae

Octoblepharum albidum Hedw.

Kanera, 29.672°N, 80.055°E

Bark of Q. leucotricophora A.Campus

16

Syrrhopodon gardneri (Hook.) Schwagr

Kalibinayak, 29.704°N, 80.055°E

Bark of Q. leucotricophora A.Campus and Q. glauca Thunb.

17

Ditrichaceae

Ditrichum heteromallum (Hedw.)

Forest of Berinag, 29.780° N, 80.060° E

Rock

18

Leucobryaceae

Brothera leana (Sull.) Müll

Kalibinayak, 29.704° N, 80.054°E

Bark of Q. leucotricophora A.Campus

19

Thysanomitrion involutum

(Mull.Hal.) P.de la Varde 

Degree College Berinag, 29.775°N, 80.050°E

Stone

 

20

Funariaceae

Funaria hygrometrica Hedw.

Forest of Berinag, 29.780°N, 80.055°E

Soil

21

Anomodontaceae

Anomodon minor (Hedw.) Lindb.

Kanera, 29.672°N, 80.055°E

Bark of Toona ciliata M.Roem.

22

Herpetineuron toccoae (Sull. & Lesq.) Cardot.

Dhanouli, 29.761°N, 80.053°E

Bark of Q. leucotricophora A.Campus and Q. glauca Thunb.

23

Brachytheciaceae

Oxyrrhynchium vagans

(A.Jaeger) Ignatov & Huttunen.

Kanera, 29.672°N, 80.055°E

Soil

24

Entodontaceae

Entodon concinnus °

Kanera, 29.672°N, 80.055°E

Cemented wall

 

25

Leskeaceae

Haplocladium schimperi Ther.

Kanera, 29.672°N, 80.055°E

Bark of T. ciliata M.Roem. and M. indica L.

26

Rozea pterogonioides (Harv.) A. Jaeger

Kanera, 29.672°N, 80.055°E

Soil

27

Meteoriaceae

Trachypodopsis serrulata (P. Beauv.) M. Fleisch.

Naula site Berinag, 29.778°N, 80.053°E

Cemented wall

 

28

Neckeraceae

Neckeropsis exserta

 (Hook. ex Schwagr.) Broth.

Kanera, 29.672°N, 80.055°E

Wood of M. indica L

29

Thuidiaceae

Thuidium tamariscellum

(Mull. Hal.) Bosch & Sande Lac.

Dhanouli, 29.761°N, 80.053°E

Stone

 

30

Orthotrichaceae

Macromitrium moorcroftii

(Hook. & Grev.) Schwagr

Kalibinayak,29.704°N, 80.054°E

Branch of Q. leucotricophora A.Campus

31

Polytrichaceae

Atrichum obtusulum (Mull. Hal.) A.Jaeger.

Berinag forest, 29.780°N, 80.055°E

Soil

32

Pogonatum aloides (Hedw.) P.Beauv.

Berinag forest,29.780°N,

80.055°E

Soil

33

Pottiaceae

Hyophila involuta (Hedw.) P.Beauv.

Kanera, 29.672°N, 80.055°E

Soil

 

 

Table 2. Family wise comparison of distribution of genera and species in the world, in India, in western Himalaya, in Uttarakhand and in the study area.

Family

Number of genera and species

In the World (The Plant List 2013)

In India

In western Himalaya (Alam 2013)

In Uttarakhand

(Suman et al. 2010)

In Pithoragarh

In Berinag (Dhami 2019)

(Sahu & Asthana 2015)

(Alam et al. 2012)

(Dandotiya et al. 2011)

G

S

G

S

G

S

G

S

G

S

G

S

G

S

Aytoniaceae

10

115

6

30

-

-

7

22

-

-

3

6

2

2

Dumortieraceae

-

-

1

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

1

1

1

Marchantiaceae

7

50

3

24

-

-

3

5

-

-

1

3

1

2

Frullaniaceae

-

-

1

42

-

-

1

    7      

-

-

-

-

1

2

Porellaceae

5

134

1

24

-

-

1

16

-

-

1

1

1

1

Bartramiaceae

14

686

8

48

7

28

4

12

1

2

1

1

1

1

Bryaceae

43

2108

09

103

6

45

6

32

5

9

4

5

3

4

Mniaceae

13

222

7

64

7

38

3

20

2

3

1

1

1

1

Ditrichaceae

34

347

9

30

4

12

4

9

1

1

-

-

1

1

Calymperaceae

19

417

7

35

2

4

3

4

-

-

-

-

2

2

Leucobryaceae

-

-

8

69

2

5

5

9

-

-

-

-

2

2

Pottiaceae

138

3223

38

207

32

116

17

60

6

8

3

4

1

1

Funariaceae

24

452

4

47

3

15

3

11

2

2

2

2

1

1

Anomodontaceae

-

-

5

17

-

-

3

8

-

-

1

1

2

2

Brachytheciaceae

62

1117

9

66

-

-

7

19

2

3

1

1

1

1

Entodontaceae

13

314

3

19

3

3

5

15

1

3

1

2

1

1

Leskeaceae

22

383

10

35

12

30

5

17

1

1

-

-

2

2

Meteoriaceae

30

650

21

80

11

21

4

5

4

5

3

4

1

1

Neckeraceae

37

827

19

93

8

21

6

12

1

1

-

-

1

1

Thuidiaceae

33

504

3

27

5

27

1

4

5

   6

1

-

-

1

Orthotrichaceae

44

1265

13

64

1

18

2

4

1

1

1

1

1

1

Polytrichaceae

31

536

5

55

5

24

4

18

2

3

2

2

2

2

-—indicates that respective species is not included in the source | G—number of genera | S—number of species.

 

 

For figures - - click here for full PDF

 

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