Distribution of rheophytes in Kopili River Basin, Assam and Meghalaya, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.10337.18.3.28564-28572Keywords:
Conservation importance, flora, Koka–Panimur region, northeastern India, range expansion, unique habitatAbstract
Rheophytes are plant species that are confined to the beds of swift-running streams and rivers and grow there up to flood level, but not beyond the reach of regularly occurring flash floods. Little is known about this group of plants in Assam. Between 2018 and 2022, the Kopili River Basin in Assam emerged as a hotspot for rheophytic flora with the description of three new species and range extensions of another two species from the Koka–Panimur region of West Karbi Anglong. Subsequent downstream impact assessment (2024–2025) for the Lower Kopili Hydro Electric Project and Kopili basin survey including the tributeries revealed the presence of 16 rheophyte species distributed across upstream reaches of the Kopili River and its tributaries, including Amring / Mynrinag, Borpani, Diyung, Karkar, Mynteng, Umium, Digaru, and Umrong Nala. These species exhibit remarkable ecological adaptations, thriving on riverbanks and rocky substrates under extreme acidic conditions (pH as low as 2.9 in the Karkar River). The Kopili River Basin represents a unique ecological niche for rheophytes in northeastern India as no other river system supports diverse species of this kind. Immediate Immediate conservation interventions and policy integration are essential to safeguard these species and their unique habitats from anthropogenic pressures.
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