Objective: To report the patterns of species diversity, and regenerating capacity in the forest of Nikyal valley in relation to environmental variables and underlying anthropogenic influence. Methods: A study area was selected in a traditionally managed mountain woody pasture during July 2012 to June 2013. The area was sampled by quadrat method. The quadrats were laid down at regular intervals of 150 m. The size of quadrats was kept 10×10, 5×5 and 1×1 m

Objective To report the indigenous people's uses of plants from a multidimensional perspective in a remote area where strong ethnobotanical cultural practices prevail. Methods An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in the field during 2014–2016. Ethnobotanical data were gathered from 182 informants through oral interviews and semi-structured questionnaires. The distribution of plants was explored using both descriptive and graphical methods. Further, a Multinomial Logit Specification was applied to find out the probability of the occurrence of diverse utilization of plants in multipurpose domains. Results The study identified 202 plant species distributed among 71 families and 156 genera. Ethnobotanical data indicate that there are more medicinal (36.96%) uses of plants as compared to all other use categories. The output from the Multinomial Logit Specifications (MLS) model reveals that perennial and non-woody plants are exploited more for medicinal and food uses than annual and woody plants. In the context of ethnomedicinal uses, aerial plant parts particularly leaves are more extensively used for the preparation of herbal recipes as compared to underground parts. Conclusions The results of the study emphasize the need to create awareness among the local communities about the conservation status of plant species in order to maintain a sustainable resource of plant-derived materials into the future. The novel econometric approach employed in this study adds a new insightful methodology to the existing body of literature in the field of ethnobotany. We strongly recommend conservation measures, alongside phytochemical and pharmacological studies on the useful plant species identified in this study in order to ensure their sustainable and effective utilization.

Objective: To report the relationship of vegetation structure and environmental gradient and physiochemical properties of soil at Nikyal valley, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Methods: A survey of natural vegetation and soil of Nikyal valley was undertaken. Phytosociological survey was conducted by using Braun-Blanquet's approach. The study also investigated the vegetation structure and its relationship with altitude and edaphic factors. The floristic data was analyzed by cluster anlaysis, detrended correspondence analysis and canonical correspondence analysis using CANACOO 5.0. Results: A total of 110 plant species and 13 stands were merged into five major associations as dema rcated by cluster analysis and detrended correspondence analysis. The associations were Olea- Pinus- Themeda association, Myrsine- Rhus- Quercus association, Quercus- Rubus- Pinus association and Quercus association. Soil organic matter, saturation, pH and altitude play the major role in distribution of species. Conclusions: The variation in vegetation structure is controlled by the altitudinal gradient and physiochemical properties of soil. These results indicate a deteriorated forest structure and reduced regeneration pattern, demanding immediate attention of forest management authorities.

There are 300 known Saussurea species. Among them, Saussurea lappa (S. lappa) is a representative perennial herb, globally distributed across Himalaya region. S. lappa has been traditionally used in medicines without obvious adverse effects. Despite significant progress in phytochemical and biological analyses of S. lappa over the past few years, inclusive and critical reviews of this plant are anachronistic or quite limited in scope. The present review aims to summarize up-to-date information on the active constituents, pharmacology, traditional uses, trade and challenges in conservation and sustainable use of S. lappa from the literature. In addition to botanical studies and records of the traditional use of S. lappa in over 43 diseases, scientific studies investigating the latent medicinal uses of this species and its constituent phytochemicals for a range of disorders are presented and discussed. The structure, bioactivity, and likely mechanisms of action of S. lappa and its phytochemicals are highlighted. Although some progress has been made, further scrupulous efforts are required to investigate the individual compounds isolated from S. lappa to validate and understand its traditional uses and develop clinical applications. The present review offers preliminary information and gives direction for further basic and clinical research into this plant.