Biodiversity of the Himalaya: Volume 1: Utilization, Conservation, and Management of Plant Resources

This new two-volume set pays tribute to the incredibly diversified Himalaya. It presents and assesses the various threats and challenges to Himalayan biodiversity, documenting the multifaceted approaches for conservation and sustainable management of biological resources in the Himalayan region. Volume 1 focuses on the flora of the area, exploring the diversity, distribution, utilization, threat status, and conservation of medicinal, edible, and other economic plant resources of the region. The chapters consider the impact of traditional as well as scientific knowledge on the conservation of floral wealth in the region and recognize the importance of maintaining and preserving the plant diversity. The chapters cover diverse topics, including the traditional medicinal uses, pharmacological activity, and phytochemistry of selected plants and mushrooms. The book also proposes several biotechnological interventions and propagation strategies for some endangered plants. The threats posed by non-native invasive plants to the region’s diverse biodiversity are examined as well, as is the very real and destructive impact of climate change. Conservation and management strategies for endangered plants of the Himalaya are also covered.

Table of Contents:
1. Indigenous Uses, Therapeutic Potential, and Conservation Challenges of Threatened Medicinal Plants in the Indian Himalayan Region 2. Non-Native Invasive and Native Range Shifter Plant Species in Alpine Himalaya: A Major Threat to Biodiversity of Alpine Meadows 3. Wild Edible Plants of North Western Indian Himalaya: Exploring the Culinary Heritage and Nutritional Potential 4. Conservation and Management of Himalayan Plant Biodiversity 5. Impact of Climate Change on Himalayan Biodiversity 6. Biotechnological Interventions and Propagation Strategies of Some Endangered Plants of the Himalaya 7. An Overview of Wild Edible Plants of North Eastern States of Indian Himalaya 8. Medicinal Uses, Pharmacological Activity, and Phytochemistry of Some Himalayan Herbs 9. Phytochemical and Pharmacological Profile of Berginia ciliata (Haw.) Stern 10. Some Ethnomycological Aspects of Mushrooms in North Western Himalaya 11. Algal Biodiversity in North Western Region of Indian Himalaya 12. Ethnobotanical Exploration, Therapeutic Assessment, and Conservation Status of Himalayan May Apple 13. Bamboo Diversity in the Himalayan Region of India