Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
Unveiling habitat-specific variations in life-history traits of Swertia thomsonii C. B. Clarke—an endemic medicinal plant of the western Himalaya
*Article not assigned to an issue yet
Wani Bilal A., Magray Junaid A., Ganie Aijaz H., Roof Ul Qadir, Javid Hanan, Nawchoo Irshad A.
Research Articles | Published: 26 June, 2025
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Keywords: n Swertian , Life history traits, Plasticity, Environmental stresses, Management, Conservation
Abstract
Himalaya offers natural laboratories to study habitat-specific trait variation and plant adaptive strategies. Here we studied the variations in life history traits of Swertia thomsonii C. B. Clarke across three different habitats in the Kashmir Himalaya. A significant (p ≤ 0.05) variation was recorded in morphological traits and biomass allocation of target species across three study sites. The plants at the lower altitude populations (Gulmarg and Doodhpathri) were more vigorous and taller with high leaf numbers and leaf dimensions compared to the higher altitude population (Pahalgam), where plants were short-statured with less leaf numbers and dimensions. Also, the total resource budget per plant on a dry weight basis was recorded as high for the lower altitude populations compared to the higher altitude one. The biomass allocation at the Gulmarg and Doodhpathri sites favoured the rhizome, followed by the stem, leaves, and inflorescence, while in the case of the Pahalgam site, it favoured the rhizome, followed by leaves, stem, and inflorescence. This plasticity in life-history traits is vital for the species to cope with differential environmental stresses prevailing in these habitats. The generated information about these life history traits of the target species may prove helpful for its proper management and conservation in the Kashmir Himalaya and elsewhere in the Indian Himalayan region.
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Author Information
Plant Reproductive Biology, Genetic Diversity and Phytochemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India