Lichen as Bioindicator for Monitoring Environmental Status in Western Himalaya, India

Authors

  • Sugam Gupta Department of Environmental Science, Graphic Era University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
  • Roshni Khare Biodiversity-Palaeobiology Lab, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, Maharashtra
  • Omesh Bajpai G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment & Development, Kosi -Katarmal, Almora, Uttarakhand
  • Himanshu Rai Lichenology laboratory, Plant Diversity, Systematics and Herbarium Division; CSIR National Botanical research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
  • Dalip Kumar Upreti Lichenology laboratory, Plant Diversity, Systematics and Herbarium Division; CSIR National Botanical research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
  • Rajan Kumar Gupta Department of Botany, Dr. P.D.B.H. Government Post Graduate College, Kotdwar (Pauri Garhwal), Uttarakhand
  • Pradeep Kumar Sharma Department of Environmental Science, Graphic Era University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3126/ije.v5i2.15001

Keywords:

Bioindicator, Lichen, Vehicular pollution, Anthropogenic disturbances, Badrinath

Abstract

The use of bioindicator communities (lichen) to assess the environmental status of an area is a well-proved strategy to monitor any habitat without any logistic and instrumental facilities. In the present study, 13 bioindicator communities of lichen have been used to assess the environmental status of holy pilgrimage (Badrinath), western Himalaya, India. Three sites (i.e. Badrinath, Mana & pilgrimage route from Bhimpul to Vasudhara) have been comparatively assessed. The results of the study reveals that Badrinath site is less polluted and experiences low degree of anthropogenic disturbances compared to Mana, and pilgrimage route (Bhimpul to Vasudhara). Human settlements, construction of civil works, vehicular emission, and trampling and trekking by tourists are the major threats on these habitats, which ultimately decrease the quality of vegetation and adjacent environment. Controlled vehicular use, promotion of modern way of cooking and managed trekking in these pilgrimage routes could be helpful to combat the decreasing vegetation and environmental quality therein.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENT
Volume-5, Issue-2, Mar-May 2016 page: 1-15

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Published

2016-05-26

How to Cite

Gupta, S., Khare, R., Bajpai, O., Rai, H., Upreti, D. K., Gupta, R. K., & Sharma, P. K. (2016). Lichen as Bioindicator for Monitoring Environmental Status in Western Himalaya, India. International Journal of Environment, 5(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3126/ije.v5i2.15001

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 2 (2016)

Section

Research Papers

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