For millennia, ethnic knowledge has been intricately tied to local biodiversity and woven into th... more For millennia, ethnic knowledge has been intricately tied to local biodiversity and woven into the fabric of rural communities. Growing scientific evidence suggests that merging ethnic knowledge with new scientific findings can lead to socially acceptable and environmentally friendly approaches essential for the long-term prosperity of local communities. In the high-altitude region, where livestock raising is a key income source, and plant-based utilization for ethno-veterinary practices is widely practiced. In this context, this study was conducted with the aim of documenting the ethno-veterinary use of plant resources in different bio-geographical regions of Jammu and Kashmir's Himalayas (J & KH). Semi-structured interviews and group discussions were used to collect information. Principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation were conducted to analyze the data. We documented 148 species from 53 families that locals used for various purposes: medicine, fodder, tonic,...
Pteridophytes have been used by humans for millennia, but in comparison to flowering plants, the ... more Pteridophytes have been used by humans for millennia, but in comparison to flowering plants, the documentation of their traditional uses is still neglected; as a result, they must be highlighted and popularized. The present study was carried out from January 2019 to November 2021 to gather ecological and traditional use information on pteridophytes from local inhabitants of the Kashmir valley via semi-structured personal interviews and group discussions. We recorded 58 pteridophyte species belonging to 13 families. The distributions of the species among the families were unequal, with four families constituting more than half of the total species (Dryopteridaceae 26%, Woodsiaceae 17%, Aspleniaceae 14%, and Pteridaceae (14%). The highest numbers of species (45%) were found growing on the forest floor, followed by those growing in rock crevices (26%). This was supported further by a cluster analysis, which identified two primary clusters based on the species presence in different habi...
The significance of edaphic factors in describing forest vegetation patterns is becoming more wel... more The significance of edaphic factors in describing forest vegetation patterns is becoming more well acknowledged, with significant implications for the description of biogeographical regions and biome classification, as well as abundance and growth patterns at regional levels. The current study examines the vegetation association in the Zabarwan mountain range of the Western Himalayas and its association with edaphic factors. To collect data on forest types, we employed a systematic random sampling strategy in 60 plots (0.1 ha) across five forest types. We investigated data using ordination and cluster analysis approaches after calculating the important value index (henceforth IVI) for each plant species and edaphic data from forests. In total, 76 plant species from 39 different families were found in the area. The Rosaceae family was the most numerous, followed by Fabaceae and Asteraceae. Scrub forest types have lower diversity indices, while broad-leaved forest types have greater d...
The Himalayan Mountains are geodynamical important, featuring a wide climatic range with a rich d... more The Himalayan Mountains are geodynamical important, featuring a wide climatic range with a rich diversity of flora, fauna, human communities, culture, and social set-up. In recent decades, due to constant anthropogenic pressure and considerable changes witnessed in the climate of the region, species of this region are threatened. Here, we assessed the impact of nomadic settlement and associated disturbances on plant species composition, diversity parameters, ecosystem properties, and fire incidence in high-altitude forests of Western Himalaya, India. Based on the distance between nomadic settlement location and forest, we classified forest as near nomadic settlement (NNS) or away nomadic settlement (ANS) forest types. We found a significant variation in plant species composition between forest types. Three species, namely, Sibbaldia cuneata, Poa annua, and Abies pindrow, contribute 25% of the cumulative variation in plant species composition. Studying live plants, we found a signifi...
KEY MESSAGE Exogenously supplied BR and JA help KS101 and KBS3 genotypes of Brassica rapa to alle... more KEY MESSAGE Exogenously supplied BR and JA help KS101 and KBS3 genotypes of Brassica rapa to alleviate drought stress by modifying osmolyte concentration, levels of antioxidant enzymes and photosynthetic system. Oilseed plants are susceptible to drought stress and a significant loss in yield has been reported during recent decades. Thus, it is imperative to understand the various underlying drought response mechanisms in Brassica oilseed plants to formulate the sustainable strategies to protect the crop yield under water-limiting conditions. Phytohormones play a key role in fine-tuning various regulatory mechanisms for drought stress adaptation in plants, and the present study explores the response of several physiological stress markers by exogenous supplementation of 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) and jasmonic acid (JA) on two genotypes of Brassica rapa, KS101 and KBS3 under drought stress conditions. The exogenous application of BR and JA, separately or in combination, significantly alleviated the drought stress by improving photosynthetic rate, photosynthetic pigments, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and antioxidant defence. We observed that concentration of different osmolytes increased and membrane damage significantly reduced by the application of BR and JA. The overall activity of antioxidant enzymes POD, CAT, GR, APX and CAT elevated during all the treatments, be it stress alone or in combination with BR and JA, compared to the control. However, we observed that the BR was much better in mitigating the drought stress compared to JA. Thus, the present study suggests that BR and JA supplementation improves the performance of B. rapa on exposure to drought stress, which hints at the critical role of BR and JA in improving crop productivity in drought-prone areas.
The nomadic pastoral indigenous communities of the Ladakhi people share roots with Tibetan cultur... more The nomadic pastoral indigenous communities of the Ladakhi people share roots with Tibetan culture in terms of food, clothing, religion, festivals, and habits, and rely widely on plant resources for survival and livelihood. This survey was conducted during 2019–2021 to document the indigenous knowledge about plant resources of the Balti, Beda, and Brokpa communities of the Ladakh region, trans-Himalayas. Open- and close-ended semi-structured interviews (N = 184) and group discussions (N = 17) were used to collect the data. Quantitative data was further analyzed using various statistical tools. A total of 105 plant species belonging to 82 genera and 39 families were used as medicine, fuel wood, fragrance, oil, food, flavor, fodder, decoration, and dye. Among these, medicinal use was most prevalent, with 70% of use reports, followed by fodder and fuel wood. Leaves (27%) were the most preferred plant part used, followed by roots and flowers. The principal component analysis revealed fi...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences, 2021
Riverine ecosystem highly prone to invasion thereby provides pathway for efficient dispersal of p... more Riverine ecosystem highly prone to invasion thereby provides pathway for efficient dispersal of propagules between isolated protected areas. Since invasive species have the potential to lead the loss of species diversity and ecosystems function at regional scale, it increases demands on the natural capitol being conserved. In the current study, we used the Floristic Quality Assessment Index (FQAI) which is a vegetation-based index having the property to assess the ecological health and coefficient of conservatism values for each species along Dagwan Stream in the Dachigam National Park of Kashmir Himalayas. The values of the Floristic Quality Assessment Index for the riparian zone are FQAI = 41.42. The results revealed that 33% species were non-native, 9% ranking 1–3; 32% ranking 4–6; 21% ranking 7–8; and 5% ranking 9–10. Among all (78 species) recorded, 67% were native and 33% were alien. Out of total alien species documented, six (6) invasive, seventeen (17) naturalized and three (3) casual species. Most invasive tree species growing were Quercus robur, Robinia pseudoacacia, Ailanthus altissima, shrubs like Rubus ulmifolius, Buddleja davidii and herbs such as Leucanthemum vulgare, Digitalis purpurea, Erigeron canadensis. The results of the present study provide a method to measure the response of vegetation communities to alien invasions and subsequently draft management strategies to protect the different ecosystems, particularly the protected areas from this biodiversity threat.
Zootherapy is accepted all around the globe not only in ancient cultures but different animal der... more Zootherapy is accepted all around the globe not only in ancient cultures but different animal derived medicines are also part of the practice in the modern health care systems. The present study assessed the traditional ethnozoological usage of wild animals by local inhabitants in Ladakh region, India, and the reference data for scientific approaches for protection of faunal diversity in trans-Himalayas. The ethnozoological documentation of the animals in Ladakh was carried out through semistructured and close-ended questionnaire surveys and interviews. Multivariate ecological community analysis was used to elucidate the relationship between ethnozoological usage and animal species. Our results showed three animal usage clusters with 32% similarity. Moreover, the similarity in animal usage between digging tools, trophy, handle of tools, decoration, and matting, showed less than 32% of similarity. The highest priority of local people was for food followed by decoration and medicinal ...
Aim: The outbreak of the new coronavirus pandemic (SARS-CoV-2) was initiated in December 2019, an... more Aim: The outbreak of the new coronavirus pandemic (SARS-CoV-2) was initiated in December 2019, and within couple of months it has turned out to be a global health emergency. Given the importance to assess the evolution and transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 and to forecast the next scenario of the pandemic in the future, mainly in countries with limited health care system, we estimated the reproductive number (R0) of SARS-CoV-2 in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), India, and a possible scenario for this pandemic in the region.Subject and Methods: We estimated the reproductive number (R0) of SARS-CoV-2 in its first outbreak stage in the North western region of Himalaya, India, and we also predicted new daily cases for the next 90 days using different R0, testing a plausible end of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak;Results: Our results showed a considerable increase in the number of cases, but with a tendency to asymptote. Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Shopian, and Srinagar districts showed more than 100 case...
Background The protected areas (PAs) of any region are contributing people’s livelihoods and are ... more Background The protected areas (PAs) of any region are contributing people’s livelihoods and are proving to be the backbone of all forms of biodiversity conservation. The reforms in protection rules at global level and legal protection at local level has contributed a lot to the conservation of forests and other associated biodiversity. However, due to various anthropogenic activities and other climatic changes, protected areas and other species rich sites are being exposed to a continuous threat. Realizing the future perspective of potential and economic value of these protected forests, the phytosociological investigations were carried out in protected forests of Jammu and Kashmir in Kashmir Himalaya. Results Floristically, a total of 84 species belonging to 71 genera in 39 families were recorded. The floristic analysis revealed that the dominant plant families in the study area comprises of Rosaceae with (14%) species, followed by Asteraceae (8%) species and Poaceae (7%) species....
Stress Signaling in Plants: Genomics and Proteomics Perspective, Volume 2, 2016
Trehalose is a nonreducing disaccharide composed of two glucose residues bound by an α-α linkage.... more Trehalose is a nonreducing disaccharide composed of two glucose residues bound by an α-α linkage. First reported in 1832 in rye following ergot infection, trehalose has since been detected in a wide range of organisms, including bacteria, fungi, invertebrates, and plants. It has role in plant response to various environmental stresses such as cold and salinity, and in regulation of stomatal conductance and water-use efficiency. Trehalose is a potential signal metabolite in plant interactions with pathogenic or symbiotic microorganisms and herbivorous insects. Recently it has been found that trehalose metabolism is also crucial for normal plant growth and development. In plants, as in other eukaryotes and many prokaryotes, trehalose is synthesized via a phosphorylated intermediate, trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P). In plants, trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P), the intermediate of trehalose biosynthesis, is thought to be a signal of sucrose status and current studies point towards the role of T6P as a regulatory molecule, especially in sugar influx and metabolism. A meta-analysis reveals that the levels of T6P changes are in parallel with sucrose, which is the major product of photosynthesis and the main transport sugar in plants. The intermediate T6P is now confirmed to act as a sensor for available sucrose, hereby directly influencing the type of response to the changing environmental conditions. This is possible because T6P and/or trehalose or their biosynthetic enzymes are part of complex interaction networks with other crucial hormone and sugar-induced signaling pathways, which may function at different developmental stages.
For millennia, ethnic knowledge has been intricately tied to local biodiversity and woven into th... more For millennia, ethnic knowledge has been intricately tied to local biodiversity and woven into the fabric of rural communities. Growing scientific evidence suggests that merging ethnic knowledge with new scientific findings can lead to socially acceptable and environmentally friendly approaches essential for the long-term prosperity of local communities. In the high-altitude region, where livestock raising is a key income source, and plant-based utilization for ethno-veterinary practices is widely practiced. In this context, this study was conducted with the aim of documenting the ethno-veterinary use of plant resources in different bio-geographical regions of Jammu and Kashmir's Himalayas (J & KH). Semi-structured interviews and group discussions were used to collect information. Principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation were conducted to analyze the data. We documented 148 species from 53 families that locals used for various purposes: medicine, fodder, tonic,...
Pteridophytes have been used by humans for millennia, but in comparison to flowering plants, the ... more Pteridophytes have been used by humans for millennia, but in comparison to flowering plants, the documentation of their traditional uses is still neglected; as a result, they must be highlighted and popularized. The present study was carried out from January 2019 to November 2021 to gather ecological and traditional use information on pteridophytes from local inhabitants of the Kashmir valley via semi-structured personal interviews and group discussions. We recorded 58 pteridophyte species belonging to 13 families. The distributions of the species among the families were unequal, with four families constituting more than half of the total species (Dryopteridaceae 26%, Woodsiaceae 17%, Aspleniaceae 14%, and Pteridaceae (14%). The highest numbers of species (45%) were found growing on the forest floor, followed by those growing in rock crevices (26%). This was supported further by a cluster analysis, which identified two primary clusters based on the species presence in different habi...
The significance of edaphic factors in describing forest vegetation patterns is becoming more wel... more The significance of edaphic factors in describing forest vegetation patterns is becoming more well acknowledged, with significant implications for the description of biogeographical regions and biome classification, as well as abundance and growth patterns at regional levels. The current study examines the vegetation association in the Zabarwan mountain range of the Western Himalayas and its association with edaphic factors. To collect data on forest types, we employed a systematic random sampling strategy in 60 plots (0.1 ha) across five forest types. We investigated data using ordination and cluster analysis approaches after calculating the important value index (henceforth IVI) for each plant species and edaphic data from forests. In total, 76 plant species from 39 different families were found in the area. The Rosaceae family was the most numerous, followed by Fabaceae and Asteraceae. Scrub forest types have lower diversity indices, while broad-leaved forest types have greater d...
The Himalayan Mountains are geodynamical important, featuring a wide climatic range with a rich d... more The Himalayan Mountains are geodynamical important, featuring a wide climatic range with a rich diversity of flora, fauna, human communities, culture, and social set-up. In recent decades, due to constant anthropogenic pressure and considerable changes witnessed in the climate of the region, species of this region are threatened. Here, we assessed the impact of nomadic settlement and associated disturbances on plant species composition, diversity parameters, ecosystem properties, and fire incidence in high-altitude forests of Western Himalaya, India. Based on the distance between nomadic settlement location and forest, we classified forest as near nomadic settlement (NNS) or away nomadic settlement (ANS) forest types. We found a significant variation in plant species composition between forest types. Three species, namely, Sibbaldia cuneata, Poa annua, and Abies pindrow, contribute 25% of the cumulative variation in plant species composition. Studying live plants, we found a signifi...
KEY MESSAGE Exogenously supplied BR and JA help KS101 and KBS3 genotypes of Brassica rapa to alle... more KEY MESSAGE Exogenously supplied BR and JA help KS101 and KBS3 genotypes of Brassica rapa to alleviate drought stress by modifying osmolyte concentration, levels of antioxidant enzymes and photosynthetic system. Oilseed plants are susceptible to drought stress and a significant loss in yield has been reported during recent decades. Thus, it is imperative to understand the various underlying drought response mechanisms in Brassica oilseed plants to formulate the sustainable strategies to protect the crop yield under water-limiting conditions. Phytohormones play a key role in fine-tuning various regulatory mechanisms for drought stress adaptation in plants, and the present study explores the response of several physiological stress markers by exogenous supplementation of 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) and jasmonic acid (JA) on two genotypes of Brassica rapa, KS101 and KBS3 under drought stress conditions. The exogenous application of BR and JA, separately or in combination, significantly alleviated the drought stress by improving photosynthetic rate, photosynthetic pigments, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and antioxidant defence. We observed that concentration of different osmolytes increased and membrane damage significantly reduced by the application of BR and JA. The overall activity of antioxidant enzymes POD, CAT, GR, APX and CAT elevated during all the treatments, be it stress alone or in combination with BR and JA, compared to the control. However, we observed that the BR was much better in mitigating the drought stress compared to JA. Thus, the present study suggests that BR and JA supplementation improves the performance of B. rapa on exposure to drought stress, which hints at the critical role of BR and JA in improving crop productivity in drought-prone areas.
The nomadic pastoral indigenous communities of the Ladakhi people share roots with Tibetan cultur... more The nomadic pastoral indigenous communities of the Ladakhi people share roots with Tibetan culture in terms of food, clothing, religion, festivals, and habits, and rely widely on plant resources for survival and livelihood. This survey was conducted during 2019–2021 to document the indigenous knowledge about plant resources of the Balti, Beda, and Brokpa communities of the Ladakh region, trans-Himalayas. Open- and close-ended semi-structured interviews (N = 184) and group discussions (N = 17) were used to collect the data. Quantitative data was further analyzed using various statistical tools. A total of 105 plant species belonging to 82 genera and 39 families were used as medicine, fuel wood, fragrance, oil, food, flavor, fodder, decoration, and dye. Among these, medicinal use was most prevalent, with 70% of use reports, followed by fodder and fuel wood. Leaves (27%) were the most preferred plant part used, followed by roots and flowers. The principal component analysis revealed fi...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences, 2021
Riverine ecosystem highly prone to invasion thereby provides pathway for efficient dispersal of p... more Riverine ecosystem highly prone to invasion thereby provides pathway for efficient dispersal of propagules between isolated protected areas. Since invasive species have the potential to lead the loss of species diversity and ecosystems function at regional scale, it increases demands on the natural capitol being conserved. In the current study, we used the Floristic Quality Assessment Index (FQAI) which is a vegetation-based index having the property to assess the ecological health and coefficient of conservatism values for each species along Dagwan Stream in the Dachigam National Park of Kashmir Himalayas. The values of the Floristic Quality Assessment Index for the riparian zone are FQAI = 41.42. The results revealed that 33% species were non-native, 9% ranking 1–3; 32% ranking 4–6; 21% ranking 7–8; and 5% ranking 9–10. Among all (78 species) recorded, 67% were native and 33% were alien. Out of total alien species documented, six (6) invasive, seventeen (17) naturalized and three (3) casual species. Most invasive tree species growing were Quercus robur, Robinia pseudoacacia, Ailanthus altissima, shrubs like Rubus ulmifolius, Buddleja davidii and herbs such as Leucanthemum vulgare, Digitalis purpurea, Erigeron canadensis. The results of the present study provide a method to measure the response of vegetation communities to alien invasions and subsequently draft management strategies to protect the different ecosystems, particularly the protected areas from this biodiversity threat.
Zootherapy is accepted all around the globe not only in ancient cultures but different animal der... more Zootherapy is accepted all around the globe not only in ancient cultures but different animal derived medicines are also part of the practice in the modern health care systems. The present study assessed the traditional ethnozoological usage of wild animals by local inhabitants in Ladakh region, India, and the reference data for scientific approaches for protection of faunal diversity in trans-Himalayas. The ethnozoological documentation of the animals in Ladakh was carried out through semistructured and close-ended questionnaire surveys and interviews. Multivariate ecological community analysis was used to elucidate the relationship between ethnozoological usage and animal species. Our results showed three animal usage clusters with 32% similarity. Moreover, the similarity in animal usage between digging tools, trophy, handle of tools, decoration, and matting, showed less than 32% of similarity. The highest priority of local people was for food followed by decoration and medicinal ...
Aim: The outbreak of the new coronavirus pandemic (SARS-CoV-2) was initiated in December 2019, an... more Aim: The outbreak of the new coronavirus pandemic (SARS-CoV-2) was initiated in December 2019, and within couple of months it has turned out to be a global health emergency. Given the importance to assess the evolution and transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 and to forecast the next scenario of the pandemic in the future, mainly in countries with limited health care system, we estimated the reproductive number (R0) of SARS-CoV-2 in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), India, and a possible scenario for this pandemic in the region.Subject and Methods: We estimated the reproductive number (R0) of SARS-CoV-2 in its first outbreak stage in the North western region of Himalaya, India, and we also predicted new daily cases for the next 90 days using different R0, testing a plausible end of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak;Results: Our results showed a considerable increase in the number of cases, but with a tendency to asymptote. Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Shopian, and Srinagar districts showed more than 100 case...
Background The protected areas (PAs) of any region are contributing people’s livelihoods and are ... more Background The protected areas (PAs) of any region are contributing people’s livelihoods and are proving to be the backbone of all forms of biodiversity conservation. The reforms in protection rules at global level and legal protection at local level has contributed a lot to the conservation of forests and other associated biodiversity. However, due to various anthropogenic activities and other climatic changes, protected areas and other species rich sites are being exposed to a continuous threat. Realizing the future perspective of potential and economic value of these protected forests, the phytosociological investigations were carried out in protected forests of Jammu and Kashmir in Kashmir Himalaya. Results Floristically, a total of 84 species belonging to 71 genera in 39 families were recorded. The floristic analysis revealed that the dominant plant families in the study area comprises of Rosaceae with (14%) species, followed by Asteraceae (8%) species and Poaceae (7%) species....
Stress Signaling in Plants: Genomics and Proteomics Perspective, Volume 2, 2016
Trehalose is a nonreducing disaccharide composed of two glucose residues bound by an α-α linkage.... more Trehalose is a nonreducing disaccharide composed of two glucose residues bound by an α-α linkage. First reported in 1832 in rye following ergot infection, trehalose has since been detected in a wide range of organisms, including bacteria, fungi, invertebrates, and plants. It has role in plant response to various environmental stresses such as cold and salinity, and in regulation of stomatal conductance and water-use efficiency. Trehalose is a potential signal metabolite in plant interactions with pathogenic or symbiotic microorganisms and herbivorous insects. Recently it has been found that trehalose metabolism is also crucial for normal plant growth and development. In plants, as in other eukaryotes and many prokaryotes, trehalose is synthesized via a phosphorylated intermediate, trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P). In plants, trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P), the intermediate of trehalose biosynthesis, is thought to be a signal of sucrose status and current studies point towards the role of T6P as a regulatory molecule, especially in sugar influx and metabolism. A meta-analysis reveals that the levels of T6P changes are in parallel with sucrose, which is the major product of photosynthesis and the main transport sugar in plants. The intermediate T6P is now confirmed to act as a sensor for available sucrose, hereby directly influencing the type of response to the changing environmental conditions. This is possible because T6P and/or trehalose or their biosynthetic enzymes are part of complex interaction networks with other crucial hormone and sugar-induced signaling pathways, which may function at different developmental stages.
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Papers by Umer Lone