Rapid Biodiversity Survey Of Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary, Sikkim, India

Rapid Biodiversity Survey of Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary (3000 - 4200m) records an occurrence of 151 floral species, of which, population assessment of 71 species was done. There were only three trees species recorded from the sub-alpine area of the sanctuary, namely Abies densa, Acer pectinatum and Betula utilis out of which Acer pectinatum and Betula utilis were found rare in the area. Some high valued and globally threatened medicinal plants of the Himalayas including seven species of Aconitums were recorded namely Aconitum violaceum, A.novoluridum, A.palmatum, A.disectum, A.ferox, A.spicatum and A.laciniatum, of which A.novoluridum, A.violaceum and A.laciniatum were re-discovered after more than a century after the monographic work of Stapf during 1905 on Aconites of India, which was based on the collections made by earlier worker (Hooker, 1854). Some other threatened medicinal plants species such as Neopicrorhiza scrophularia, Gymnadenia orchidis, Fritillaria cirrhosa, Sassurea gossipiphora, Sassurea obvallata, Rheum nobile, Allium prattii, Sinopodophyllum hexandrum, polygonatum singalilense, Valeriana jatamansii, V.hardwickii, Veratrilla baillonii, Gentiana elwesii, etc. were recorded from the area with very less number of population, for which immediate conservation measures are recommended. Apart from floral species, an inventory of faunal species was done which records an occurrence of 9 mammalian species and 20 bird species through direct and indirect evidences.