Understanding the plant assemblages of Phlomis cashmeriana Royle ex Benth. in the Kashmir Himalaya

A comprehensive understanding of the ecology of vegetation and soil in natural habitats that harbour endangered species is crucial for the development of effective conservation strategies and promotion of ecosystem restoration. This research aimed to investigate the plant composition and physicochemical characteristics of soil in the native environments of Phlomis cashmeriana (P. cashmeriana), an important medicinal plant in the Kashmir Himalaya region. Forty eight random quadrats were laid across four selected sites where P. cashmeriana thrived. Soil samples were collected from all four locations and employing conventional techniques to analyse the soil's physicochemical attributes. Our study revealed a total of 55 plant species across these sites, with dominance observed in the Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Lamiaceae families. The analysis of the Importance Value Index (IVI) indicated that Trifolium repens (68.84), Cynodon dactylon (56.90), and Urtica dioica (36.18) were the dominant species within the habitats of P. cashmeriana. It was noted that Phlomis cashmeriana exhibit favourable associations with other species in its environment, with 230 instances of positive, 233 instances of negative and 684 instances of random associations. Soil pH levels varied from 5.9 at KUBG to 8.5 at the Jawahar tunnel. There was a noticeable difference in soil organic carbon (OC) and organic matter (OM) values among the study sites, with Jawahar tunnel displaying the lowest (OC = 7.02 and OM = 12.09) and Daksum exhibiting the highest values (OC = 9.94 and OM = 17.13) respectively. This study provides valuable quantitative insights into the vegetation and soil ecology of habitats occupied by P. cashmeriana. These findings can serve as a foundation for the development of conservation strategies, guiding sustainable management practices, and informing habitat restoration efforts for this endangered species.