Plant Community characteristics along the different habitats of high-altitude alpine meadows in Central Himalaya, India

The present study investigates the plant species composition, diversity, and community structure across six alpine habitats in a high-altitude meadow ecosystem. A total of 61 plant species, representing 22 families, were recorded from Moist Habitat (MH), Gentle Slope Habitat (GSH), Dry Rocky Habitat (DRH), Stream Bank Habitat (SBH), Open Grassy Habitat (OGH), and Upland Mountain Habitat (UMH). Asteraceae emerged as the most represented family with 10 species, followed by Polygonaceae (6 species), and Poaceae and Ranunculaceae (5 species each). Species richness varied significantly among habitats, ranging from 21 species in DRH to 36 in OGH. Diversity indices, including Margalef’s richness, Evenness, Shannon-Wiener diversity (H’), and Concentration of Dominance (CD), demonstrated significant variation (ANOVA, P< 0.001) across habitats, indicating heterogeneous ecological conditions. Species such as Potentilla argyrophylla, Primula denticulata, Anaphalisroyleana, Rumex nepalensis, and Danthonia cachemyriana were common to all habitats, while certain species were unique to individual habitats, highlighting distinct microhabitat preferences.