Improving the Conservation Status of a Threatened Tree (Acer sikkimensis Miq. syn. Acer hookeri Miq.) Through Standardization of Seed Germination Protocol and Using Ecological Niche Modeling
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: HI" lang="EN-GB">Assessing ethnobotanical value and threat status of <i style="mso-bidi-font-st...
339-341The paper presents taxonomy, habitat, distribution, threat status and usage pattern of <... more 339-341The paper presents taxonomy, habitat, distribution, threat status and usage pattern of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">T. rumicispermum (Lawson) Planch., a lesser known liana species. The study was conducted in Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (KBR). The traditional technique of constructing bamboo bridges using this liana has been reported. The fruit of liana is an important human and wildlife food supplement, and has the potential to feed local people during famine and other natural disasters. The traditional knowledge associated with the use of species can help the local people in better adapting to the natural disasters at local level
FIGURE 2 in A new species of Aconitum (Ranunculaceae) from Indian Eastern Himalayan state of Sikkim
FIGURE 2. Aconitum sikkimensis: A. Habitat; B. Flowers; C. Leaves; D. Inflorescence; Aconitum hoo... more FIGURE 2. Aconitum sikkimensis: A. Habitat; B. Flowers; C. Leaves; D. Inflorescence; Aconitum hookeri: E, F. Habitat; G, H. Flowers.
A new species of Aconitum (Ranunculaceae) from Indian Eastern Himalayan state of Sikkim
Phytotaxa, 2021
Aconitum sikkimensis, a new species from Sikkim in the Indian Eastern Himalaya, is described and ... more Aconitum sikkimensis, a new species from Sikkim in the Indian Eastern Himalaya, is described and illustrated in this article. A. hookeri is morphologically closest species to the new species and it resembles in colour of the flower and the shape of the lateral sepals. However, it differs in plant height (A. sikkimensis being taller than A. hookeri), the shape of leaf and degree of dissection in the lamina, number of bracts and their shape and size, length of petiole, semi-orbicular upper sepal (vs. obliquely erect), distinctly curved, pubescent petals (vs. straight, glabrous petals) having spathulate lips (vs. obovate), and well-developed staminal pilose hairs and teeth (vs. non-developed, glabrous). Based on population data, the species was assigned the threat status of ‘Critically Endangered’ following IUCN criteria.
BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access t... more BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.
Seabuckthorn (Hippophae salicifolia) is one of the underutilized plant species having enormous po... more Seabuckthorn (Hippophae salicifolia) is one of the underutilized plant species having enormous potential for socioeconomic upliftment and sustainable livelihood of rural communities. In Sikkim it grows naturally in Lachen and Lachung valleys of North district and it has not been explored for economic benefits. Due to its restricted distribution in Sikkim, ecological niche modelling (ENM) was performed to identify suitable habitat for in-situ conservation through identification of suitable areas and for further reintroduction in its natural habitat. The model was developed using Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) distribution modelling algorithm and predicted that the suitable habitats of 2 Seabuckthornare restricted to an area of ca. 286 km in Sikkim. The distribution of the potential habitat was strongly influenced by NDVI layer for October and January, which corresponds to the period of fruiting phenology of the species, thus indicating the importance of fruiting phenology in determining the distribution of the species. Population status was positively correlated with very high model thresholds at three locations, confirming the usefulness of the habitat model in population monitoring. Therefore the approach presented here emerge to be quite promising in predicting the suitable habitat for species with restricted distribution and moreover it can be an effective tool for conservation planning, monitoring and management of the species.
FIGURE 3 in A new species of Aconitum (Ranunculaceae) from Indian Eastern Himalayan state of Sikkim
FIGURE 3. Aconitum sikkimensis: A, C. Flower side and front view; E. Upper sepal; G. Lateral Sepa... more FIGURE 3. Aconitum sikkimensis: A, C. Flower side and front view; E. Upper sepal; G. Lateral Sepal; I. Lower sepal; K. Petal; M. Stamens; O. Carpel; Aconitum hookeri: B, D. Flower side and front view; F. Upper sepal; H. Lateral Sepal; J. Lower sepal; L. Petal; N. Stamens; P. Carpels.
FIGURE 1 in A new species of Aconitum (Ranunculaceae) from Indian Eastern Himalayan state of Sikkim
FIGURE 1. Map showing occurrence of different species found in Sikkim including A. sikkimensis, I... more FIGURE 1. Map showing occurrence of different species found in Sikkim including A. sikkimensis, India.
FIGURE 1. Begonia ahooensis P.L in A new species of Begonia (Sect. Diploclinium, Begoniaceae) from Sikkim, India
FIGURE 1. Begonia ahooensis P.L.Sherpa, Aditya Pradhan & Arun Chettri: A. Habitat; B. Habit; C. S... more FIGURE 1. Begonia ahooensis P.L.Sherpa, Aditya Pradhan & Arun Chettri: A. Habitat; B. Habit; C. Stipule; D. Inflorescence; E. Bract; F. Male flower; G. Female flower; H. Stamens; I. Stigma & Style; J. Transverse section of ovary. Scale 1–100 (e,f,h,i,j) = 16.5mm.
MaxEnt modelling has been used to predict the present and future distributions of caterpillar fun... more MaxEnt modelling has been used to predict the present and future distributions of caterpillar fungus, Ophiocordyceps sinensis in Sikkim Himalaya in four future climate change trajectories (viz. RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, RCP 6.0 and RCP_8.5) for the year 2050. The result predicted an area of 311 km (4.77 % of total area) to be suitable under current climatic condition. Under future climate change scenario the suitable habitat of caterpillar fungus would get drastically reduced (RCP_2.6, RCP_4.5 and RCP_8.5) with a minor expansion (i.e. ~71 km) in addition to current potential suitable habitat under scenario RCP_6.0. Niche overlap analysis resulted in more than 90 % niche overlap among current and future distribution of species. The existing protected areas (PAs) accounts for only 0.54 % (~35 km) of the total area of state of Sikkim and 1.64 % of the total area of PAs and shows variability in suitable habitat under climate change scenario. Therefore the establishment of new PAs especially tow...
Identifying Protected Areas Suitable for Conservation of Cycas pectinata Buch. Ham. in Southeast Asia Under Climate Change Scenario
Cycads are considered one of the most threatened groups of plants, with 62 % of all species liste... more Cycads are considered one of the most threatened groups of plants, with 62 % of all species listed on the IUCN Red List. Therefore in order to implement sustainable conservation strategy, it is imperative to understand the impacts of changing climate on both ecosystem and at species level. We therefore presented an assessment on current and future habitat suitability distribution of Cycas pectinata Buch.-Ham., using a maximum entropy (MaxEnt) species distribution model. The projected future distribution map was then overlaid onto protected areas of Southeast Asia for further analysis. Out of 1938 protected areas identified in the 10 southeast countries, only 190 protected areas would remain suitable by the end of 2050 under climate change scenario (RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, RCP 6.0 and RCP 8.5). The MaxEnt model performed better than random with an average test AUC value of 0.975 (±0.001). The AUC values thus confirm the accuracy of model prediction based on 73 occurrence points. A signific...
Pandanus unguifer is a threatened species endemic to Sikkim and Darjeeling district of West Benga... more Pandanus unguifer is a threatened species endemic to Sikkim and Darjeeling district of West Bengal. The species bears mildly fragrant creamy white colored flower and is the only Pandanus species that produces flowers in potted condition and hence, is of ornamental value. We used field collected-coordinates of five presence occurrence localities of the species for habitat distribution modeling. Additionally, downloaded environmental data from worldclim database were used for correlation. Amongst the input environmental variables, Mean diurnal range in temperature (Bio2) and Precipitation seasonality (CV) (Bio15) were influential factors and contributed 48.7% and 40.8% respectively to the MaxEnt model. The Rest of the remaining layers collectively contributed 10.5% to the final habitat model. Of the total 5963 sq.km suitable area only 153 sq. km has a very high probability of having P. unguifer which is only 2.57% of the total area. The study revealed the highest potential distributio...
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Papers by Arun Chettri