Beautifully fitting into the mosaic of Himalayan flowering plants and ferns the bryophytic spectrum embraces an exquisite variety of forms, imparting a lush greenery in every possible shade and hue to all bare surfaces and practically over all kinds of substrates/habitats in the mountainous scenario. They are everywhere in the Himalayas yet we are not consciously aware of them. Very little is known about their ecosensitive nature and this bryologically rich region has not even been fully explored. It was in view of this priority for exploration of Kumaun Himalayan bryoflora that the present work was undertaken. Accordingly, an attempt has been made to gain an insight into the peculiarities of distribution of bryophytic elements in the Kumaun region of North-West Himalayas.
The results presented are based on extensive field surveys/collections made from foot-hills to the alpine environs of Kumaun Himalaya within an altitudinal range of 326-4000 m.
This work should be of interest to Bryologists especially those working in bryotaxonomy and ecology, students as well those interested. |
