Impact of Biotic Interferences on Yousmarg Forest Ecosystem, Kashmir

The present investigation of forest ecosystem was undertaken during May 2010 to Dec 2010. The main aim of the study was to analyze the impact of biotic interferences on Yousmarg forest ecosystem. The cumulative effect of the biotic interferences was signif icantly seen in the reduction of vegetation cover. The present study revealed that the prominent factor for the exploitation of the vegetation cover of the study area at herbaceous level is simply the overgrazing. The increasing disturbances not only disturb the plant species diversity, richness and evenness significantly but various plant species have been got completely eliminated from grazing area by different kinds of interferences like overgrazing, deforestation, forest fire, tourist impacts etc. It has been observed that about 10 species were absent in the grazing area where as all species were present in the fenced (protected) area .Most of the species have medicinal value like Achillea millefolium, Fragaria nubicola, Taraxacum officinale, Prunella vulgaris, Potentilla reptans, Rumex hastatus, etc. The data showed that the importance value index (IVI) of Pinus wallichiana at all the three sites like Nabrepather, Mashid Nar and Chota Yous of Yousmarg area, gets constantly decrease from protected site to unprotected site while as there is over all decrease in the IVI of other two species like Picea smithana (spruce) and Abies pindrow (fir). KEY WORDSYousmarg forest, ecosystem, biotic interferences, vegetation analysis, medicinal plants, vegetation cover and exploitation ——————————  ————————— International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 3, Issue 4, April-2012 2 ISSN 2229-5518 IJSER © 2012 http://www.ijser.org