A survey was conducted from March to September 2012 along the altitudinal gradient of the Jomokungkhar trail in the Merak Himalaya of Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary to study the floristic compositions and the patterns of alpine vegetation of Eastern Bhutan. The vegetation of the sampled plots is classified into five types of communities based on the hierarchical cluster analysis at similarity index...

A field and laboratory based experiment conducted to assess the effects of different pH ranges of simulated acid rain (2.5, 3.5, 4.5 and 5.5) was studied on chlorophyll and ascorbic acid contents in two cultivars (cv. Himalaya and cv.Kaushik) of a medicinal herb Mentha piperita. Chlorophyll and ascorbic acid contents of leaves were adversely affected at pH 2.5 and 3.5. The effects of simulated ...

[1] Horizontal velocities of 26 Global Positioning System (GPS) stations in the northwest Himalayan region provide new constraints on the partitioning of India-Eurasia convergence and elastic strain accumulation about the locked Main Frontal Thrust (MFT). The northwest-striking Karakorum fault slips at 11 ± 4 mm/yr and contributes to east-west extension of southern Tibet and westward motion of ...

Landslides are a major geological hazard in Garhwal Himalayas, since they are widespread dynamic processes that cause damage, and even loss of life, every year. Development of urban areas, Highway construction and expanded land use in Garhwal Himalaya mountain regions has increased the incidence of landslide disasters. The enormous damage caused by landslides can be reduced by means of monitori...

The starchy endosperm (SE) of the developing grain (caryopsis) of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cv Himalaya, as well as that of other barley cultivars examined, acidifies during maturation. The major decrease in pH begins with the attainment of maximum grain dry weight, onset of dehydration, and completion of chlorophyll loss. Acidification is correlated with the accumulation of malate and lesser...

Topography is a crucial surface characteristic in soil erosion modeling. Soil erosion studies use a digital elevation model (DEM) to derive the topographical characteristics of a study area. Majority of the times, a DEM is incorporated into erosion models as a given parameter and it is not tested as extensively as are the parameters related to soil, land-use and climate. This study compares ero...