Plants of Khokhan Wildlife Sanctuary, Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

During the ongoing anthropocene extinction event driven by unsustainable human activities there is an urgent need to conserve our biodiversity and first steep for conservation is documentation of biodiversity. For the purpose of conservation several protected areas are designated by government but their biodiversity and particularly flora of many of these protected areas is poorly known. Khokhan Wildlife Sanctuary of Kullu district is one of the oldest protect area in Indian Himalayan region harboring high biodiversity, yet very little is known about floristic diversity of Khokhan. During the preliminary surveys conducted in year 2019-20, IUCN red listed threatened plant species like Gentiana kurroo (Critically endangered) and Paris polyphylla (Vulnerable) was found to be present in good number, which was not reported from this protected area. So, to know the plant diversity present in Khokhan WLS this study was taken, which also forms to be the first complete documentation of floristic diversity of any Wildlife Sanctuary of state Himachal Pradesh and will form as a base line work for future conservation actions and management plans by stakeholders.