AUTHOR=Wani Zishan A. , Bhat Jahangeer A. , Negi Vikram S. , Satish K. V. , Siddiqui Sazada , Pant Shreekar 

TITLE=Conservation Priority Index of species, communities, and habitats for biodiversity conservation and their management planning: A case study in Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary, Kashmir Himalaya

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Forests and Global Change

VOLUME=Volume 5 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/forests-and-global-change/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2022.995427

DOI=10.3389/ffgc.2022.995427

ISSN=2624-893X

ABSTRACT=The present study is an attempt to evaluate the Conservation Priority Index (CPI) of species, habitats and communities for their conservation and management planning in Kashmir Himalaya, India. Present study is an attempt to prioritize 361 plant species, 18 plant communities (10 within forest zone and 08 within alpine zone) and 07 habitats for conservation planning. Out of the total plant species recorded, 06 species were categorized as critically endangered, 20 endangered, 28 vulnerable and 98 species to be near threatened. Amongst the forest and alpine communities, Abies pindrow community and Juniperus squamata-Rhododendron anthopogon mixed community showed maximum CPI values respectively. Amongst the habitats, dry habitats showed the maximum CPI in the sanctuary. The study found threatened species positively correlated with the native and endemic species indicating that these species were rigorously affected due to biotic and abiotic stresses. Based on the results of present study, we propose a practical method for biodiversity conservation and management of protected areas. The approach employs a variety of qualitative and quantitative features to compute CPI in conjunction with phytosociological data. This kind of study will be immensely helpful to the forest officials, policy makers, conservators, and researchers for planning better strategies to conserve and manage particular species, communities and even habitats in protected areas.