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Wetland Plant Communities of the Eastern Himalayan Highlands in Northern Bhutan

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Abstract

The study was conducted to characterize previously unexplored wetland vegetation in lower montane areas of the Himalaya (1597–2538 m above sea level) of Jigme Dorji National Park, Gasa District, Northern Bhutan. A random quadrat sampling method was employed to assess percent plant cover and environmental data were collected following standard procedures. Cluster and indicator species analyses using plant cover data were used to define the species composition of plant communities. Differences in community composition along gradients of elevation, slope, soil pH, available phosphorus, and peat/soil depth were analyzed using Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). The wetlands supported 120 vascular plant species from 84 genera and 51 families. Analyses identified four plant communities, I to IV, each named from the three most prominent species. The key indicator species of four plant communities, Acorus calamus, Carex diandra, Equisetum ramosissimum, and Carex capillacea, dominate shallow fresh marsh, seasonally flooded basin of flat, fresh water meadow, and poor fen, respectively. Elevation and soil phosphorus were the most important environmental variables in explaining the variation in wetland vegetation. The findings can be used to support the work of conservation agencies to identify and conserve these plant communities and their habitats in the Himalaya.

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Acknowledgments

The research was graciously supported by the Graduate School of Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkla, Thailand’s Education Hub for ASEAN Countries and Watershed Management Division, DoFPS, Thimphu, Bhutan. The soil samples were analyzed for free by the Soil and Plant Analytical Laboratory, MoA, Thimphu, Bhutan. Mr. Karma Tenzin (UWICER) and Mr. Sangay Tenzin (Eid:20190113354), Mr. Kezang Tobgay (NBC), Khenpo Phuntsho Gyaltshen (Director of MVCMU, Thailand), courteously assisted during data collections in the field, identification, and proofreading, respectively. We also warmly acknowledged the thoughtful reviews from editor-in-chief and two anonymous reviewers.

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  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkla, Thailand

    Pema Tendar & Kitichate Sridith

  2. Department of Forest & Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    David J. Cooper

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Tendar, P., Cooper, D.J. & Sridith, K. Wetland Plant Communities of the Eastern Himalayan Highlands in Northern Bhutan. Wetlands 40, 2477–2488 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-020-01339-9

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