CONSERVATION PRIORITIZATION OF HABITATS AND FOREST COMMUNITIES IN THE LAHAUL VALLEY OF PROPOSED COLD DESERT BIOSPHERE RESERVE, NORTH WESTERN HIMALAYA, INDIA

The rapid loss of biodiversity due to habitat degradation and over exploitation has necessitated the conservation prioritization of habitats, species and communities for conservation. The prioritization of habitats and communities through qualitative and quantitative assessment of vegetation is prerequisite for initiating any conservation and management programme. Therefore, an attempt has been made to; (i) identify the habitats and communities; (ii) evaluate habitats and communities for species richness, native, endemic, economically important and threatened species; (iii) prioritize habitats and communities for conservation. Fifteen (15) habitats and fourteen forest (14) communities distributed between 2490-4000m were recorded. Overall, 35.71% communities were broad-leaved, 57.14% coniferous and 7.14% mixed. The habitats and communities have been evaluated for the species richness, native, endemic, economically important and threatened species. Based on these attributes habitats and communities have been prioritized. Among communities Abies pindrow - Pinus wallichiana mixed, Fraxinus xanthoxyloides, Picea smithiana - Pinus wallichiana mixed and Cedrus deodara -Acer cappadocicum mixed showed highest CPI and habitats forest, shady moist showed highest CPI value. Regular monitoring of the prioritized habitats and communities has been suggested. Also, mass scale propagation of native, endemic, economically important and threatened species and their plantation in the Lahaul valley have been suggested.