Welcome  to the Valley of Flowers

 Accessibility | Location & Topography | Brief History | Climate | Geology & Soil |

| Flora | Fauna | Local People | Research Work | Other Inf.| Author's CV | An Article|

 

© Dr Chandra Prakash  Kala, 1999

Updated on 06/10/2003 

ACCESSIBILITY

 The ascent to the Valley of Flowers begins from the small settlement of Govindghat (1800 m), 22 km beyond Joshimath en-route to Badrinath. After crossing a suspension bridge over the Alaknanda a 3 km trek brings one to the small village Pulna with basic facilities to tourists. The next 9 km trek from Pulna to Govind Dham (Ghangaria) is for the most part along the Bhyundar Ganga. This route is punctuated with waterfalls, wild flowers, forests and beautiful landscapes. On the way there is one more small migratory village- Bhyundar, named after the river and surrounded by dense broadleaf moist temperate forest. The last stretch is a steep ascent to Govind Dham, 3 km beyond which lies the Valley of Flowers. 

At Ghangaria there are two suits in the Forest Rest House and a bed capacity of 50 in Tourist Rest House. They have lodging facilities only on pre-reservation. Few tents are pitched nearby for tourists by Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam. There are almost 20 lodges which costs differ as per the facilities and in-flow of tourists. There is a big Gurudwara at Ghangaria and its door is open for all.

 

LOCATION  AND  TOPOGRAPHY

The Valley of Flowers National Park (87.50 km2, lat 30° 41' - 30° 48'N and long 79° 33' - 79° 46'E) is located in Chamoli Garhwal, about 595 km northeast of India’s capital Delhi in the state of Uttaranchal. The Valley of Flowers has now included in the world heritage site- Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. Its altitude ranges from 3,200 m to 6,675 m. Such a variation in the altitude provides a great diversity of landscape and microhabitats.

 

BRIEF  HISTORY

The credit to popularize the Valley of Flowers among masses generally goes to a British mountaineer- Frank S. Smythe and his colleague R.L. Holdsworth who incidentally reached this valley after a successful expedition of Mount Kamet in 1931. Fascinated by its beauty and grandeur, Frank S. Smythe revisited this area in 1937 and published a book "The Valley of Flowers” in 1938. But according to Manmohan Sharma’s book on the Valley of Flowers published in 1985, it was Colonel Edmund Smythe, an explorer and Education Officer in the Indian Army who visited this valley much earlier in 1862.

However, there are no doubt that F.S. Smythe’s lucid writings made this valley world famous. A small paragraph from the Valley of Flowers (1938) is quoted below:

"I hope generously, my ignorance must judge for myself whether the Bhyundar Valley deserves its title the Valley of Flowers. Others will visit it, analyze it and probe it but, whatever their opinions, to me it will remain the 'Valley of Flowers' a valley of peace and perfect beauty where the human spirit may find repose".
For a small beautiful flower- Primula, Smythe writes "In all my mountain wanderings I had not seen a more beautiful flower than this Primula. The fine rain drops clung to its soft petals like galaxies of seed pearls and frosted its leaves with silver”.

In 1939 Joan Margrett Legge from the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew of England visited the VOF for plant collection. Unfortunately while collecting plants she fell off a cliff and died. The scripture at her tomb `I will lift up mine eyes unto the Himalaya from whence cometh my help' reminds us of her faith in the Himalaya. B.N. Ghildiyal in 1956 made a trip to this valley and published its floral account in 1957. Recognizing the valley's popularity and its floral wealth all over the world, the then Government of Uttar Pradesh designated its 87.50 km² area as a National Park in 1982, hoping to preserve the ecological integrity of the entire Bhyundar Valley, and also to conserve its floral diversity. Prior to 1982, the entire Bhyundar Valley was used as a summer grazing ground for migratory pastoralists.According to the local people every year two or three flocks (Tolis) of sheep and goats would camp in the valley from early June to late September.

Each 'toli' contained about 700-1000 sheep, goats and a few horses. Besides, buffaloes and cows of Bhyundar village numbering about 40-50 would also be left in the valley. The shepherds used two routes viz., one from the present entrance to the valley via Pairra and another from Hanuman Chatti (from Badrinath side) to upland valley of Kunt Khal from where they would descend to upper slopes and further down to the centre of the valley. The major camping sites were Bamini Dhaur, Kunt Khal, Bistoli, Lower Drunager, Tipra and Sewachand. The shepherds would use about 5 ha area at each place where their livestock would halt at night and let loose to roam freely on the slopes or flat lands during the day hours. After notification of the park the villagers have shifted their grazing activities to the lower and side valleys away from the National Park viz., Kanjila, Roopdhunga, Semartoli, and Rajkharak.

 

CLIMATE

The climate of the Valley of Flowers is moist temperate and alpine type, with short cool summers and long severe winters influenced by the southwest monsoon in the summer, and western disturbances in winter. The area becomes snow bound for about 7 months (late October to early May) when the vegetation survives under snow with the help of tubers and rhizomes. The growing season starts at the end of May and lasts for about 15 to 20 weeks only. Monsoon usually reaches this part of the Himalaya in 3rd week of June and continues till Ist fortnight of September.

 
July and August are the wettest months when there is rain fall almost every day. The daily rainfall fluctuates greatly as it goes upto 47.10 mm in mid August and also no rainfall in some days during the same month. Days were usually very cloudy and the visibility was often reduced by thick mist. Average humidity of the area is high during summer and range between 80%-100%. The valley is surrounded by snow clad mountain peaks. There is a small gorge towards southwest of the valley between Kunt Khal and Saptsring peaks which opens the way to clouds to enter the valley through Pairra from the sub-alpine zone of Bhyundar valley.

These clouds collapse at Gauri Parbat and Rataban to cause rainfall in the valley portion of the park. On the higher reaches, (>5000 m) of the study area snow fall continues throughout the year. Snow melt begins around mid April. Wind direction was not very obvious in the valley.

 

GEOLOGY  AND  SOIL

Geologically the VOF falls in the Zanskar range. The rocks are primarily sedimentary with mica schists and shales. The soil is acidic in nature (pH 3.8-6.1). The percentage of organic Carbon in the lower slopes ranges from 4.29-33.84. Such a wide range of carbon in the soil along a diverse topographic gradient is not unusual.

 

FLORA

Of the 87.50 km² park area 63.58 km² is estimated to be under perpetual snow and glaciers by using satellite imagery. Forests in the National Park constitute only about 5.29 km² area while the alpine meadows cover 18.63 km². Based on the altitude, aspect and climatic conditions the vegetation of the park is divisible into three broad climatic zones viz., sub-alpine, lower alpine and higher alpine zone.

The sub-alpine zone (<3500 m asl) is characterized by typical high altitude forests dominated by Acer caesium, Abies pindrow, Betula utilis, Rhododendron campanulatum, Taxus baccata, Euonymus fimbriatus, Syringa emodi and Sorbus lanata which terminate at the tree line. Some of the common herbs in tree line zone are Arisaema jacquemontii, Boskniakia himalaica, Corydalis cashmeriana, Polemonium caerulium, Polygonum polystachyum, Impatiens sulcata, Geranium wallichianum, Helinia elliptica, Galium aparine, Morina longifolia, Inula grandiflora, Lilium oxypetala, Anemone rivularis, Pedicularis pectinata, P. bicornuta, Primula denticulata, Trillidium govanianum etc.

The vegetation of lower alpine zone (3500-3700 m asl) consists of dwarf shrubs, cushionoid herbs, grasses and sedges. Juniperus communis, Rhododendron anthopogon, Salix sp, Lonicera myrtillus, Cotoneaster microphyllus, and Rubus foliolosus are the major shrub species in the lower alpine zone of the park.
The herbaceous flora of this zone represents a spectacular array of multi-coloured flowers, for instance, Saussurea obvallata, Polemonium caeruleum, Primula involucrata, Aquilegia pubiflora, Lilium oxypetalum, Epilobium latifolium, and Corydalis meifolia during the growing season. They also exhibit an interesting cycle of growth within a short period giving way to subsequent communities during different seasons. The dominant herbs of this zone are Potentilla atrosanguinea, Geranium wallichianum, Fritillaria roylei, Lilium oxypetalum, Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Campanula latifolia, Corydalis govaniana, Epilobium latifolium, Cyananthus lobatus, Anemone polyanthes, Ranunculus hirtellus, Cortia depressa, Impatiens sulcata, Polygonum polystachyum, Angelica arch-angelica, Selinum vaginatum etc. Danthonia cachemyriana, Calamogrostis emodensis, Agrostis pilosula and Trisetum sp, are the common grasses and Kobresia royleana, and Carex nubigena are the major sedges in the lower alpine zone.
The vegetation of higher alpine zone (>3700 m asl) is rather sparse, dotted with moraines, boulders, and rocky slopes. The stable slopes on southern aspect typically represent the Kobresia sedge meadows. In northern aspects and certain sheltered areas extensive patches of shrubs e.g., Rhododendron lepidotum, Cassiope fastigiata and Juniperus communis are found. Kobresia royleana, Trachydium roylei and Danthonia cachemyriana are the dominant species in the higher alpine zone. In addition, several colourful flowering herbs i.e., Geum elatum, Saussurea obvallata, Saussurea simpsoniana, Sedum sp, Bistorta affinis, Bergenia stracheyi, Potentilla atrosanguinea, Trollius acualis etc. are found on the slopes.
Although the Valley of Flowers is a well known area and visited by nearly 5000 tourists per season, systematic work on the flowering plants and detailed ecological study of the National Park were taken up only by the author in 1993. Satellite imagery showed that 63.58 sq. km. of the park is under perpetual snow and glaciers, 5.29 sq. km. under sub-alpine forests and 18.63 sq. km. under alpine meadows. In all, a total of 520 species of vascular plants were recorded in the Valley of Flowers National Park, of which 498 are flowering plants (Angiosperms), 4 are non-flowering plants (Gymnosperms) and 18 are ferns (Pteridophytes). Fifty five new flowering plants were added by author in the previous list, of which 5 species were the first record for the entire Uttaranchal Himalaya. These species are Saussurea atkinsonii, Duthiea bromoides, Lycopodium selago, Herminium joshephii and Salix calyculata. Although the National Park constitutes only 1.3% of the total geographical area of the Chamoli district, it contains almost 25% of its flora.

Out of 31 rare and endangered plant species found in the Valley of Flowers, 13 are medicinal plants. Most of the rare plants grow in unusual habitats such as rocky slopes, forest edges, and marsh meadows. The species are rare because of restricted habitats, small population size, narrow range of distribution, and over exploitation by people for medicinal uses in the recent past. A total of 124 medicinal plant species have also been recorded from the valley and its environs with the help of local traditional herbal healers.

 

FAUNA

The density of wild animals in the VOF is very low. A total of 13 wild mammal species are found within the park and its vicinity. Of these only 9 species were sighted by author directly viz., Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus), Himalayan musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster), mouse hare (Ochotona roylei), Himalayan black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), Himalayan weasel (Mustela sibirica), common langur (Presbytes entellus), flying squirrel (Petaurista petaurista), and Himalayan yellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula). According to local people Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos), bharal (Pseudois nayaur), serow (Nemorhaedus sumatrensis), and snow leopard (Panthera uncia) are also found in the park. Blue sheep droppings and horns were also found close to a high pass near Bhyundar Khal. Common leopard (Panthera pardus) was sighted close to human settlements in Khiron Valley and buffer zone of the National Park.

 

THE  LOCAL  PEOPLE

There is no settlement within the park. Four settlements viz., Ghangaria, Bhyundar, Pulna, and Gobindghat exist between the park fringe and motor road.Bhyundar and Ghangaria are the summer settlements. There are two rest houses at Ghangaria. Numerous teashops and temporary sheds have come up at Gobindghat, Pulna, Bhyundar, Ghangaria, and Hemkund to cater the needs of tourists during summer. In 2001 there were 84 families with the total human population of 400 whereas in 1997 there were only 63 families with a total human population of 332. The religious shrine Hemkund attracts more than1,00,000 pilgrims every year while visitors to the Valley of Flowers during 1995 enumerated only around 5,000.
The valley has been described as `Nandan Kanan' meaning "Garden of Indra in Paradise" in the Hindu mythology. The place is often associated with Lakshman- younger brother of lord Rama who is said to have meditated in the Hemkund where today a little known Hindu temple `Lokpal', is constructed subsequently.  According to the local people the Bhotia women from Ghamsali and Niti villages traditionally used to collect flowers from the valley and adjacent areas to offer at the lakeside temple. The religious and sacred flowers of Brahmakamal (Saussurea obvallata) are collected by local people on some auspicious days to offer the God and Goddesses.

 

RESEARCH  WORK

The author has published about 24 articles on the various facets of VOF during his decade long research on the alpine ecology, biodiversity, conservation biology and ethnobotany of the  VOF. For further details please see the author's CV.

The earliest botanical collections from the inner ranges of the Chamoli district were made by Sir Richard Strachey and J.E. Winterbottom during 1846-49. Their checklist was published in Atkinson's Gazetteer of the Himalaya Districts in 1886 which was later updated by Duthie in 1906.  
Yet, there are no records of plant collection from the VOF prior to 1931 when R.L. Holdsworth and F.S. Smythe visited this area. Smythe in 1938 published a preliminary checklist of plants collected from the Valley of Flowers based on his collections during the previous year. Subsequent botanical collections resulted in occasional publications e.g., B.N. Ghildiyal (1957), M.A. Rau (1975), B.D. Naithani (1984), B.M. Wadhwa et al. (1987), H.B. Naithani et al. (1992) and C.P. Kala (1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003). The wildlife was briefly surveyed by M.J.B. Green (1980). The impact of tourists on the valley ecosystem was assessed by Singh and Kaur (1980, 1989), Kaur (1985) and Berkmuller et al. (1987). The status of medicinal plants in and around the VOF was assessed by C.P Kala (1997, 2001a,b). G.S. Rawat and V.K. Uniyal (1993) highlighted the need for conservation of meadows. Jiang fu Quan (1993) surveyed the structure and composition of forests adjacent to the VOF and stressed the need for better management in order to conserve the endangered Himalayan musk deer.

 

IMPORTANT  LOCALITIES  IN  AND  OUTSIDE  OF  THE  PARK

The National Park is bounded by Gauri Parvat (6,590 m) and Rataban (6,126 m) in the east, Kunt Khal (4,430 m) in the west, Saptsring (ca 5038 m) in the south and Nilgiri Parvat (6,479 m) in the north . River Pushapawati, which originates from left bank of Tipra glacier near Bhyundar Khal, flows down through the VOF and joins Lakshaman Ganga at Ghangaria to form Bhyundar river. This river drains into Alaknanda, a tributary of Ganges at Gobindghat about 12 km downstream.

The valley portion of the park runs in the east west direction along the banks of river Pushpawati. The most picturesque and species rich meadows are located towards higher altitudes on south facing slopes of Kunt Khal and areas above Drunager. The central valley is about 10 km2 in area. To the north and south of the central meadow the slopes are gentle at the base which rise abruptly to merge with the snow clad mountains and rocky slopes. The elevated flanks of the central meadows exhibit high degree of folds creating passages for glacial movement from the mountain top to Pushpawati river at the base. The elevation of the central meadow is approximately 3500 m. The degree of steepness of the slopes varies from 50 towards the lower flanks of the meadow to as high as 70-800 near the cliffs and scree slopes at the top.

A closer look at the valley’s ecosystem brings out highly heterogeneous land formations ranging from low lying flat and gentle areas to steep slopes, unstable glacial moraines, stream banks, forest-meadow edges and snow bound areas. Some of the important localities within the National Park which were taken for intensive study are as follows:

  • Pairra (3200 m): This area forms the entry to the park and constitutes the tree-line dominated by birch. The slope varies from 10-70o with 10-40% boulders.

  • Lower Nagtal (3300 m): This site is characterised by scattered birch-rhododendron community, high density of birch saplings, gentle to moderate slopes and relatively unstable slopes. The park management has removed Polygonum polystachyum from this site on experimental basis.

  • Bamini Dhaur (3450 m): The main valley or tourism zone opens up at this site to take the west-east course. The site represents an old moraine with huge boulders. Before 1982 this area was under regular use as summer camp of shepherds who brought their domestic livestock for grazing (Pers. comm., local shepherds).

  • Semar (3500 m): This is a flat table land ca 100 m away from Bamini Dhaur which is dominated by Cortia depressa and carpet of various forbs. The site is boggy as one of the small streams flows through this area.

  • Bistoli (3500 m): This flat and less bouldery area forms the part of the central meadow. The eastern flank of this table land is bounded by a deep gorge or moraine which runs in north-south direction.

  • Kundaliyasain (3500 m): A stable and flat area with deep soil located below Bistoli. A grave of British mountain lover- Margrett Legge has been built here which is visited by many tourists to pay their tribute. This site along with Bistoli, Semar and Bamini Dhaur forms the central part of the National Park.

  • Drunager (3500-3600 m): It is a buttressed bouldery area in the valley fanning out from the northern slope. The lower Drunager was a camping site of shepherds before 1982, and is now dominated by Polygonum polystachyum. The upper portion of Drunager is a saucer shaped.

  • Sewachand (3600 m): This area is full of boulders, deposited by glacial outwash with very little soil. The regular inflow of boulders and silt causes instability. The river bed is about 500 m long and 200 m wide.

  • Tipra Kharak (3700 m): This site is located close to the terminal moraine nearly 6 km from Bamini Dhaur flanked by stunted birch forest. This site is unstable due to frequent avalanches.

  • Kunt Khal (3700-4500 m): This is a higher valley located on the north-western part of the park. An old trail leading to Hanuman Chatti near Badrinath passes through this area. It has diverse landscapes viz., valley, river bed, steep slopes, alpine scrubs and pioneer environments. A small patch of birch-rhododendron forest exists on the steep rocky slopes below Kunt Khal. Rich alpine meadows exist on the northern and western sides. This area terminates into alpine desert and perpetual snow towards the western side.
If the floral diversity in the Valley of Flowers is to be successfully conserved, it is important that steps are taken to identify and restore of rare plants and their habitats, cultivate of rare and medicinal plants in the fringes of the National Park, and develop nature interpretation centre and guided nature trails in the Valley of Flowers for tourism management. 

 

DR   KALA’s   CURRICULUM   VITAE

 

Chandra  Prakash  Kala                     Indian

(b: January 12, 1969)                             Married

                                                              Permanent Address: Village & P.O.: Sumari

                                                                                           Pauri Garhwal- 246 174

                                                                                          (Uttaranchal) India

                                                                Email: cpkala@rediffmail.com; cpkala@hotmail.com

Education

           Ph.D.      Awarded             1998          Forestry        Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, India      

            M.S.       First Division      1992          Botany          H.N.B. Garhwal University, Srinagar, India      

Specialization

            Plant Ecology, Conservation Biology and Ethnobotany

Experience

            10 years (As a Research Fellow, Ethnobotanist, Ecologist, & Medicinal Plants Consultant)

Associated with

  1. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India (1993 to 1997 & 1999 to 2000)

  2. International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, Kathmandu, Nepal (1997 to 1999)

  3. Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions, Bangalore, India (1998)

  4. G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment & Development, Almora, India (2001-2003)

Consultancy

  • Consultant for Medicinal Plants in Wildlife Institute of India, US-Fish and Wildlife, and International Snow Leopard Trust Project for a period of 6 months from July to December 2000.

  • Consultant for Medicinal Plants in Forestry Research Education and Extension Project-Great Himalayan National Park of World Bank and Wildlife Institute of India for a period of 3 months, from January to April 1999.

  • Consultant for Medicinal Plants Project in Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, funded by Netherlands Embassy, and supported by Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions, Bangalore from July to November 1998.

Member of Scientific Societies

  •  Member of Board of Directors to the Tanaduk Botanical Research Institute of Tibetan Medicine, Orcas Island, Washington, USA.

  •  Member of Board of Directors to the Environment and Mountain Development Institute, UA, India.

  •  Senior Consultant to the Himalayan Foundation, UA, India.

Referee for Scientific Journals

  • Referee for ‘Biological Conservation’, published by Elsevier Science Ltd, Stover Court, Bampfylde Street, Exeter, Devon EX1 2AH, UK.

  • Referee for ‘Biodiversity and Conservation’, published by Kluwer Academic Publisher, P.O. Box 990, 3300 AZ Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

  • Referee for ‘The Indian Forester’, published by Forest Research Institute, New Forest, Dehra Dun, Uttaranchal, India.

 Publications

(i)         Research papers in journals of repute   11
(ii)        Research articles in referred magazines/newsletters 13
(iii)       Research papers in edited books  4
(iv)       Books 2
(v)        Scientific reports 8
(vi)       Abstracts 3
(vii)      Articles in Hindi  4
(viii)      Research papers in press 5

 

(i) Publications exclusively on the Valley of Flowers

  1. Kala, C.P., Uniyal, V.K. & Rawat, G.S. (1995) Interim Report on the Valley of Flowers National Park Montane Grassland Project. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun.

  2. Kala, C.P. & Rawat, G.S. (1996) Conservation and Management of alpine meadows: A case study from the Valley of Flowers National Park. Abstract published as souvenir of National Seminar on Conservation of Endangered Species and Ecosystem: Bio-technological and Ecological Approaches. Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, December 5-7, 1996. 

  3. Kala, C.P. (1997) A Note on Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare L.). Zoos Print, p 7.

  4. Kala, C.P., Rawat, G.S. & Uniyal, V.K. (1997) Summary on the Ecology and Conservation of Valley of Flowers National Park, Garhwal Himalaya. WII Newsletter, 4 (1): 5-7. 

  5. Kala, C.P. (1998) A palm herbal medicine: Dactylorhiza hatagirea. Amruth, 2 (6): 8-9

  6. Kala, C.P. & Rawat, G.S. (1998) Conservation status and distribution of rare medicinal herbs in and around the Valley of Flowers National Park, Western Himalaya. Medicinal Plants a Global Heritage. Proceedings of the International Conference on Medicinal Plants for survival. IDRC-CRDI, New Delhi. 

  7. Kala, C.P. (1998) Ethnobotanical suvery and propagation of rare medicinal herbs in the buffer zone of the Valley of Flowers National Park, Garhwal Himalaya. ICIMOD, Kathmandu, Nepal.

  8. Kala, C.P. (1999) The Valley of Flowers- A Botanical Paradise. Plant Talk, 19: 26-28.

  9. Kala, C.P. & Rawat, G.S. (1999) Effects of livestock grazing on species diversity and biomass production in Garhwal Himalaya, India. Tropical Ecology, 40 (1): 69-74.                                                                                                                

  10. Kala, C.P. & Uniyal, V.K. (1999) Forest vegetation along an altitudinal gradient in the Valley of Flowers National Park and its vicinity, Western Himalaya. Annals of Forestry, 7 (1): 60-69.

  11. Kala, C.P. (1999) Phenology of alpine plants in the Valley of Flowers National Park and Hemkund, Western Himalaya. The Indian Forester, 125 (6): 581-590.

  12. Kala, C.P. (2000) The Valley of Flowers- A Threatened Abode. WII Newsletter, 6 (3&4): 11-12.

  13. Kala, C.P. (2001). Phooloun Ki Ghati: Ek Shodh Samikshha. ENVIS Bulletin (Himalayan Ecology & Development), 9 (1): 105-106. 

  14. Kala, C.P., Rawat, G.S. & Mukherjee, S.K. (2001) Prospects for the ex-situ conservation of wild medicinal plants in and around Bhyundar Valley, Garhwal Himalaya. In S.S. Samant, U. Dhar and L.M.S. Palni (Eds.), Himalayan Medicinal Plants: Potential and Prospects. Gyanodaya Prakashan Nainital, India, pp 271-284.

  15. Kala, C.P. & Rawat, G.S. (2001) Human use and conservation status of wild medicinal herbs in the Bhyundar Valley, Western Himalaya. In P.C. Pande and S.S. Samant (Eds.), Plant Diversity of the Himalaya. Gyanodaya Prakashan Nainital, India, pp 547-559. 

  16. Negi, K.S. & Kala, C.P. (2001) Survey and Collection of Flowering, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Germplasm in Bhyundar Valley (The Valley of Flowers and Hemkund) Chamoli Garhwal, Uttaranchal.  National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Regional Station, Bhowali, Nainital. 

  17. Rawat, G.S., Kala, C.P. & Uniyal, V.K. (2001) Community composition and species diversity in the Valley of Flowers National Park, Western Himalaya. In P.C. Pande and S.S. Samant (Eds.), Plant Diversity of the Himalaya. Gyanodaya Prakashan Nainital, India, pp 277-290. 

  18. Kala, C.P. (2002) Paradise Under Fire. Down To Earth, 11 (2): 46-48.

  19. Kala, C.P. (2002) Vocal About the Valley. Down To Earth, 11 (9): p 2. 

  20. Kala, C.P., Singh, S.K. & Rawat, G.S. (2002) Effects of sheep and goat grazing on the plant species diversity of alpine meadows in the Western Himalaya. The Environmentalist, 22: 183-189.

  21. Kala, C.P. & Farooquee, N.A. (2003) Traditional wisdom, equity and community participation making the commercialization of grasses in Bhyundar Valley, Uttaranchal Himalaya a success. J. of Human Ecology, 14 (3): 159-163. 

  22. Kala, C.P., Rao, K.S., Maikhuri, R.K. & Negi, K.S. (2003) Comparative assessment of the Valley of Flowers National Park and adjacent areas in Chamoli district of Uttaranchal. The Indian Forester.

  23. Kala, C.P. (in press) Pastoralism, plant conservation, and conflicts on proliferation of Himalayan Knotweed in high altitude protected areas of the western Himalaya, India. Biodiversity and Conservation.

  24. Kala, C.P. (in press) A contribution to the flora of the Valley of Flowers National Park, Uttaranchal Himalaya. Indian J. of Forestry. 

 (ii) Other publications on the Himalayan biodiversity

  1. Kala, C.P. (1997) Spurge and snake bite. WII Newsletter, 4 (2). 7.

  2. Kala, C.P. (1998) A week with the mount Everest and Nanda Devi summiteers. WII Newsletter, 5 (4): 32-36.

  3. Kala, C.P. (1998) Preliminary survey of rare and endangered medicinal plants in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. WII Newsletter, 5 (3): 15-18.

  4. Kala, C.P. & Manjrekar, N. (1998) A medico-botanical trip to Great Himalayan National Park. WII Newsletter, 5 (1&2): 3-5.

  5. Kala, C.P., Silori, C.S., Antesh & Kalita, J. (1998). Weekend at Gangotri. WII Newsletter, 5 (1&2): 27-29.

  6. Kala, C.P. (1998) Ethnobotany, population structure and conservation status of rare and endangered medicinal plants in Indian Trans-Himalaya. FRLHT, Bangalore, India 18 pp.

  7. Kala, C.P. & Manjrekar, N. (1999) Ethno-medicobotany of Indian trans-Himalaya: A case study from Spiti. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany, 23 (1): 177-183.

  8. Kala, C.P. (1999) Maneaters of Garhwal. WII Newsletter, 6 (1&2): 14-16.

  9. Kala, C.P. (1999) Plant community characterisation in diverse landscape units along an altitudinal gradient in the trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh, India. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun, India 55 pp.

  10. Kala, C.P. (2000) A Study of Traditional Health Care System and Medicinal Plants of Ladakh. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun, India  42 pp.

  11. Kala, C.P. (2000) Status and conservation of rare and endangered medicinal plants in the Indian trans-Himalaya. Biological Conservation, 93 (3): 371-379.

  12. Kala, C.P. (2001) Human use, distribution pattern and conservation status of rare and endangered medicinal plants in the western Himalayas, India. Abstract published as souvenir on Building Bridges with Traditional Knowledge, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, May 28-2 June, 2001.

  13. Kala, C.P. & Mathur, V.B. (2002) Patterns of plant species distribution in the trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh, India. J. of Vegetation Science, 13 (6): 751-754.

  14. Kala, C.P. (2002) Indigenous knowledge of Bhotiya tribal community on wool dyeing and its present status in the Garhwal Himalaya, India. Current Science, 83 (7): 814-817.

  15. Kala, C.P. (2003) Commercial exploitation and conservation status of high value medicinal plants across the borderline of India and Nepal in Pithoragarh. The Indian Forester, 129 (1): 80-84.

  16. Kala, C.P., Farooquee, N.A. and Dhar, U. (in press) Prioritization of medicinal plants on the basis of available knowledge, existing practices and use value status in Uttaranchal, India. Biodiversity and Conservation.

(iii) Books

  • Kala, C.P., Rawat, G.S. & Uniyal, V.K. (1998) Ecology and Conservation of the Valley of Flowers National Park, Garhwal Himalaya. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun, India. 99 pp.

  • Kala, C.P. (2002) Medicinal Plants of Indian Trans-Himalaya: Focus on Tibetan Use of Medicinal Resources. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun, India. 200 pp.

  • Kala, C.P. (in preparation) The Valley of Flowers: Myth and Reality.  150 pp + 70 illustrations.

An article on the valley is attached here. 

The article citation is:

 

Kala, C.P. (2002). Paradise Under Fire. Down To Earth, 11 (2): 46-48.

 

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/Full6.asp?FolderName=20020615&FileNAme=life&sid=1&sec_id=8

 

Paradise under fire

The beautiful Valley of Flowers, in the Chamoli district of Uttaranchal, known for its flower diversity and fecundity, is caught in a strange controversy over ban on grazing

 

CHANDRA  PRAKASH   KALA

The beautiful Valley of Flowers, known for its almost miraculous flower diversity and fecundity, is caught in a strange controversy. The point of contention: is the conservation attempt proving to be the problem rather than the solution? In 1982, the valley was notified as a national park, and livestock grazing was banned in the area.

The tussle over the valley has lost sight of the fundamentals of conservation

For the past two decades, though, there have been a number of reports about weeds choking the plant diversity of the region. Scientists at the Forest Research Institute (fri), Dehradun, blame the weed Polygonum polystachyum

 

One can paint the flowers on canvas but not the fragrance

Conservationists and forest officials, on the hand, brush off this theory. They claim that the ban on livestock grazing has led to the resurgence of near-extinct plants. The author has spent about a decade attempting to arrive at an understanding of this raging controversy surrounding the Valley of Flowers.

The valley is located above the treeline zone (3,300±200 m) in the Chamoli district of Uttaranchal. It takes an arduous 15 km trek from village Govindghat to arrive at the valley. Pulna is the first village on the way up. Another nine km trek, punctuated with waterfalls, wild flowers, forests and beautiful landscapes, takes one past Bhyundar — a small migratory village surrounded by dense moist temperate forest — and then a steep ascent to Govind Dham, just three kms from the valley that is known in Indian mythology as the ‘garden of Indra’.

The ethereal Valley of Flowers is home to 520 vascular plant species, of which 498 are flowering plants, four are gymnosperms and 18 are ferns. Satellite imagery shows that of the 87.5 sq km area of the park, 63.58 sq km is under perpetual snow and glaciers, 5.29 sq km is under sub-alpine forests and 18.63 sq km is under alpine meadows. The national park, which constitutes only 1.3 per cent of Chamoli district, accounts for almost 25 per cent of its flora.

Besides flowering plants, the alpine meadows also have about 112 valuable medicinal plants. Tourists are known to flock from various corners of the world to see the magic that the valley weaves. As one season melts into another, one set of flowers in bloom is replaced by another. When the greenish-white carpets of fritillaries are in bloom, it seems impossible that anything else could grow where these flowers are so thickly packed together. Yet, as the months wear on, the land is just as packed with white anemones and then bright pink potentillas. Towards September, the creamish Polygonum polystachyum and pinkish Impatiens sulcata take over. To appreciate the true beauty of the valley, one must be conversant with the various cycles of the valley, especially the seasonal cycles: which flower blooms when, and at what altitude a particular flower is found. The arduous trek to the valley is a major deterrent, though.

The weed Polygonum polystachyum, at the centre of the present controversy, belongs to the family Polygonaceae. The people of the Bhyundar valley call it ‘saran’. About 70 species of Polygonum have been discovered all over India, of which more than 40 are from the Himalayan region. The authorities have been cutting (mainly in Bamini Dhar and Lower Nagtal) saran during summer in the hope that this will promote dwarf flowering herbs. Interestingly, the Impatiens sulcata has taken over on such sites. Saran proliferates on eroded slopes and areas prone to soil erosion, thus stabilising the slopes, enriching the soil and preventing further soil loss.

Despite several evident benefits, it cannot be denied that in places, saran tends to suppress some flowering herbs and hinders a good view of the flowers. Saran mostly grows at an elevation of 3,300–3,500 m on disturbed habitats such as eroded slopes, boulder areas, avalanche-prone areas and fragmented treeline zones. Flowering plants, on the other hand, dominate stable undulating areas and slopes. Familiarity with the seasonality and habitats of these species clearly show that they do not really cross paths.

If it were true that ban of livestock grazing is responsible for the existing colonies of saran , the central valley would have seen a profusion of saran. The central valley area was blocked off with a rubble wall in 1941 to prevent cattle grazing. The wall was intended to protect a British woman’s grave. However, the central valley today harbours the richest flowering plant diversity, and has the lowest saran density. The author has carried out a comparative study of the Great Himalayan National Park of Himachal Pradesh (where livestock grazing is very high) and the Valley of Flowers.

 


The contentious weed- ‘saran’

 

The valley, was much richer in floral diversity, possibly due to high habitat diversity and absence of livestock grazing.

Every ecosystem is dynamic by nature. Studies byA Bhattacharya and M S Chauhan of Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany shows that during 1235–1300 ad, the valley was dominated by Pinus (kail), Quercus (oaks) and Betula (birch) trees. Today, although there are a few patches of birch, there are no traces of kail and oaks. The conclusion that there is a correlation between saran profusion today and stopping of livestock grazing is based on mere speculation. The complete removal of cattle grazing from a heavily grazed region will only cause the natural vegetation to grow in its pristine condition.

Unfortunately, the Polygonum polystachyum controversy is clouding most other conservation issues. An example: The Dactylorhiza hatagirea (hathajari) and the Picrorhiza kurrooa (katuki), both of which are critically endangered medicinal plants, are losing the battle to survive due to the ruthless collection of these plants for commercial purposes.

In 1995, the density of Dactylorhiza hatagirea was five to six individuals per sq m. Today, that figure stands at two to three per sq m.

Another matter that ought to catch the attention of conservationists is the 30 km motorable road to Hemkund Saheb via Govind Dham, the foundation for which was laid by the former chief minister of Punjab, Rajender Kaur Bhattal. This road was constructed with generous loans, amounting to Rs 50 crore, from a number of organisations, including the International Khalsa Foundation. Apart from the construction of this road, there are also plans to build parking facilities at Govindghat for 500 vehicles, and a 500 room boarding facility at Govind Dham. All the construction activity, however, was planned without sparing a thought for the fragile ecosystem of the region. Besides affecting the ecological balance, the construction work also poses a serious risk of cultural pollution and serious environmental harm to the valley. Vehicular pollution and heavy tourist influx pose a serious threat to the native flora and fauna, many species of which are already recognised as endangered.

There is another construction activity of considerable import taking place in the Bhyundar valley — the construction of the Vishnu Prayag Project by Jaya Prakash Co Ltd. This dam, being built at the base of the Bhyundar valley is the first of its kind in Asia, as it is being constructed in an area that remains under snow for almost four months a year. The Bhyundar river catchments were also originally to be included in the project. However, considering the sensitivity of the fragile Bhyundar valley, the government decided to withdraw its plans for the Bhyundar catchment area. While this is undoubtedly an admirable decision, the present dam construction at the base of the mountain, which supports the southwestern part of the Valley of Flowers, has not been assessed for long-term impact on the delicate ecosystem surrounding it.

Another major threat to the valley’s existence is the heavy deforestation of the sub-alpine forests of Govind Dham. This has led to soil erosion and landslides. The lack of any waste management programme has caused the situation to worsen, with hundreds of tonnes of waste lying in the backyard of the hotels, restaurants and dhabas that have been constructed all the way to the valley of flowers and Hemkund Saheb. Fortunately, the valley itself has temporarily escaped this onslaught of garbage, thanks to the protection the area receives. Visitors are required to take back the waste they create on their return to Govind Dham.

The chief wildlife warden of Uttaranchal, promises measures to protect and spread awareness about the conservation of biodiversity in the valley. However, he has his limitations. When asked why he is setting about eradicating the Polygonum polystachyum if it is not a threat to the valley, he said that he has to maintain a delicate balance between scientists and politicians. Here, one must remember, the all-important balance that needs to be maintained is the delicate ecological balance of the indescribably beautiful Valley of Flowers. It is worrying that the tussle over the valley is losing sight of the fundamentals.

Dr CP Kala has widely travelled across the Himalayan range and has surveyed the Himalayan and trans-Himalayan biodiversity over more than a decade. As mentioned earlier in his CV, he obtained Ph.D. in 1998 entitled “Ecology and Conservation of Alpine Meadows in the Valley of Flowers National Park, Garhwal Himalaya” from the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, India. Dr Kala has participated and presented research papers on the various facets of Himalayan biodiversity and conservation biology in about 50 international and national seminars and conferences.

The postal address of Dr Kala is:

Dr Chandra Prakash Kala,

Environment and Mountain Development Institute (EMODI),

Village & PO- Sumari,

Pauri Garhwal- 246 174

Uttaranchal, INDIA

Email:   cpkala@rediffmail.com   or   cpkala@hotmail.com

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