Advances in Zoology and Botany Vol. 11(3), pp. 171 - 180
DOI: 10.13189/azb.2023.110303
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Understanding Lichen Ecology using Detailed PCA in Temperate – Alpine Gradient of Uttarakhand, India


Pulak Das 1,*, Santosh Joshi 2
1 School of Human Ecology, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University, India
2 Department of Applied Sciences and Humanities, Invertis University, India

ABSTRACT

The paper presents classification of lichen regions from temperate (Loharkhet) to alpine zones (Pindari Glacier) using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of growth forms and habitat preferences of lichens in Himalayas. The study is based on published literature, preserved lichen specimens at lichen herbarium in National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India, and lichen collections from the valley. Varied growth forms of lichens are observed such as foliose, crustose, fruticose, squamulose, and leprose. Habitat preferences of lichens are corticolous, saxicolous, terricolous, and muscicolous. Some lichens exhibit a range of habitat preferences like corticolous-saxicolous-terricolous-muscicolous,corticolous-terricolous-muscicolous, corticolous-saxicolous-terricolous, saxicolous-terricolous, corticolous-terricolous, corticolous-saxicolous, terricolous-muscicolous, and terricolous-lignicolous. These two different features, growth form and habitat preferences are used to run PCA to see their role in distribution of lichens across different altitudinal variations and whether it can be used to categorize the region into different types. As the region is under continuous anthropogenic pressure and lichens are highly sensitive to changes in environmental conditions where they exist, this classification can be of help in conservation of the region on the basis of priority areas.

KEYWORDS
Bageshwar, Ecological Traits, Lichen Forms, PCA, Pindari Glacier

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Pulak Das , Santosh Joshi , "Understanding Lichen Ecology using Detailed PCA in Temperate – Alpine Gradient of Uttarakhand, India," Advances in Zoology and Botany, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 171 - 180, 2023. DOI: 10.13189/azb.2023.110303.

(b). APA Format:
Pulak Das , Santosh Joshi (2023). Understanding Lichen Ecology using Detailed PCA in Temperate – Alpine Gradient of Uttarakhand, India. Advances in Zoology and Botany, 11(3), 171 - 180. DOI: 10.13189/azb.2023.110303.