Lemongrass (Cymbopogon spp.) yields a commercial essential oil, which is a natural source of citral. In the present study, essential oil productivity and chemical compositions of the eight lemongrass cultivars from the Himalayan region were evaluated. The herb yield, essential oil content and essential oil yield varied from 168 to 208 kg per 100 m², from 0.50% to 1.13% (v/w) and from 1.01 to 2.35 L per 100 m², respectively in different cultivars. Altogether, twenty-eight constituents, comprising 86.6–98.5% of the total oil compositions, were identified using gas chromatography–flame ionization detector (GC–FID) and GC–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Comparative results showed substantial variations in the essential oil compositions due to cultivars and season of harvest. The amount of citral varied from 70.8% to 91.6% in different cultivars during the summer, rainy and winter seasons. According to the citral content, lemongrass cultivars could be arranged as Nima (88.8–91.6%) > Pragati (84.1–91.2%) > Cauvery (83.9–87.3%) > Krishna (70.8–86.8%) > OD–19 (82.0–86.0%) > Chirharit (78.6–82.8%) > Praman (75.2–82.5%) > CKP-25 (77.6–79.4%). In conclusion, cultivar Krishna was found to be superior over other cultivars in term of essential oil yield (2.35 L per 100 m⁻²). The average citral content in this cultivar was ≈80.0%.

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are vital substrate for human health. Commercialization of MAPs threatened their status in natural habitat including Himalayan regionand conservation along with sustainable use of such resources is a challenge. To overcome this challenge in situ and ex situ conservation techniques are underway. Establishment of gene banks is an effective technique to conserve such important MAPs. Therefore, a field gene bank established to conserve temperate MAPs in Bharsar, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. We could conserve >50 species here, many of them belongs to RET categories. The germplasm conserved here is being used for characterization and formulations of crop descriptors especially in RETspecies. Potential species for income generation are being multiplied for large scale cultivation and information are being collected for rapid multiplication behavior, seed maturation time, harvesting period, germination behavior. Such gene bank will be helpful to conserve threatened MAPs diversity of the region, awareness among the peoples, and augment the supply of quality planting material of potential species to interested growers.

This research paper represents a brief analysis of physico-chemical characteristics of three different water bodies namely: earthen pond, cemented pond and lake located at Bhimtal, Nainital, Uttarakhand during winter season. Air temperature, water temperature, pH, DO, free CO2, total alkalinity, total hardness, total nitrogen, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, ammonium and silicate were the physico-chemical parameters observed during the experimental period. The physico-chemical parameters influencing the aquatic productivity of the water bodies were found in the range of 12 to 17.5°C, 6.5 to 8.8, 5.7 to 8.0 mg/L, 0.36 to 2.7 mg/L, 38 to 63 mg/L, 0.01 to 0.23 mg/L, 0.02 to 0.15 mg/L, 0.4 to 4.3 mg/L, 0.36 to 2.38 mg/L, 0.4 to 158 mg/L, 31 to 46 mg/L, 1.0 to 2.2 mg/L for temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, free carbon dioxide, total alkalinity, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, silicate, total hardness and total nitrogen, respectively. Key words: Physico-chemical, aquatic productivity, water.

Bisht AS. 2017. Assessment of Angiosperm taxa at Bharsar and its adjoining area of district Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India with emphasis on ethnomedicinal uses. Asian J For 1: xxxx. The present paper focused on an assessment of angiosperm diversity at Bharsar and its adjoining area conducted during December 2014 to December 2016. A total of 75 families, with 237 species were dicotyledons (66 families) and 37 species of monocotyledons (9 families) collected during the study period. Out of the 75 angiospermic families, Asteraceae contributed maximum share 13.14 % (36 species), followed by Fabaceae 6.16 % (17 species), Lamiaceae and Rosaceae both 5.43 % (15 species), Poaceae 4.71%, Ranunculaceae 4.35 % (12 species), Polygonaceae 4.04% (11 species). Floristic surveys of different regions are extremely essential in order to furnish complete understanding of vegetation of the past and present, as well as to support various types of studies in botany and allied disciplines. Bharsar happens to be one of the newly developed area and experiences different types of biotic pressure of plant life which are specially accelerating with the process of developmental activities. Therefore, extensive field surveys were carried out for two year.

Bisht AS, Sharma KD. 2014. Plants utilization by the communities of Bharsar and adjoining area of Pauri Garhwal District, Uttarakhand, India. Biodiversitas 15: 94-100. Garhwal Himalaya possesses luxuriant a varied vegetation with in the Himalaya region. Almost every plant has economic value in the form of shelter, food, water, medicine, fuel and industrial products and fodder. Surveys were conducted in entire Bharsar, Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India in order to get information on traditional uses of plants by local inhabitants. A total of 138 plants were collected that some species had more than one function of which 39 species of vegetables, 28 species of medicinal plants, 19 species of fruits, 18 species of ornamental flowers, 12 species of forest plants, 7 species of agroforestry and social forestry, 8 species of spices and condiments, 6 species of minor cereal crop plants, 5 species of pulses, and 4 species of oil seed plants were found economically important as they are used by the people frequently for various purposes.