Ecological assessment of natural populations of Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don: A critically endangered species from Indian North Western Himalaya of global significance

Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don, locally known as Kakoli is a critically endangered and perennial plant belonging to the family Liliaceae with immense medicinal importance. It is a major constituent of Ashtavarga group. Thus, massive unsustainable extraction from the wild leads to its rapid habitat depletion. Therefore, the present study was carried out to understand the ecological status of this magnificent native species of the Himalaya. Extensive surveys were done following standard ecological methods in Himachal Pradesh. Seventeen natural populations were sampled and recorded 192 herbs from 44 families. Dominant families were Asteraceae, Polygonaceae, Ranunculaceae, etc. The richness of herbs ranged from, 29-51. The total herb density ranged from 11-23 Ind ha^-1. The density of F. cirrhosa ranged from 0.62-2.30 Ind m^-2. The highest density of F. cirrhosa was observed in Ritirard (2.30 Ind m^-2) and minimum in Kagaldhar (0.33 Ind m^-2). The species diversity of herbsranged from 1.72-3.02. The concentration of dominance ranged from 0.0109-0.0835. Continued unsustainable overuse for its high demand in the market causes challenges to protect the species. Thus, proper management and regular monitoring is required. These findings can be used to guide government policies to safeguard this noteworthy species.