Floristic diversity of Sunni Dam catchment in north western Himalayas

The present investigation was conducted during July-September, 2021-22 in the vicinity of proposed Sunni Dam which falls under Shimla and Mandi districts of Himachal Pradesh wherein the panchayats closer to the dam area were considered with objectives to document the floristic diversity in the dam catchment. The study revealed that overall, 2 0 trees, 21 shrubs and 21 herbaceous species were recorded from the study area. The floral enumeration revealed that the tree density was highest (62.67/ha) in village Parlog and lowest (41.33/ha) in Khaira. Among the shrub layer, the highest density was observed in village Parlog whereas lowest in Khaira. The Shannon diversity index for the tree was highest (2.2) in Parlog and lowest (1.66) in village Khaira. The shrub diversity index was highest (1.81) in Bathora and lowest (1.13) in Khaira. The herb diversity was highest (1.98) in Bathora and lowest (1.81) in Parlog. The area with the highest floristic diversity and density will have a greater risk of being affected after the dam construction. This study would be considered a supportive tool for compensatory afforestation planning as well as baseline for any further research in this area.