A preliminary investigation on Alien and Native Elements in The Flora of Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India

Globalization of earth's biota is continuously taking place and the process is accelerated by intentional or unintentional anthropogenic activities. In Pantnagar also natural Tarai vegetation is removed for agricultural activities which have resulted in accumulation of many alien elements in cultivation. It has also taken its toll by invasion of the area by 160 alien species outside cultivation. The indigenous flora is gradually being replaced by aliens, particularly invasive aliens. The study indicates that out of total 662 species of seed plants, 462 (69.78%) are aliens. Outside cultivation, a total of 360 specieas occur of which 160 species (44.45%) are aliens and 200 (55.55%) species are indigenous. American elements are dominant amongst alien species. This high proportion of aliens which includes 60 invasive alien species and 3 world's worst invasive alien species clearly depict the dismal position of natural vegetation. Results indicate that though the agriculture and associated urbanization may not lead directly to reduction in number of species but it certainly lead to reduction in indigenous flora which is out competed by more adaptive alien or invasive alien species in altered habitat.