22 Ara 2024 Pazar
An overview of invasive alien plants and insect herbivores of Kashmir Himalaya
Abstract :Kashmir Himalaya being part of the Himalayan biodiversity, is home to many native/endemic plants as well as animal species that are under severe pressure from invasive alien plant species. The spread of invasive alien species (IAS) throughout the Himalayan region is ever increasing due to more people to people contact in the form of tourism, trade and goods movement, exploration of new tourist destinations and developmental activities which leads to habitat degradation. The current overview is based on the available literature related to invasive alien flora of Kashmir Himalaya and their native insect herbivores. It comprised total of 15 invasive alien plants under 15 genera, belonging to 11 families and 40 native insect herbivore species belonging to 21 families and 4 insect orders. The documentation of native insect herbivores feeding on the invasive alien plants of Kashmir Himalaya will help in identifying and screening of the potential biocontrol agents which could be an alternative strategy to classical biological controlof the management of invasivealien plants.
Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS), native insect herbivore, biological control, Kashmir Himalaya