Fragmented Forest Patches in the Indian Himalayas Preserve Unique Components of Biodiversity: Investigation of the Floristic Composition and Phytoclimate of the Unexplored Bani Valley

: Subtropical and temperate forests are amongst the most threatened habitats of Asia, due to large-scale habitat loss and the fragmentation of landscapes. Inspite of these, the Asiatic regions preserve their endemic biodiversity, and provide a favorable environment for the abundant growth of vegetation. In the Himalayas, many interior regions are still unexplored from a biodiversity perspective, due to remote locations and high snow-clad mountains. In this study, we investigated the unexplored Bani Valley in order to reduce the gap of uninventorized areas of rich biodiversity in the Himalayas and formulate plant conservation and management strategies. Thirteen ﬁeld expedition tours were undertaken during 2017 and 2020 for data collection in different growing seasons in the study area. All plant species were collected as voucher samples, identiﬁed, and deposited in the internationally recognized Janaki Ammal Herbarium (acronym RRLH). GPS points were recorded in order to study the forest types and vegetation components of the study area. A total of 196 plant species belonging to 166 genera and 68 families were identiﬁed in Bani Valley, covering a total area of 2651 km 2 . Approximately 70.62% of the species were native and 29.38% were non-native. In total, 46% of species were Indo-Malayan, followed by 22% Palearctic species. In angiosperms, dicotyledon species (68.37%) dominated. Poales were the most dominant order, with 38 species (19.38%). The most abundant families were Poaceae with 29 species (14.79%), Fabaceae (17, 8.67%), Rosaceae , Cyperaceae , and Asteraceae (9, 4.59% each). The life form analysis showed 50% of species as phanerophytes, followed by therophytes (25.77%). The leaf size spectra show mesophyllous species (34.69%) as the dominant group. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants categorized Ailanthus altissima as endangered (EN), Aegle marmelos and Quercus oblongata as near threatened (NT), Ulmus wallichiana and Plantago lanceolata as vulnerable (VU), Taxus baccata and 75 other species as least concern (LC), and 2 species as data deﬁcient (DD). The remaining 113 species of plants had not been evaluated according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This study will help to shape conservation and management plans for threatened species for future implementation, and will help in biodiversity conservation. This study will serve as a database for future reference materials in terms of biodiversity management.


Introduction
The origin of life on earth is a fascinating subject that can be studied through observations made today, and these observations, coupled with climate change over time, can provide answers as to how biodiversity has changed over time [1]. High-altitude mountainous belts safeguard important biodiversity and the scenic, aesthetic value of landscapes [2][3][4][5], provide ecosystem services to benefit human well-being, and are essential for a sustainable world [6][7][8]. Plant adaptation adjusts a life form to certain ecological conditions; thus, it has been widely used in the analysis of flora and vegetation [9]. The forms and structures of plant communities can be explored by classifying the species involved into categories reflecting their environmental relationships [10][11][12][13], and thus, plant communities can also be categorized in terms of leaf size and leaf form [14,15]. It has been shown that studying the biological spectrum is useful in comparing geographically separated plant communities, and is regarded as an indicator of changing environments [16]. Large-scale patterns of plant distribution are very well known, but regional-or local-scale study of plant assemblage is important for local action in biodiversity conservation [17]. Raunkiaer's classification, interlinked to climatic conditions and developed for the climate, is usually the temperate season, as the winter frost ends the plants' growing season [17][18][19]. Under this system, the life-forms were classified into five main groups, i.e., phanerophytes, chamaephytes, hemicryptophytes, cryptophytes, and therophytes [20]. This is supported by the observation that grassland vegetation in high-altitude regions is usually dominated by hemicryptophytes [21]. Raunkiaer's normal spectrum indicates a phanerophyte community, and the deviation determines the phytoclimatic nature of the vegetation composition of any particular given region [22]. Determining the difference between Raunkiaer's normal spectrum and the biological spectrum of life-forms allows us to discover the dominant lifeform that characterizes the phytoclimate of the study area in question [23]. Therefore, the life form study is an important factor in ecological studies and vegetation description, ranking next to floristic composition and biodiversity surveys [24,25].
High mountain areas occupy 3% of the world's surface, wherein there are about 10,000 plant species, which represents approximately 4% of the total species diversity of the planet [26]. However, as one ascends a mountain, a reduction in the number species is observed, due to the harsh environmental conditions [27]. On the other hand, the mountainous regions (including the valleys and the lowlands that surround the reliefs) show a great species richness, despite the species poverty of their peaks. This can be explained by considering that the maximum slope of an area can be understood as a proxy of its environmental heterogeneity [28]. In addition, mountains have great conservation value, harboring numerous endemic, rare, and/or threatened taxa and ecosystems [29]. However, this natural heritage is threatened by changes in landuse and by climate change [21]. The climatic changes are related to changes in the distribution of species [30]. Thus, their altitudinal changes are reliably reflected in changes in temperature [31], responding more quickly to climate warming than other regions [32,33]. For this reason, research in mountainous areas-including the botanization of species, carefully registering the collection altitudes-is of great interest [34]. It is on the southern slopes of the Himalayas that the greatest unevenness is recorded globally. In addition, this was the pioneer mountain range in the series of tectonic movements that wiped out the Paleo-Tethys Ocean. This movement is still ongoing, and will culminate in the closure of the Strait of Gibraltar. A comparison of the general patterns obtained in the Himalayas (Bani Valley) and other places in this group of "circum-Tethys" ranges would enrich future research. At the other extreme, around the Strait of Gibraltar, are located the Betic ranges (Spain) and the Rif and Atlas Mountains (Morocco), whose endemic flora were studied by Pérez-García et al. [35]. Compared to the flora of the Himalayas (Bani Valley), it is observed that the Betic and Rif Mountains' flora have a lower weight than the Poaceae, in exchange for a large increase in Asteraceae, Caryophyllaceae, Fabaceae, and Lamiaceae. In addition, they show a greater presence of hemicryptophytes and chamaephytes, in exchange for a lower proportion of therophytes and phanerophytes.
In India, there are four major biodiversity hotspots: the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, Indo-Burma, and Sundaland. Of the reported 18,532 species of angiosperms from the country (ENVIS, 2021), about 50% of species are recorded in the Himalayas [36]. A lot of floristic and ecological research works have been carried out in geographic regions of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) at different times [37][38][39]; however, there are still lots of unexplored pockets in the Himalayas, which may be unexplored due to their extreme climate, unapproachable terrain, and the fear of cross-border terrorism issues [40][41][42][43]. Plant collection and the dissemination of data on the floristic composition and phytoclimatic variables can impart a lot of knowledge to mankind, and fill the gap of unexplored regions. The Kathua district of J&K is recognized as "the Gateway to the Union Territory (UT)"and is bestowed with varied topography and mountainous climatic conditions [44]. It covers a total area of 2651 km 2 , whose altitude varies from 350 to 6000 m above mean sea level (AMSL). The region is surrounded by the Jammu district to the northwest, the Doda and Udhampur districts to the north, the state of Himachal Pradesh to the east, and the state of Punjab to the south. The terrain is very diverse, consisting of rich agricultural areas along the Punjab border, plains sweeping eastward to the foothills of the Himalayas, and the mountainous alpine region in the northeast [44]. The Indian Census of 2011 recorded the total population as 191,988 (available at https://censusindia.gov.in, accessed on 10 February 2021). The climatic conditions vary depending on the geographical location and altitude; plains areas experience a subtropical climate, and the mountainous region to the north experiences a temperate climate. Bani Valley is a mountainous part of this district that lies towards the extreme north of India, is a part of the Northwestern Himalayan Region, and is categorized as a region of the Shivalik range. The region is under-explored from a floristic point of view, and there is no literature available to date on its plant diversity or phytoclimatic conditions. Therefore, our aim was to undertake a detailed floristic investigation of the Bani Valley. The Bani Valley presents a unique climate, bestowed with natural beauty, vegetation, and topography for studying the biodiversity (especially for medicinal plants) of the Northwestern Himalayan Region. The present study of the vegetation composition of the Bani Valley could be used as an example in India for other similar vegetation types, and for phytoclimatic study in particular.

Study Area
Bani Valley ( Figure 1) is situated in the interior region of the Kathua district (J&K). It lies between latitude 32 • 52 33.15 N and longitude 75 • 48 14.53 E, and the elevation ranges from 1200 to 2001 m AMSL, covering a total area of 468 km 2 . The region is part of Western Himalaya, and the valley is situated at the bank of the SewaRiver, representing one of the northernmost parts of the Kathua district. This area is 85 km from the Basohli tehsil, and approximately 152 km from the town of Kathua and about 236 km from the UT capital, Jammu. The only way to reach the Bani Valley is by road.
The climate of the study region ranges from subtropical to temperate climates. The high mountainous hills of the Bani Valley are covered with snow and ice for 2-3 months per year. The different seasons prevailing in Bani Valley can be divided into four distinct intervals: summer, spring, rainy, and winter. The summer temperature varies from 18-45 • C, and the winter temperature from 0-15 • C. The annual rainfall varies from 1200-1530 mm. About 85% of rainfall is received in the monsoon season, i.e., from July to September. The sudden cloud burst and heavy rainfall can cause landslides, and these sometimes block the route to the Bani Valley. The heavy rainfall and landslides combined with stream waters cause havoc for the people. The climate of the study region ranges from subtropical to temperate climates. The high mountainous hills of the Bani Valley are covered with snow and ice for 2-3 months per year. The different seasons prevailing in Bani Valley can be divided into four distinct intervals: summer, spring, rainy, and winter. The summer temperature varies from 18-45 °C, and the winter temperature from 0-15 °C. The annual rainfall varies from 1200-1530 mm. About 85% of rainfall is received in the monsoon season, i.e., from July to September. The sudden cloud burst and heavy rainfall can cause landslides, and these sometimes block the route to the Bani Valley. The heavy rainfall and landslides combined with stream waters cause havoc for the people.
Using Champion and Seth's classification of forest types in India [45] as a reference, along with our own field observations, the forest types of Bani Valley can be divided into two categories, i.e., subtropical and temperate forests ( Figure 2). The subtropical forests were sub-divided into two types-subtropical dry deciduous forests, and subtropical evergreen chir-pine forests. At lower altitudes, the trees were dominated by subtropical dry deciduous scrubs.  Using Champion and Seth's classification of forest types in India [45] as a reference, along with our own field observations, the forest types of Bani Valley can be divided into two categories, i.e., subtropical and temperate forests ( Figure 2). The subtropical forests were sub-divided into two types-subtropical dry deciduous forests, and subtropical evergreen chir-pine forests. At lower altitudes, the trees were dominated by subtropical dry deciduous scrubs.   A total of 33 villages and 8096 households fall in the jurisdiction of Bani Valley, representing 45,996 people, of whom 23,889 are male and 22,107 are female; the recorded population density is 250 km −2 (https://www.censusindia.co.in, accessed on 10 February 2021). The literacy rate is 44.27% (male: 57.16%; female: 42.84%). Bani tehsil is home to some Nomadic groups, such as Gujjars and Bakarwals. These are semi-pastoral ethnic communities of J&K. They always move seasonally here and there as they have no permanent settlements. On the arrival of summer, these communities start their journey towards high altitude areas along with their livestock. With the onset of unfavorable conditions, they come down and settle in the plains areas of the Bani Valley.

Field Surveys
Thirteen field surveys and exploration tours were undertaken in the Bani Valley from March 2017 to July 2020 in different seasons, in order to study the botanical and ecological aspects of the vegetation composition. Floristic surveys were carried out in order to collect plant samples (angiosperms, gymnosperms, and lycophytes and ferns) from different altitudes of the study area. Lower plants (e.g., bryophytes, algae, fungi, lichens, and mosses) were excluded from this study. A total of 24 plots were laid out by first measuring randomly selected, 50 m-long straight transects, with the help of a measuring tape, at different locations in the study area. Two altitude gradients (1201-1600 m a.m.s.l. for subtropical forest and 1601-2000 m a.m.s.l. for temperate forest) were selected. Flagtype points were marked and placed at 10 m intervals along the transect line, and also at distances of 10 m on both sides of the line, measured at right angles from the transect angle, thus marking off five 10 m × 10 m quadrats on each side. Small transect lines were selected because the area had fragmented forest patches due to the occurrence of high hills and valleys, steep slopes, and deep gorges in the study area. Within each quadrat, all stems (trees, shrubs, and herbs) were counted and recorded. A total of 240 quadrats (120 on each side of the 50-m line) for trees (10 m × 10 m), shrubs (5 m × 5 m), and herbs (1 m × 1 m) were used for the study. The diameters of the trees were measured using a diameter tape at 1 m height or above the buttress roots, and the trees' heights were recorded using clinometers. For multi-stem herbs (Poaceae), we divided the total stem number of the herbs by the mean number of stems per plant falling inside a 1 m × 1 m quadrat, and rounded up the value for the purpose of analysis. Our focus was to collect the maximum number of plant samples bearing flowers and fruits in different seasons. A number of the quantitative measures typically employed in biodiversity plot studies were calculated for the two types of studied forest plots-subtropical and temperate forests. These included stem density, frequency, basal area, relative density, relative dominance, relative frequency, and importance value index (IVI) [46][47][48][49][50][51]. Data on plot heterogeneity (diversity and evenness of species)-such as the Dominance, Shannon, and Evenness indices-were computed using PAST software Version 3.21 and presented. The specimens collected from the field tours were dried and processed as per the standard operating procedure of Jain and Rao's modern herbarium techniques [52]. GPS coordinates, along with the digital photographs of all plant species available in the study, were taken. Plant samples were collected in triplicate and herbarium-prepared as per standard protocols, and the specimens of the collected plants were pasted on herbarium sheets (42 cm × 28 cm ± 2 cm). Each plant was given an accession number. Finally, the plant specimens were deposited in the Janaki Ammal Herbarium (acronym RRLH) of the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine Jammu (India). The herbarium acronyms are in accordance with Thiers [53].

Presentation of Data
The vegetation composition of the study area is identified based on morphological characteristics. The species, along with their habitat and habit, life-span, phenological period, Raunkiaer's life-form system classification, leaf spectra, and the distribution of the flowering periods of the study area, were provided. Families were arranged according to Angiosperm Phylogeny Group IV classifications [54]. Gymnosperms, and lycophytes and ferns, were placed after the flowering plants. The total number of orders, families, genera, and species under dicots and monocots identified from the study area was also prepared. IUCN Red List statuses were provided by consulting their website: www.iucnredlist.org.

Literature Sources
The identities of plants were confirmed from scientific studies published in journals, books, revisionary works, and monographs available in the libraries of CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) and Jammu University. Plant species were botanically compared with the help of Flora of Udhampur [55], Flora of Jammu and Plants of Neighbourhood [56], Flora of Trikuta Hills [57], Handbook of Medicinal Herbs [58], and Illustration of Jammu Plants [59]. Angiosperm Phylogeny Group IV was used to classify the plant species, and the species list of the plants was checked using POWO (available at http://www.powo.org), the International Plant Names Index (available at http://www.ipni.org), and Tropicos (available at https://www.tropicos.org).
For studying the phenological periods of different species, we categorized different months of the year as different seasons: summer (April-June); spring (January-March); rainy (July-September); and winter (October-December). Flowering periods were recorded from our field observations, and plant sample collection was performed over four continuous years of data collection from the study area.
Floristic studies carried out by Dhar and Kachroo [60] in the Kashmir Himalayas have shown a somewhat similar pattern of diversity of plant taxa. According to their work, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Poaceae, Rosaceae, and Polygonaceae were dominant plant families, similar to our own research findings. Similarly, Sharma et al. [61] carried out similar studies in the Sangla Valley of the Northwestern Himalayan Region, and reported Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Apiaceae, and Ranunculaceae as the dominant families. Our findings were also supported by the dominance of Poaceae and Asteraceae reported in the flora of the Lahaul-Spiti and Bhaba Valleys of Western Himalaya and Himachal Pradesh [62,63]. Species richness was similar at the same altitude and climatic conditions. Zent and Zent [64] studied the floristic composition, structure, and diversity of forest plots in the Sierra Maigualida, Venezuelan Guayana, and reported 533 species, of which Fabaceae represents the most dominant family. There are other, similar studies that support our findings, including the studies carried out by Agrawal [65], Shaheen et al. [66], and Haq et al. [67].

Species Diversity in Different Growth Form
The present floristic and vegetative composition analysis of the study area shows a total of 134 dicots (68.37%), 47 monocots (24.23%), 10 lycophytes and ferns (5.15%), and 5 gymnosperms (2.57%). Among these, 104 of the identified taxa were herbs (53.06%), followed by shrubs (17.85%) and trees (29.08%). Amongst the total dicot taxa, herbs, shrubs, and tree habits were represented by 48, 34, and 52 taxa, respectively, whereas the total monocot group of plants, herbs and shrubs, comprised of 46 and 1 species, respectively. No tree species of monocots were recorded in the study area. The epiphytes recorded were not included while studying the quadrat data for analysis of different diversity indices.
The results of 240 quadrats indicated that the subtropical forests of the Bani Valley were characterized by 415 trees, 480 shrubs, and 96,000 herbs, representing 45, 23, and 42 species of trees, shrubs, and herbs, respectively. The temperate forest plots indicated 400 trees (19 species), 355 shrubs (20 species), and 162,800 herbs (59 species) ( Table 2). The Dominance, Shannon, and Evenness indices analyzed for these two types of forests (subtropical and temperate forests) of the Bani Valley are also presented in Table 2. At low altitudes in the subtropical forests of the study area in the Bani Valley, angiosperm taxa were dominant. The gymnosperms were mostly confined to high-altitude regions of the study area. Monocots, especially Poaceae, were mostly confined to the higher elevations. Trees and shrubs were mostly confined to lower elevations. The earlier research carried out on the species diversity in Western Himalaya shows a somewhat similar pattern. Comparing these research findings with earlier works, such as that of Mir et al. [70] in the Kashmir Himalayas, shows similarity in findings mostly regarding the dominant coniferous forests. Similarly, Dogra et al. [71] studied plant diversity in the western Himalayas of Himachal Pradesh in similar climatic conditions and elevations, and our research shows similarities in terms of family composition and dominant species. Gaston et al. [72] also carried out similar studies in the western Himalayas, which showed a similar type of species diversity in similar types of vegetation. Other researchers, such as Gairola et al. [73], have performed floristic analysis in the western Himalayas of the Garhwal division of Uttarakhand, and the species richness and different growth forms were similar to the present findings.

Life Span
In the study area, 50 taxa of annual plants, representing 25.51%, were therophytes. Some of the common annual plants growing in the study area were Juncus bufonius L., Poa annua L., Solanum virginianum L., Cyperus rotundus L., Euphorbia thymifolia L., etc. A total of 146 were perennial plants, comprising 74.49% of the total flora of the study area, which could survive in the most unusual and unfavorable conditions. These perennial plants were mostly trees and shrubs, which were more dominant at low altitudes in warm, moist, subtropical forests. Some of the common perennial plants growing in the study area were Commelina benghalensis L., Rubus paniculatus Sm., Clematis graveolens Lindl., Carex brunnea Thunb., A. nitida, C. deodara, etc. At higher altitudes most of the plant life forms were therophytes, hemicryptophytes, and chamaephytes, and this could be the result of climatic factors and dry conditions favoring the growth of such species. Similar conditions are not inclusive for other groups, such as megaphanerophytes and nanophanerophytes.
The data on life-span findings from the Bani Valley were observed to be similar to those of Subramani et al. [74], who have carried out life-span studies in the Northwestern Himalayan Region. Another botanist, Saha [75] came across similar dominant life-forms in the Darjeeling regions of the northeastern Himalayas. In J&K, Rawat and Adhikari [76] studied the Changthang plateau of the Ladakh region based on altitudinal gradients, and recorded similar observations. Other studies, such as those of Namgyal et al. [77], Klimes [78], and Pharswan et al. [79], also attained similar research findings in Western Himalaya. Nautiyal et al. [80] conducted similar studies at similar altitudes and climatic conditions in the Tungnath area of the Kumaon Himalayas.
Studies reveal that megaphanerophytes and nanophanerophytes were dominant in warmer, moist subtropical forests, whereas therophytes and hemicryptophytes are mostly present in the high-altitude regions of the Bani Valley. Similar studies were also carried out in Western Himalaya earlier by many botanists. Saxena et al. [83] performed studies on life forms at high altitudes in the Kumaon Himalayas. The results of our study were similar to their research findings. Other botanists, such as Singh and Bedi [84], and Das et al. [85], have also carried out similar research in different pockets of Western Himalaya, and when comparing the present research with earlier research findings, we find similar results.

Leaf Size Spectrum
The overall leaf size spectra of the Bani Valley were: 10 leptophyllous (5.10%), 63 nanophyllous (32.14%), 41 microphyllous (20.92%), 68 mesophyllous (34.69%), and 14 megaphyllous (7.14%). Among the leaf size spectra, mesophyllous was found to be highest among plant species, followed by nanophyllous, microphyllous, megaphyllous, and leptophyllous. The results analysis of the leaf spectra of the Bani Valley concerning the Raunkiaer's life forms system is shown in Table 4. We observed that the taxa with large leaves occur in warmer, moist climatic conditions, while the plants with smaller leaves are characteristic of cold and dry climatic conditions. Wright et al. [86] studied leaf data for 7670 plant species, along with climate data from 682 sites across the world, and concluded that large-leaved species predominate in wet, hot, and sunny environments, whereas small-leaved plant species were found in high-altitude areas [63]. In the present study, the plant species with microphyllous and nanophyllous leaves were confined to higher altitude regions, and this findingis consistent with the work carried out by Haq et al. [67]. The plant species with mesophyllous and megaphyllous leaves represent the characteristic vegetation in the low-altitude regions. A study carried out in the Keran Valley of the Kashmir Himalayas generated similar results [67]. The herbaceous flora were dominant at the upper reaches in both studies. This is because of similar altitudes and climatic conditions. Similarly, studies carried out by Shaheen et al. [87] in the Western Himalayan alpine regions of Kashmir show similar patterns of life forms.

Phenological Periods
The taxa showed flowering and fruiting in different seasons. The phenological periods of the plants of the Bani Valley were divided into four different groups of the year. From January to March, 17 taxa were recorded as being in the flowering stage (8.67%), followed by 106 taxa flowering in April-June (54.08%), 63 taxa from July to September (32.14%), and 10 (5.10%) from October to December ( Figure 5). Most taxa from the study area were found to be in the flowering stage from April to June. The majority of the taxa bloomed from May to June. The Bani Valley falls under the temperate zone of the Northwestern Himalayan Region, and experiences vivid snowfall in most parts of the region. The perennating buds of the plants growing in such a climate remain dormant in order to overcome these adverse climatic conditions. This is the reason that leads to plants blooming in the spring and summer seasons. Even from July to September, many plant species were found to be in the flowering stage, and during this period the region experiences maximum rainfall. High rainfall allows the plants to grow and bloom. The findings of the present study correlate with similar studies undertaken by earlier researchers [88][89][90][91][92][93], which reached similar research findings.

Phenological Periods
The taxa showed flowering and fruiting in different seasons. The phenological periods of the plants of the Bani Valley were divided into four different groups of the year. From January to March, 17 taxa were recorded as being in the flowering stage (8.67%), followed by 106 taxa flowering in April-June (54.08%), 63 taxa from July to September (32.14%), and 10 (5.10%) from October to December ( Figure 5). Most taxa from the study area were found to be in the flowering stage from April to June. The majority of the taxa bloomed from May to June. The Bani Valley falls under the temperate zone of the Northwestern Himalayan Region, and experiences vivid snowfall in most parts of the region. The perennating buds of the plants growing in such a climate remain dormant in order to overcome these adverse climatic conditions. This is the reason that leads to plants blooming in the spring and summer seasons. Even from July to September, many plant species were found to be in the flowering stage, and during this period the region experiences maximum rainfall. High rainfall allows the plants to grow and bloom. The findings of the present study correlate with similar studies undertaken by earlier researchers [88][89][90][91][92][93], which reached similar research findings.

Invasive Species
Out of a total of 196 species inventorized from the Bani Valley, 30% (59 species) are alien/invasive species, while 70% are native to the Asian or Himalayan regions. These invasive species also show affinities of European, Eurasian, African, and American origin. Most of these alien species are cultivated or introduced as garden plants by the local people in the study area. The most common invasive plant species found to be growing in the region include species such as Ageratum conyzoides L., Argemone mexicana L., Arthraxon lancifolius (Trin.) Hochst., C. brunnea, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., Euphorbia thymifolia L., Galinsoga parviflora Cav., J. bufonius, Malvastrum coromandelianum (L.) Garcke, Panicum virgatum L., Parthenium hysterophorus L., Prunus domestica L., R. idaeus, Setaria flavida (Retz.) Veldkamp, Setaria italica (L.) P.Beauv., and Solanum americanum Mill. (Table 5). These invasive plants also are reported as potential invaders in other parts of the Himalayas [69]. Alien plant species tend to have more phenotypic plasticity than native plants, and are usually superior to native plants in numerous fitness components; for this reason, they can colonize disturbed areas and natural habitats more resourcefully than native species [94][95][96]. Asteraceae, Poaceae, Brassicaceae, Fabaceae, and Lamiaceae are the families with the most invasive plant species found in India [97], and these families of invasive species are consistent with the findings of Wu et al. [98] for China, Lambdon et al. [99] for Europe, Khuroo et al. [100] for India, Randall [101] for Australia, and Diez et al. [102] for New Zealand. Out of all of the species recorded inthe Bani Valley, 30.41% are alien, most of which thrive in anthropogenically disturbed habitats. These values are comparable with those reported by Kohli et al. [103] from the Himachal Pradesh region of the Indian Himalayas. Khuroo et al. [104] reported that 8.5% of Indian flora (1599 species belonging to 842 genera and 161 families) were alien plant species, most of which belonged to the Asteraceae (134 spp.), Papilionaceae (114 spp.) and Poaceae (106 spp.) families. Another study carried out by Haq et al. [69] reported Anthemis cotula L., Convolvulus arvensis L., Carduus onopordioides Fisch. ex M.Bieb., Datura stramonium L., Erigeron canadensis L., and Sisymbrium loeselii L. as the most invasive plant species growing in the Jammu and Kashmir Himalayas, and reported that climate change and biological invasions in the form of alien species are major drivers affecting biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Conservation Status and IUCN Categories
Among these 196 taxa of plants (Table 5), 113 had not been evaluated according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species [105]. There were 76 plant taxa mentioned under least concern (LC), 1 as endangered (EN), 2 as near-threatened (NT), 2 as vulnerable (VU), and 2 as data deficient (DD). Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle was the endangered species identified from the study area, whereas Ulmus wallichiana Planch. and Plantago lanceolata L. were the vulnerable species. Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa and Q. oblongata-categorized as NT-were also found to be growing in the Bani Valley. Taxus baccata L. and 75 other species are LC species recorded in the study area. Earlier works, such as that of Bijlwan et al. [106], studied the natural regeneration status of endangered plants i.e., T. baccata in the Northwestern Himalayan Region. Similarly, Lanker et al. [107] and Paul et al. [108] studied the genus Taxus L. in the northeast Himalayas, where this species was mentioned as a highly threatened plant due to anthropogenic factors and its use in medicine. The phytosociological analysis with ecological information reveals a study area that is floristically rich and, at the same time, under pressure from human activity. This research highlights the status and ecological distribution of the species in the study area, the ecological characteristics necessary for their survival, and the threats faced by some of the taxa designated by following the criteria devised by the IUCN. Various factors caused the depletion of the native flora from the study area. Anthropogenic activities were the major cause. Deforestation and overgrazing by livestock were other factors leading to the destruction of plant species.

Conclusions
Scientific findings have proven that floristic analysis is a good indicator of the ecological wealth of the ecosystem within the given setup of the prevailing microhabitat conditions of a particular geographical region. The inventory of the floristic composition of India and elsewhere in the world would help in bridging the geographical knowledge gaps in invasion biology research. The inventory can serve as a scientific baseline for investigating the patterns, pathways, extent, impacts, and effective management of plant invasions in India. Studying floristic composition and associated ecological parameters in the Himalayas is a necessity for biodiversity conservation, because it provides scientific data pertaining tothe environment for wildlife, and simultaneously contributes to the sustainable management of unique regional natural resources. The Bani Valley in the Northwestern Himalayan Region is floristically abundant with natural resources, which is evident from the occurrence of 196 different species of plants. The surprising levels of diversity recorded in the subtropical and temperate forest plots, as well as the low levels of similarity between these forests, suggest that the Bani Valley may harbor forests richer in plant species than previously imagined. More extensive explorations and inventories throughout the Himalayan regions are needed in order to get a better idea of just how diverse these forests may be. Analysis of life forms gives a clear picture of the biological spectrum of the Bani Valley, which in times to come will serve as baseline information for ecologists and environmentalists. In the present study, phanerophytes, therophytes, and hemicryptophytes share importance in depicting the "phanero-thero-hemicrypto phytic"phytoclimate. This study can provide baseline data for use by policymakers and wildlife departments to develop conservation plans for the sustainable use of plant resources in the Himalayas, particularly for the subtropical and temperate species. It also suggests that biotic factors play an important role in shaping the vegetation of a landscape; therefore, anthropogenic stress can be minimized. Accordingly, we suggest that rich-diversity forests such as those found in the Bani Valley should be given higher priority in conservation planning than is presently the case. Finally, it is worthwhile to point out that the Bani Valley is rather close to several indigenous communities, which therefore means that these areas are inhabited, exploited, and intervened in by humans, although such impacts are very low. In times to come, conservation programs could be started in order to protect economically valuable flora by educating the native communities residing there.