Over 50% native plants that helped hold soil disappeared from Shimla landscape: Scientist
Britishers got with them exotic plants which over the years became invasive species
3 min read
Ksheer Kakoli, Lady Susan's Orchid species. (Express Photo)Ksheerkakoli (Lilium polyphyllum), Lady Susan’s Orchid (Pecteillis susannae), Deutzia Prinsepia, and many other grassland indigenous species of Shimla have completely disappeared and been replaced by exotic species in and around Shimla over the course of more than a century. The Britishers visiting this landscape in the early 19th century played a major role in this trend.
These observations were shared by Vaneet Jishtu, scientist with the Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education (ICFRE), Himalayan Forest Research Institute (HFRI), during a national-level seminar on Plant Diversity of Himachal Pradesh on Monday. The seminar was organised during the ongoing 73rd Wildlife Week.
Jishtu said that almost 50 per cent of the native grassland species of Shimla became extinct in the past 120 years. “In locations such as US Club, Bishop Cotton School (BCS), and Summer Hill, these native grassland species were once found in abundance. These indigenous species have been replaced by exotic grasslands. Bidens pilosa, Solanum chacoense, Tagetes minuta, Vinca major, and Cymbalaria muralis are among the exotic species that have supplanted the native flora in Shimla. The indigenous species were better adapted to hold the soil than these exotic varieties,” he said, adding that native species such as Deutzia Prinsepia, Zanthoxylum, Cotoneaster, Viburnum, and Berberis were documented by eminent botanists during the pre-independence period.
“The foremost among them was Henry Collett, who was also a soldier with the East India Company. As researchers, we have concluded that approximately 50 percent of the native grassland species have vanished over time in Shimla. Besides the introduction of exotic species brought by the British from European countries and their homeland, rising temperatures and climate change are other factors contributing to the disappearance of these native species,” he said.
He added that Lady Susan’s Orchid was once popular among artists, especially painters. Recently, an artist from West Bengal visited Shimla hoping to find this species but left disappointed after not finding it at BCS.
“When Britishers settled in India, they brought garden plants and vegetables to recreate the feel of their homeland. As a result, these plants spread from their gardens into the natural landscape. Some exotics species have become invasive and spread rapidly. Common examples include Bidens pilosa, Solanum chacoense, Tagetes minuta, Vinca major, and Cymbalaria muralis. In recent times, the aggressive spread of crofton weed (Ageratina adenophora) can be observed on the outskirts of the town,” he said.
You May Like
