A Study on the Impact of Climate Change on the Growth and Distribution of Medicinal Plants in the Himalayas
Volume 2 Issue 3 ( July - September ) 2024 OPEN ACCESS
Climate change, Himalayan medicinal plants, plant distribution, phenology, conservation, species migration, secondary metabolites.
Climate change has been identified as a significant threat to biodiversity worldwide, particularly in high-altitude ecosystems such as the Himalayas. This study explores the impact of shifting climatic variables—such as temperature increases and altered precipitation patterns—on the growth, distribution, and medicinal properties of key plant species in the Himalayan region. Over a period of two years (2022-2024), data were collected from sites in northern India and Nepal, focusing on species of medicinal significance, including Artemisia annua, Withania somnifera, and Taxus wallichiana. Results show notable shifts in the distribution of these species, with higher elevation migration in response to rising temperatures. Moreover, phenological changes, including earlier flowering and altered chemical composition, were observed. These findings underline the need for adaptive conservation strategies to protect medicinal plant biodiversity in the face of climate change.