Studying the patterns of alien and native floras of some habitats in Srinagar city, Kashmir, India

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Urban flora is an important component of human-dominated ecosystems that links urban dwellers with nature. This study aims at compiling and analysing the alien and native vascular plant species of some selected habitats in the Srinagar city, Kashmir, India. Methods Bi-seasonal sampling was employed and each habitat type ( viz ., graveyards, grasslands, orchards and wastelands) was sampled at seven different sites. Results The number of species recorded from graveyards was 96; from grasslands 112; 141 from orchards and 110 from wastelands. The level of invasion among habitats varied from 67.27% to 68.75%, with a mean value of 67.86%; out of clubbed species list, 64.84% were alien. Asteraceae, Poaceae, Brassicaceae and Fabaceae were the biggest families in all four habitat types. Conclusions Our research shows that across habitats, alien plant species are the predominant part of their floras.