**3. Present status of biodiversity in IHR**

The Indian Himalayan Region lies between 27°–38° N Latitudes and 72°–89° E Longitudes which covers about an area of 419,873 km2 (nearly 18% of India) with >2800 km long and 220–300 km wide. The altitude ranges from 200 to >8000 m above mean sea level. Indian Himalayan region includes the parts of Trans, North-west, West, Central, and East Himalaya, and ranges from Arunachal Pradesh to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Union Territories and rising to an altitude of more than

**Figure 1.** *Location map of the Indian Himalayan region.*

8000 m AMSL (**Figure 1**). The IHR support three bio-geographic zones namely Trans Himalaya, The Himalaya, and North-East India and eight biogeographic provinces including Ladakh Mountains, Tibetan Plateau, Northwest, West, Central & East Himalaya, Brahmaputra valley, and North East Hills. The IHR is very well known for its representative, natural, unique, and socio-economically important biodiversity [15] and is designated as one of the biodiversity hot spots [20]. The richness of the biological diversity is mainly due to its unique climatic conditions, topography, and diverse habitats. The rich plant diversity has been utilized by the natives in various forms such as medicine, food (edible), fuel, fodder, making agricultural tools, house building, small scale enterprises (i.e., basket, mat, hat, kilta, *etc*.), and religious ceremonies [21].
