BSES Expeditions Page 1 of 21 BSES Expeditions Ladakh 2009 Science Report Ecology A study of plant diversity along an altitudinal gradient in the Nubra Valley region in Ladakh Dr. Katherine Baldock and Neil Smith 1. Abstract Changes in climate can affect the distribution of plant species. As the climate warms alpine species shift their distributions to higher altitudes. Measurement of the changes in species’ altitudinal distributions in mountainous environments can therefore be used to assess the effect that climate change is having in a particular location. In this study we examined the vegetation in two valleys (Thanglasgo Valley and Palzampiu Valley) in the Nubra Valley region in Northern Ladakh. The vegetation was sampled at 200 m intervals between 4200 m and 5000 m. Abundance and species richness were assessed for major plant groups (woody vegetation, herbaceous flora, grasses, sedges, lichens and mosses) in ten 2 m x 2 m quadrats at each altitude. Flowering plant species were identified to species level wherever possible. Environmental variables (soil pH, soil compaction and grazing levels) were also measured at each altitude. The findings were compared between the sampling altitudes and between the two valleys. Woody plant species abundance and species richness declined with altitude and herbaceous species increased in abundance and species richness with altitude. This finding could be due to increased grazing pressures at lower altitudes from local habitation however further detailed studies of livestock grazing levels are needed to examine this hypothesis further. There was no clear relationship with altitude for the other plant groups. Soil moisture level could not be measured due to equipment failure but we suspect that moisture level was an important determinant of the vegetation composition. This study provides some data on the altitudinal distributions of flowering plant species in this region, but further data collection is needed for a full study of plant species distributions that can be used as a baseline to assess the impact of climate change in this area. 2. Introduction 2.1 British Schools Exploring Society The British Schools Exploring Society is the UK’s leading youth development charity undertaking scientific research expeditions, with a provenance second to none. Its approach to youth development is unique and successful; using a mixture of science and adventure, it has been at the forefront of youth development through exploring since its inception. It uses the underlying principal of ‘adventure with purpose’ to develop the next generation of leaders and scientists. BSES has been running extreme scientific research expeditions to remote wilderness areas around the world since 1932. Early expeditions collected valuable fieldwork data and brought back specimens for the Natural History Museum and the British Museum. These days, from glaciology and meteorology, to ornithology and physiology, it collaborates with a range of scientific research institutions from universities and world-respected scientists; to in-country NGOs and conservation organisations.