Pteridophytic diversity of Barot, Mandi District, Himachal Pradesh, India

This communication provides an inventory of the pteridophytes of Barot in the Uhl Valley of Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, based on extensive field surveys carried out during 2010-2011. Ninety species of pteridophytes (85 ferns and 5 fern-allies) belonging to 31 genera and 14 families were recorded, which represents about 95% of the pteridophytic flora of Mandi district, and 35% of fern and fern-allies of Himachal Pradesh. Information on the species diversity, habitat, and current status of the taxa based on the survey are provided in this paper. Besides collecting voucher specimens of all the 90 species encountered for herbarium, live collections of 80 species of ferns and fern-allies were collected and introduced in the fernery of the institute for conservation and multiplication purposes, and most have been successfully established ex-situ. Strategies for bioprospection of selective species, and conservation of some rare threatened species are also discussed.