Endemic plants of lower belt of Sikkim are shifting to upward zone: Bikis



Mangan, June 23: The department of Forest, Wildlife Management, North Territorial Division organized a sensitization programme on Climate change for the officers of different department, members of Joint Forest Management Committee, Teachers and students of Mangan Sr. Sec. School at training Centre, Teesta Urja Ltd, Mangan today.

Yasmeen Bikis, Senior Researcher fellow, Delhi University who has extensively worked in north district to find indirect evidences with relation to the global climate change, spoke on the said topic. While, describing the biological responses of climate change in Sikkim Himalayas, she said that the alpine ‘eco-system’ of the mountains are considered to be highly sensitive to climate change.

Meanwhile, she revealed that in Sikkim the endemic plants of lower belt are now shifting to upward zone due to increase in temperature which will create risk of extinction. Further, she added that the continuous increase in temperature is also affecting the floral Phenology.

The programme was followed by plantation work under “State Green Mission”.