%0 Journal Article
%T Assessment of Diversity and Traditional Uses of Bryophytes Along Some Hill Roads in a Biodiversity Hot Spot Region of India-A Case Study of Mizoram
%J -
%D 2019
%X In India, the bryophytes are represented by 2562 taxa (1636 mosses, 887 liverworts and 39 hornworts). They usually inhabit narrow ecological niches with preference for damp and shady conditions. In Himalayas the bryophytes are rich in diversity and well represented due to prevailing of high rainfall and humidity. Eastern Himalayas are richest in bryophyte flora. Bryophytes are of great ecological importance, they are Pioneer of the land plants and the first plants to grow and colonize the barren rocks and lands. In India, the bryophytes are represented by 2562 taxa (1636 mosses, 887 liverworts and 39 hornworts). Along the Mizoram roads 76 species of bryophytes distributed over 29 families have been identified and recorded by the authors. These bryophytes provide vital ecosystem services like soil formation, habitat modification and nutrient cycling and are useful in pollution detection and monitoring. The flavonoids and terpenoids contained in majority of them show various biological activities with considerable potential of chemical and pharmaceutical properties. Road side village people in Mizoram generally use these bryophytes as medicines, vegetable and for prevention of soil erosion. It has been assessed that during road development these flora will be impacted and that will have impact on community settled along the road. Effort has been made in this paper to assess the diversity of bryophytes along the road corridors so that proper planning can be done during road development to save this natural resource
%K Amphibian
%K Flavonoids
%K Terpenoids
%K Anticancerous
%K Erosion
%U http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/journal/paperinfo?journalid=207&doi=10.11648/j.ijnrem.20190403.12