Biological Diversity of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh Himalaya : A Comprehensive and Classified Bibliography/R.C. Bhagat and Poonam Bala. New Delhi, APH, 2002, xxv, 429 p., $55. ISBN 81-7648-353-2.

Contents: Preface. I. General biological diversity: 1. Biodiversity (general). 2. Hydrobiological diversity. 3. Planktons (Phyto and Zooplanktons). 4. Forests and forestry. 5. Agriculture and agricultural crops. 6. Domestic animals. 7. Wildlife and their protected areas. II. Floristic diversity: 1. Floras (general) of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. 2. Floras of Jammu. 3. Floras of Kashmir. 4. Floras of Ladakh. 5. Medicinal, aromatic flora, and ethnobotany. 6. Aquatic, wetland and Marshland flora. 7. Fungal flora. 8. Bryophytic and pteridophytic flora. 9. Weed flora. III. Faunistic diversity: 1. General invertebrates and vertebrates. 2. Invertebrates (Protozoans, Annelida and Molluscs). 3. Helminths. 4. Arthopods. 5. Fishes. 6. Herptiles (Amphibians and reptiles). 7. Birds. 8. Mammals. IV. Human diversity: 1. Races, tribes and castes. Author index. Subject index.

"The documents published on different aspects of research studies on floristic, faunistic, and human diversity of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions in western Himalaya, are vast, widely scattered and inaccessible in Indian and foreign publication. So far, there exists no separate, completely up-to-date and classified bibliography on biological diversity of J&K Himalayan regions.

"The present classified and comprehensive bibliography incorporates a total of 3266 entries, separated under 4 main sections and 25 chapters. About 1891 authors have contributed to diverse biological fields (general and applied) of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Both subject (detailed) as well as author (complete) indices are added to the book.

"Section I (general biological diversity) deals with references pertaining to topics on: general biodiversity, hydrobiology, planktons, forest and forestry; agriculture and agricultural crops; domestic animals and wildlife, and their protected areas.

"Bioliographical information of floristic diversity is provided in section II, covering 9 separate chapters on: non-angiosperms (algae, fungi, liverworts mosses, ferns and gymnosperms); angiosperms (weeds, arbo-real plants, marshland/wetland and aquatic plants; wild flowering plants of economic and medicinal values.

"Section III embodies references on faunistic diversity, distributed over 8 main chapters, dealing with invertebrates (protozoans, helminths, annelids, mollusces, arthropods, etc), vertebrates (fishes, herptiles, birds and mammals).

"Section IV includes reference entries on human diversity, covering different races, tribes and castes. In this direction vast research studies have mainly been done on: biogenetic traits and behavioural traits.

"The present invaluable book, with more than one and a half century reference coverage, undoubtedly contains wealth of bibliographical information on various elements of our biodiversity and also on other fields (applied) of biological and allied branches of science, with sustainable utilization conservation and management. It will prove an indispensable tool to students and researchers of different fields of general and applied biosciences, and also to Anthropologists, conservationists and planners from governmental and non-governmental organisations." (jacket)

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