Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences in 2025
2026-02-06
Ecological Determinants of Nepenthes khasiana Distribution: A Study of Slope Orientation and Altitude in Meghalaya, India
Authors
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Anindita Bhattacharya
Independent Researcher, Guwahati 781028, India
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Sarah G. Momin
Department of Environmental Science, PASF Abong Noga College, Tura 794001, India
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Prabal Sarkar
University of Science & Technology Meghalaya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i6.13420Abstract
Pitcher plant, Nepenthes khasiana Hook. f. (Nepenthaceae), is a carnivorous plant distributed in the hilly terrain in Meghalaya, India. Although scattered information is available on their distribution, none of the studies covered the role of slope orientation on the distribution of pitcher plants. Therefore, the trail survey method was employed during the survey between 2018 and 2025 to determine the distribution of pitcher plants with respect to elevation and slope orientation. Wherever there was a sighting of a pitcher plant, the GPS coordinate as well as landscape parameters were recorded. The study clearly demonstrates that N. khasiana exhibits a unique altitudinal distribution, predominantly limited to mid-elevation montane regions that range from approximately 500 to 1,500 m above sea level. This species shows a strong preference for open areas and sloped landscapes. Moreover, the dominance of northwest-facing slopes emphasizes the importance of slope orientation (255–360°). These findings underscore that elevation, slope selection, and slope orientation together influence the spatial distribution and ecological niche of N. khasiana across its distribution range in the hilly areas of Meghalaya, India. The present study could be used by the policymakers and stakeholders for identifying priority conservation habitats, regulating land-use change and mining activities in sensitive areas, developing habitat restoration programmes on suitable slopes, strengthening in-situ conservation and long-term population monitoring, and formulating site-specific management strategies to save this endemic carnivorous plant from extinction.
Keywords:
Pitcher Plant; Nepenthes khasiana; Elevation; Slope Orientation; DistributionReferences
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Bhattacharya, A., Momin, S. G., & Sarkar, P. (2026). Ecological Determinants of Nepenthes khasiana Distribution: A Study of Slope Orientation and Altitude in Meghalaya, India. Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences, 8(6), 213–226. https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i6.13420
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Copyright © 2026 Anindita Bhattacharya, Sarah G. Momin, Prabal Sarkar
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