The study reports the impact of migratory livestock in the buffer area of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary. The cumulative impacts of livestock grazing, fuel wood extraction and other anthropogenic pressures on forest cover in and around camping sites have been analyzed using satellite data and field observations.

The genus Quercus (oak) is a large group of hardwood trees with about 600 species worldwide1. In the Himalayan region, extensive oak forests (35 species) occur between 1500 and 3300 m elevations. Of the various species of oaks, the white oak or banj (Q. leucotrichophora) forms an extensive belt along the middle elevation (1200

Carpinus viminea (Himalayan hornbeam) is one of the lesser-known tree species of the moist temperate forests of the Himalayan region. Its ecological role is similar to that of Alnus nepalensis in the riverine and landslide areas between 1300 and 1800 m asl. C. viminea is one of the most economically important species of the region. (Correspondence)