Himachal Pradesh Launches Himalayan Lichen Restoration Project

Confronted with degrading medicinal lichen habitats in high-altitude zones, Himachal’s Forest and Climate Change Department initiated a pilot project in Kullu and Lahaul to restore lichen-rich ledges. Restoration includes seeding sterile rock plates with lichen fragments, monitoring micro-moisture conditions, and collecting baseline data on invertebrate and fungal biodiversity. Early plots show 30% recolonization within six months. The project supports medicinal resource conservation and enhances climate-sensitive ecosystem resilience, with gradual expansion to other Himalayan biodiversity zones.

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