a) Invasion load of alien plants in Foothills and lower Shiwalik, Himachal Pradesh and adjoining areas

b) Identify the habitats heavily, moderately and sparsely invaded by the selected invasive species in the selected study site.

c) mechanism of spread of invasive species, traits favouring their spread, propagules involved and their dispersal mechanism.

d) Impact of the selected invasive species on the native flora and ecology of the region.

e) Possible interactions of the invasive species with the associated species mediated through chemicals.

f) Awareness programmes to apprise local people about the consequences of invasive species, if not managed.

a) Invasion load of alien plants in the states of Sikkim and West Bengal (Darjeeling)

b) Survey, documentation and characterisation of invasive vascular alien plants on the basis of their life-forms, lifespan, nativity, status of invasion in Sikkim and Darjeeling Himalaya. c) Selection of major noxious invasive species in the study area

d) Monitoring the distribution patterns and population dynamics of different invasive species (Lantana camara; Eupatorium riparium; E. adenophorum; E. odoratuma and Mikania micrantha ) in various ecosystems across the altitudes

e) Assessment of ecological impacts of alien plant invasion on native plant community

a) Invasion load of alien plants in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur

b) Inventory on the diversity and other phytosociological parameters of Invasive Alien Vascular Plant Species in the selective forest ecosystems in these 5 states.

c) Distribution pattern, population structure, seed biology and regeneration status for selective noxious Invasive Alien Species in the five states.

d) Analysis of the rate of spread and Niche modelling for selective noxious Invasive Alien Species in the five states through remote sensing and GIS tools.

e) Impact assessment of IAS on soil parameters and native plants in selective forest ecosystems.

a) Invasion load of alien plants in the Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh and adjoining areas of Himachal Pradesh

b) Documentation of alien vascular plant species across different natural and artificial ecosystems in the three distinct regions of J&K State, and adjoining areas of Himachal Pradesh and identification of ecosystems most vulnerable to alien plant invasions

c) Categorization of alien plant species particularly on the basis of their stage of invasion in order to identify current and future invaders.

d) Biology of worst invasive species to identify the traits that promote their invasiveness.

e) Species distribution modelling for prediction of potential range expansion of alien species in response to present and predicted climate change scenarios.

f) Development of effective policies and appropriate strategies for conservation and management of alien plant invasions through community participation.

a) Invasion load of alien plants in the states of Meghalaya and Assam

b) Distribution and Phenotypic plasticity of selected species on Shillong plateau

c) Biomass allocation patterns in selected species

d) Growth and productivity of selected species in varied habitats

e) Reproductive strategies of selected species

f) Allelopathic strategies of selected species.

a) Invasion load of alien plants in the states of Himachal Pradesh and adjoining areas of Uttrakhand

b) Identify & locate invasive species in the Kinnaur Himalayas &adjoining parts of Uttrakhand and to determine their potential to spread

c) Physiological, ecological and evolutionary traits imparting invasiveness and facilitating the spread in the region.

d) Ecological, environmental and socio-economic impact of the selected invasive species of the region on the native flora e) Explore the role of chemical mediated interference as one of the possible mechanism of invasion in the region.

a) To evaluate the rate of spread of Ageratina and Mikania by analyzing their abundance, rate of aboveground growth during different seasons in different ecological habitats,

b) To determine the reproductive potential by analyzing their seed production and seedling recruitment and characteristic. c) To study the similarities and differences of spread pattern, invasive load on early recovery successional landscapes and its impact on the natural flora.

d) To undertake awareness programmes and to create an awareness among all the stalk holders including local people through an interactive local level capacity building programme regarding the consequences of invasive species, if not managed.

Prof. R.K. Kohli

Vice-Chancellor Central University of Punjab (CUP) Bathinda, Punjab