Study site
The study was undertaken at 30°31′36.7″ N and 79°6′42.0″ E, 1612 m. a. s. l in the proximity of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, in the western part of the central Himalaya (Table 1). Cold temperatures and seasonal characterize the climate of the study area. The leaf age temperatures (maximum and minimum, mean) and precipitation during the study time, assessed by the meteorological station near the study region. The mean minimum and a maximum temperature range from -1.1 °C in January to 13.4 °C in July and the mean maximum temperature was recorded from 11.6 °C in January to 24. 4 °C in June. During the study, the period means annual rainfall ranged from 7.3 mm in November to 637.1 mm in July. The cumulative yearly rainfall in the study area was 1983 mm, with over 70-80% of this usually occurring during the monsoon leaf age (July- September) and moderate to heavy snowfall during the December-February months (Joshi and Garkoti 2020). The soil type of the study area was sandy loam, brown podzolic mixed with pebbles and gravel (Joshi and Garkoti 2021b).