Kargil, May 9 : The Department of Botany at the Kargil Campus of the University of Ladakh organised a five-day botanical exploration and educational tour across several ecologically sensitive regions of Ladakh, exposing students to the fragile biodiversity and adaptive vegetation of the Trans-Himalayan cold desert landscape.
The field expedition, conducted from May 3 to 7, involved 23 students from the second and fourth semesters who travelled through Khardung La Pass, Nubra Valley, Turtuk, Thang, Pangong Tso and Chang La Pass under the supervision of Dr. Shashi Kant Singh. Mohd Younus, Haji Hussain Khan and Fatima Sorga accompanied the students during the academic exercise.
Designed to bridge classroom learning with field-based scientific observation, the tour focused on high-altitude vegetation, medicinal plants and ecological adaptations that enable plant species to survive in one of the world’s harshest climatic zones. Students documented vegetation growing under extreme environmental conditions marked by sub-zero temperatures, saline soil composition, low oxygen concentration and intense ultraviolet exposure.
Faculty members associated with the programme said the exercise aimed to deepen students’ understanding of plant ecology and the environmental vulnerabilities of Ladakh’s cold desert ecosystem through direct interaction with natural habitats.
An important academic component of the tour involved the collection and documentation of medicinal and high-altitude-adapted plant species for herbarium preparation and future research reference. The department noted that the material gathered during the field study would support future academic work and strengthen practical learning in botanical sciences.
During their visit to Thang village, the students interacted with Goba Ali, a self-taught farmer known locally for cultivating medicinal plants and sustaining greenery in the arid cold desert terrain. The Department of Botany acknowledged his contribution to ecological preservation and thanked him for granting students free access to his museum and for presenting medicinal plant pots to participants.
The department described the expedition as a comprehensive educational exercise that enabled students to closely observe Ladakh’s biodiversity and understand the ecological pressures confronting high-altitude plant life.
The Department of Botany also expressed gratitude to Prof. Saket Kushwaha, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ladakh, for his continued encouragement and institutional support. Acknowledgment was further extended to Dr. Mehboob Ali, Incharge Administration, Kargil Campus, for administrative assistance, Dr. Imtiyaz Hussain for planning and logistical coordination, and Dr. Mohd. Shahnawaz for cooperation in the successful conduct of the tour.
