Caragana versicolor Benth. (Fabaceae), a Keystone Species of High Conservation Concern in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region

Situated in the highly elevated areas well above 3000 m, where alpine shrubs and grasses are the dominant vegetation, rangelands provide diverse ecosystem services to local and downstream communities. Spread over more than a third of the globe and about 54% of the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, these serve as the main feed resource for traditional livestock rearing systems in many parts of the world and include about 70% of the feed for domestic ruminants.