In India's Valley of Flowers National Park, the density of the Himalayan knotweed differed significantly between stable and unstable habitats. Manual removal of this aggressive and colonizer species will be counterproductive, resulting in replacement by another colonizer, balsam. Eradication of the Himalayan knotweed is also not recommended because it will initiate land instability and hinder the establishment of natural plant communities.
Nomenclature: Balsam, Impatiens sulcata Wall.; Himalayan knotweed, Polygonum polystachyum Wall. ex Meissn.
Additional index words: Colonizers, grazing, Himalayas, livestock, Valley of Flowers.
Abbreviation: VOF, Valley of Flowers.