The community vs. the market and the state: Forest use inUttarakhand in the Indian Himalayas

Most writers on resource management presume that local populations, if they act in their self-interest, seldom conserve or protect natural resources without external intervention or privatization. Using the example of forest management by villagers in the Indian Himalayas, this paper argues that rural populations can often use resources sustainably and successfully, even under assumptions of self-interested rationality. Under a set of specified social and environmental conditions, conditions that prevail in large areas of the Himalayas and may also exist in other mountain regions, community institutions are more efficient in managing resources than either private individuals or the central government. In advancing this argument, the paper undermines the often dogmatic belief in the universal superiority of private forms of ownership and management.     

喜马拉雅山中段北坡地表水体主要离子特征及其控制因素——以叶如藏布流域为例

为调查喜马拉雅山中段北坡地表水环境特征,2015年9月在叶如藏布流域采集24个地表水体水样并对其水化学特征分析测定,研究结果表明:(1)叶如藏布流域水化学特征存在显著空间差异.随着海拔升高,地表水体p H值、TDS值呈微弱的减小趋势.24个水样中23个水样属于淡水,1个为微咸水.(2)叶如藏布流域内地表水阳离子主要为Ca~(2+),阴离子以SO_4~(2-)为主,其次为HCO_3~-,即地表水为Ca~(2+)-SO_4~(2-)型.(3)叶如藏布流域地表水中各离子之间具有不同程度的相关性.其中Cl~-、HCO_3~-、Na~+和K~+4种离子共源性好;阳离子的来源不同,Na~+和K~+主要来源于碳酸氢盐,Ca~(2+)主要来源于硫酸盐,而Mg~(2+)的来源比较广泛.(4)叶如藏布流域大部分离子主要来源于陆地,受陆源影响从小到大排列顺序为:Na~+Mg~(2+)SO_4~(2-)Ca~(2+)K~+HCO_3~-.流域水文化学过程主要受岩石风化作用控制,特别是受到碳酸盐风化影响.以强木村为界,流域下游地区地表水化学特征受人类活动影响逐渐变大,特别是畜牧活动及人类施肥的影响.     

Waiting for the flood: technocratic time and impending disaster in the Himalayas

A landslide occurred in the region of Zanskar in the Indian Himalayas in 2015, damming the Tsarap River, creating a lake that effectively became a ticking time bomb, threatening villagers downstream. During the period between the discovery of the natural dam and the bursting of the lake, the state's approach to disaster management plunged the local population into a situation where ‘technocratic time’ ruled, as government experts handled the impending disaster at a rhythm dictated by the production of studies and reports. Analysis of the temporality of disaster mitigation and preparedness measures during this anticipated flood, as well as of the factors that surrounded the events, reveals how attitudes towards the state shaped people's perceptions of these interventions. In Zanskar, the technocratic pace and the state's lack of transparency were seen as a form of oppression that further marginalised the region, in particular by subjecting its population to the process of waiting.     

Biomass and carbon budgeting of sustainable agroforestry systems as ecosystem service in Indian Himalayas

Adoption of agroforestry is paramount as a climate change mitigation and adaptation strategy. The assessment of plant biomass is crucial for understanding the vulnerability of biological systems to climate change. In the present study, agroforestry systems viz., agrisilviculture (AS), agrihorticulture (AH), agrihortisilviculture (AHS) and agrisilvihorticulture (ASH) were investigated for biomass production and carbon stock in vegetation as well as in soil in the Indian central Himalaya along the elevation i.e. E₁ (<1100 m), E₂ (1100–1400 m), E₃ (1400–1700 m), E₄ (1700–2000 m) and E₅ (>2000 m). Mean aboveground and belowground biomass were 73.9% and 26.1%, respectively, of total biomass (64.4 t ha^?1) in agroforestry systems. Fodder and/or timber trees accounted for 31% (in AHS) to 74% (in AS) of total biomass, while fruit trees accounted for 18% (in ASH) to 73% (in AH) of total biomass. The contribution of agriculture crops to total biomass fluctuated between 19% (in ASH) and 26% (in AH). Total vegetation biomass, soil carbon and total carbon density in agroforestry systems increased significantly along the elevation, with maximum biomass at elevation E₅ (32.0 t ha^?1, 64.7 t C ha^?1 and 96.7 t C ha^?1). Total biomass of vegetation among agroforestry systems differed significantly. Soil carbon stock was highest in AHS (59.5 t C ha^?1) and total carbon density (vegetation + soil) was highest in ASH (93.0 t C ha^?1). Thus, in Indian Himalayas, vegetation biomass, carbon stock, soil and total carbon (vegetation + soil) stock increased along the elevation.

Abbrviations: AG: aboveground; BG: belowground; WD: wood density; VOB: volume over bark; BEF: biomass expansion factor; AS: agrisilviculture; AH: agrihorticulture; ASH: agrisilvihorticulture; AHS: agrihortisilviculture; E: elevation; C: carbon; CO₂: carbon-di-oxide; IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; DBH: diameter at breast height; AGBD: aboveground biomass density; BGBD: belowground biomass density; GSVD: growing stock volume density     

Indigenous Uses, Population Density, and Conservation of Threatened Medicinal Plants in Protected Areas of the Indian Himalayas

Abstract:  For 10 years I monitored the population density of threatened medicinal plant species in seven protected areas in the Indian Himalayas. I also documented the indigenous uses of threatened medicinal plants through interviews with 138 herbal healers (83 Tibetan healers and 55 Ayurvedic healers) residing in the buffer zone villages of these protected areas. To assess the population status of threatened medicinal plant species, I sampled the 10 major habitat types in the protected areas. In all, I found 60 threatened medicinal plant species during the study period, of which 54 species occurred in the sampling plots. Twenty-two percent of threatened medicinal plant species were critically endangered, 16% were endangered, and 27% were vulnerable. Thirty-two threatened medicinal plant species were endemic to the Himalayan region. The density of threatened medicinal plant species varied with protected areas. The Valley of Flowers protected area had the highest number of threatened medicinal plant species. The "moist" habitat type was richest in these species among all 10 habitat types sampled. Arnebia euchroma (Royle ex Benth.) Johnston and Ephedra gerardiana Wall. ex Stapf. were the most common threatened medicinal plant species. The indigenous groups of healers used these threatened species in curing about 45 different ailments. Based on my findings, I believe that to ensure the long-term sustainability of threatened medicinal plants, medicinal-plant conservation areas should be established.     

Refining logistic regression models for wildlife habitat suitability modeling—A case study with muntjak and goral in the Central Himalayas, India

High quality habitat suitability maps are indispensable for the management and planning of wildlife reserves. This is particularly important for megadiverse developing countries where shortages in skilled manpower and funding may preclude the use of mathematically complex modeling techniques and resource-intensive field surveys. In this study, we propose a simulation based k-fold partitioning and re-substitution approach to refine and update logistic regression models that are widely used for habitat suitability assessment and modeling. We test the modeling strategy using data from a rapid field survey conducted for habitat suitability assessment for muntjak (Muntiacus muntjak) and goral (Naemorrhaedus goral) in the central Himalayas, India. Results obtained from simulations match expectations in terms of model behavior and in terms of published habitat associations of the investigated species. Qualitative comparisons with predictions from the GARP, MaxEnt and Bioclimatic Envelopes modeling systems also show broad agreement with predictions obtained from the proposed technique. The proposed technique is suggested as a rapid-assessment precursor to detailed habitat studies such as patch occupancy modeling in situations where funds or trained manpower are not available.     

遗传资源获取与惠益分享:在兴都库什-喜马拉雅地区的机遇与挑战

在分析兴都库什-喜马拉雅地区生物资源和生物贸易特点基础上,本文就《国际生物多样性公约》框架下的《名古屋议定书》在本地区实施的主要机遇和挑战进行了分析。研究认为,本地区各国在具体执行议定书时面临的困难依然严峻,应该不断在议定书的法律框架下规范遗传资源以及相关传统知识的贸易、使用与共享机制。同时,不断完善法律体系建设,提高全民资源保护意识、建立良好信用制度,提高遗传资源获取和鉴定的科学技术水平。     

Surveying of aquatic insect diversity of Chandrabhaga river,Garhwal Himalayas

Aquatic insect diversity in the Chandrabhaga, an important headwater stream of Garhwal Himalayas, was surveyed for a period of twelve months (October 1999 to September 2000). All the important physico-chemical environmental variables (temperature, water velocity, hydromedian depth, transparency, turbidity, total dissolved solids, pH, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, free CO₂, nitrates, phosphates, sodium and potassium) of the aquatic ecosystem were measured monthly for one year. Aquatic insects were sampled from three sites (S₁, S₂ & S₃) of the headwater stream Chandrabhaga. Aquatic insects of Chandrabhaga were represented by the members of the orders of Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, Plecoptera and Odonata. The maximum density of aquatic insects was recorded in the month of March (4,165 ind. m⁻²) and minimum in the month of August (680 ind. m⁻²). The annual contribution of Trichoptera (38%) and Ephemeroptera (32%) was observed to be maximum, while Odonata contributed minimum (2%) to the total aquatic insect density. The present study on the relationship between physico-chemical environmental variables and the density of aquatic insects revealed that the velocity of water, hydromedian depth, turbidity and dissolved oxygen in addition to composition and texture of the bottom substrates have significant impact on benthic aquatic insects’ density and their diversity. The ecological relevance of the measured hydrological attributes was investigated by composing their degree of correlation with insects density and diversity. The diversity index (Shannon–Weiner) of aquatic insects dwelling in the Chandrabhaga river ranged from 2.54 to 3.86. Some of the natural and anthropogenic environmental factors contributing towards the degradation of the watershed of the Chandrabhaga have been identified, and ameliorative measures for the conservation of the aquatic insect diversity have been suggested.     

Effect of aspect on the structure of some natural stands of Abies pindrow in Himalayan moist temperate forest

The effects of aspect, altitude, and slope have been observed on the moist temperate forests of Abies pindrow Spach in the Garhwal Himalaya, India. Four aspects, namely, north-east, north-west, south-east and south-west, have been studied to understand the growth behaviour of A. pindrow at varying altitudes. The total basal cover was found to be highest (5099.6 cm²/100 m²) on the north-east facing slopes, and lowest (3092.7 cm²/100 m²) on the south-east facing slopes. The A. pindrow was found to be associated with Quercus semecarpifolia as a main companion species on all the faces, whereas, Lyonia ovalifolia, was associated only on the west facing slopes.     

喜马拉雅山中段北坡对流层中上部大气降水化学的高程分布特征

1997年夏季在希夏邦马峰北坡达索普冰川区(28°33′N,85°44′E)海拔5800m～7000m区间对4次降雪过程进行了系统的采样工作,目的是认识全球偏远地区对流层中上部大气成分的高程分布特征.达索普冰川区夏季4次降水中,局地大陆性气团降水SO₄^2-、NO₃^-、Ca²⁺和Mg²⁺之间存在显著的正相关性,而海洋性气团降水4种离子之间的相关性变化较大,说明在夏季低尘埃阶段大气中各种离子的主导来源处在短期的(如数天)变化中.这种离子主导来源的变化同时也影响了降水中离子的高程分布特征.总体上达索普冰川区夏季降水中NO₃^-、Ca²⁺、Mg²⁺浓度随海拔的升高呈减小趋势,SO₄^2-浓度则为增大趋势.