Resource utilization pattern analysis in Pali Gad watershed of Tehri, Garhwal Himalaya (India).

Abstract

The western Himalaya has had a central role as a life support system for the local people and as a source of ecological services.This long term use of these resources,including livestock grazing,fuel wood collection and a variety of other uses,has shaped its montane cultural landscape.The present paper focuses on resource utilization in the Pali Gad watershed,which consists of 25 villages situated in the lesser Himalaya.Using a satellite derived map,natural resources available in this area were assessed,and the ecosystem services provided by them and level of pressure on them were computed through a door to door socioeconomic survey.The study revealed a spatio-temporal variation in the resource demand and extraction at the permanent villages.Average fuel wood consumption was 1.12 kg/day/capita,fodder consumption was 3.69 kg/day/capita from lopping and 3.25 kg/day/capita from grass collection from forest.An attempt has been taken to evaluate the ecosystem services.The forest provides more provisional and regulatory services,whereas agriculture provides more supporting services and river bed/water bodies serve more cultural purposes for the locals.This study contributes an example of a human shaped ecosystem in a mountainous region where an additional fragmentation of natural resources exists.An increase in resource demand has been noticed in the less productive lands of the region.This has resulted in increased resource extraction from the entire watershed may not be sustainable in the long run.