Ecological implications of traditional livestock husbandry and associated land use practices: A case study from the trans-Himalaya, India

Chandrasekhar, K.; Rao, K. S.; Maikhuri, R. K.; Saxena, K. G.

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2006.09.002

Cited by 17 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…However, in other livestock feeding systems in India, goats are also recipients for larger amounts of crop residues (e.g. in Himachal Pradesh, India, with 14.3 and 5.8% of the cool season diets of goats and cattle, respectively; Chandrasekhar et al, 2007), which suggests that the present findings are rather due to traditions in the study area than reflecting animal-related feeding preferences. Long-term storage of crop residues or other feeds, not yet common in the study area, could help reducing pressure on woody plant resources.…”

Section: Pasture Management and Livestock Husbandrymentioning

confidence: 73%

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Forage resource use by cattle or goats at an Indian protected area: Differences and implications for conservation

Müller

Babu

Saklani

et al. 2012

Journal of Arid Environments

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Section: Pasture Management and Livestock Husbandrymentioning

confidence: 73%

“…For this calculation it was assumed that forage supply was not limiting intake and that the total quantity ingested would be similar to that observed in Chandrasekhar et al (2007), i.e. 1.1 and 5.4 kg of oven-dry forage/ day consumed by goats and cattle at average body weights of 31 kg and 190 kg, respectively.…”

Section: Data Processing and Statistical Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forage resource use by cattle or goats at an Indian protected area: Differences and implications for conservation

Müller

Babu

Saklani

et al. 2012

Journal of Arid Environments

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“…Environmentalist (2008) 28:429-445 441 Second, labour productivity/net economic returns from the tank-based ICS is lower than the other traditional land-uses like the HGS. Government support to canal-based irrigation systems innovated by local communities in other regions of the Indian Himalaya (Rao and Saxena 1994;Chandrasekhar et al 2007) are likely to be more useful than that to the present tank-based irrigation system. Replacement of traditional crops by altogether new cash crops as a means of economic development (Midmore et al 1996;Semwal et al 2004) is not visible in the study village possibly because farmers are likely to turn to modern inputs only when they have exhausted the potential of their traditional methods (Abdoulaye and Lowenberg-DeBoer 2000).…”

Section: Diospyros Montanamentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing land-use diversity in village landscapes for sustainable mountain development: a case study from Indian Himalaya

et al. 2008

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This study aimed to analyze the ecological, socio-economic and policy implications of land-use diversity in a traditional village landscape (900-1,000 m amsl.) in the Garhwal region of Indian Himalaya. The village landscape was differentiated into three major land-use types viz., forests, settled agriculture and shifting agriculture. Settled agriculture was further differentiated into four agroecosystem types viz., homegarden system (HGS), rainfed agroforestry system (RAS), rainfed crop system (RCS) and irrigated crop system (ICS), and shifting agriculture system (SAS) was differentiated into different stages of a 4-year long cropping phase and a 7-year long fallow phase, and forests into Community Forests (CF) and Reserve Forests (RF). HGS is the most productive agroecosystem, with soil organic carbon and nutrient concentrations significantly higher than all other forest/agricultural land-uses. Farmers capitalize upon crop diversity to cope with the risks and uncertainties of a monsoon climate and spatial variability in ecological factors influencing productivity. The SAS, a landuse adopted as a means of acquiring inheritable rights over larger land holdings provided in the policies during the 1890s, is less efficient in terms of land productivity than the traditional RAS and HGS but is maintained for its high labour productivity coupled with availability of high-quality fuelwood from fallow vegetation. Dominance of fodder trees in the RAS seems to derive from policies causing shortage of fodder available from forests. Cultural norms have favoured equity by allowing hiring of labour only from within the village community and income from non-timber forest products only to the weaker section of the society. Conversion of rainfed to irrigated cropping, a change facilitated by the government, improves agricultural productivity but also increases pressure on forests due to higher rates of farmyard manure input to the irrigated crops. Existing forest management systems are not effective in maintenance of a large basal area in forests together with high levels of species richness, soil fertility and resistance to invasive alien species Lantana camara. Farmers have to spend huge amount of labour and time in producing manure, managing livestock and other subsidiary farm activities. Interlinkages among agriculture, forests and rural economy suggest a need of replacing the present policies of treating agricultural development, forest conservation and economic development as independent sectors by an integrated sustainable development policy. The policy should promote technological and institutional innovations enabling parallel improvements in agricultural productivity and functions of forest ecosystems.

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“…Since most of the old human settlements are on the southern slope, it is easier to bring their livestock to the pastures on the southern slope. A. naviculare is not a preferred species for livestock, but it is frequently browsed by goat and sheep, because latter two animals are non-selective in foraging (Chandrashekhar et al 2007). Trampling damage is, however, more important than browsing.…”

Section: Habitat Conditionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fortunately, in most sites, A. naviculare was found associated with thorny and sclerophyllous species (Table 1) which reduces the chances of damages by livestock and collection by human. These thorny species are generally excluded by large animals such as cow, yak and dzomos with wide mouth (Chandrashekhar et al 2007). In the sites of high grazing pressure such as Ice lake area, Manang hill, Khangsar, Yak Kharka and Thorong Phedi, A. naviculare is virtually absent in open areas and is exclusively confined in the bushes of the thorny and sclerophyllous species.…”

Section: Habitat Conditionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat range of two alpine medicinal plants in a trans-Himalayan dry valley, Central Nepal

Shrestha

Jha

2009

J. Mt. Sci.

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Understanding of the habitat range of threatened Himalayan medicinal plants which are declining in their abundance due to high anthropogenic disturbances is essential for developing conservation strategies and agrotechnologies for cultivation. In this communication, we have discussed the habitat range of two alpine medicinal plants, Aconitum naviculare (Brühl) Stapf and Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora (Pennel) Hong in a trans-Himalayan dry valley of central Nepal, Manang district. They are the most prioritized medicinal plants of the study area in terms of ethnomedicinal uses. A. naviculare occurs on warm and dry south facing slopes between 4090~4650 m asl along with sclerophyllous and thorny alpine scrubs, while N. scrophulariiflora is exclusively found on cool and moist north facing slope between 4000 and 4400 m asl where adequate water is available from snow melt to create a suitable habitat for this wetland dependent species. The soil in rooting zone of the two plants differs significantly in organic carbon (OC), organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (N) and carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio. Due to cool and moist condition of N. scrophulariiflora habitat, accumulation of soil OC is higher, but soil N content is lower probably due to slow release from litter, higher leaching loss and greater retention in perennial live biomass of the plant. The C/N ratio of soil is more suitable in A. navuculare habitat than that of N scrophulariiflora for N supply. Warm and sunny site with N rich soil can be suitable for cultivation of A. naviculare, while moist and cool site with organic soil for N. scrophulariiflora. The populations of both the plants are fragmented and small. Due to collection by human and trampling damage by livestock, the population of A. naviculare was found absent in open areas in five of the six sampling sites and it was confined only within the bushes of alpine scrubs. For N. scrophulariiflora, high probability of complete receding of small glaciers may be a new threat in future to its habitat. The information about habitat conditions, together with the information from other areas, can be useful to identify potential habitats and plan for cultivation or domestication of the two medicinal plants.

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Ecological implications of traditional livestock husbandry and associated land use practices: A case study from the trans-Himalaya, India

Cited by 17 publications

References 53 publications

Forage resource use by cattle or goats at an Indian protected area: Differences and implications for conservation

Forage resource use by cattle or goats at an Indian protected area: Differences and implications for conservation

Characterizing land-use diversity in village landscapes for sustainable mountain development: a case study from Indian Himalaya

Habitat range of two alpine medicinal plants in a trans-Himalayan dry valley, Central Nepal

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