Socio-Cultural Values of Ecosystem Services from Oak Forests in the Eastern Himalaya

Abstract

Identification and assessment of socio-cultural values of ecosystem services are increasingly important for the planning and management of forest resources. Key information necessary is how different forest user groups perceive and prioritize different ecosystem services based on their local setting. We assessed the socio-cultural values of ecosystem services of high-altitude oak forests in Western Bhutan using participatory approaches with two important forest users: local communities and forest experts. We found that these forests serve as a pool of 22 ecosystem services under four MEA categories of provisioning (9), regulating (8), supporting (2), and cultural (3) services. Fresh water was unanimously identified as the most valuable service, as well as the most vulnerable, by both the groups. The priorities of local communities inclined towards provisioning and cultural services due to their dependence on these services for their livelihood and wellbeing. Forest experts’ priorities were more evenly spread over three categories of services: provisioning, regulating, and supporting services, reflecting their broader interest in resource management, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation. Several regulating and supporting services were not easily identified by many villagers, suggesting that bridging the priorities of local interests with broader national forestry goals may require public partnerships and integrated decision-making about the entire suite of ecosystem services. Several management interventions proposed by the groups were presented for consideration by local users, scientists, and policy makers. For all ongoing and future ecosystem service assessments, we recommend the integration of socio-cultural values with biophysical and monetary assessments to fully value the benefits from the high-altitude oak forests.

Tree shelters facilitate brown oak seedling survival and establishment in a grazing‐dominant forest of Bhutan, Eastern Himalaya

“…Rotational grazing and protection of planted areas for a longer term are not feasible due to limited availability alternate grazing land as well as due to invasion by undesirable shrubs in the absence of grazing. Further, the dependence of rural livelihoods on a suite of ecosystem services, including free grazing in the forests, is a historical right (Dorji et al ) and the primary source of rural household income (Moktan et al ; Namgay et al ). In such situations, protecting primary species of interest is a viable compromise, particularly following regular mass plantation programs.…”

Toward SDGs: Forest, Market and Human Wellbeing Nexus in Indian Western Himalayas

“…The actual value of forests and other natural resources and their contribution to levels of human wellbeing cannot be assessed without knowing their role in the development of directly dependent communities (Uitto, 2019). It is imperative to capture the broad spectrum of values that local communities place on a particular service and to assess local views and attitudes as a basis for situation wise forest management intervention, meaning decisions are not made completely in the dark (Papageorgiou et al, 2005;Dorji et al, 2019). Community not only depends on natural resources for economic reasons, but these resources also shape and determine the cultural, social, and institutional framework of their life that blend to provide a level of predictability and stability to achieve a higher level of human wellbeing.…”

Urbanization and Decline of Old Growth Windbreak Trees on Private Homesteads: A Case Study in Ryukyu Island Villages, Japan

“…Trees were planted as windbreaks for the houses of people living on the island of Okinawa and became useless for many home owners when concrete houses-built using improved architectural technology-became strong enough to resist wind [49]. Identifying the diverse sociocultural values of ecosystem services is increasingly important for the planning and management of forest resources [50][51][52]. Alternative uses of Fukugi trees, such as beautification as a tourist attraction [53], should be demonstrated to administrative staff and residents to develop conservation awareness.…”