Pastoral Practices, Wild Mammals and Conservation Status of Alpine Meadows in Western Himalaya

2007·4 MB·

by  G S Rawat

Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 104 (1), Jan-Apr 2007 5-11
PASTORAL PRACTICES, WILD MAMMALS AND CONSERVATION STATUS
OF ALPINE MEADOWS IN WESTERN HIMALAYA1
GS.Rawat2
'Accepted December 07, 2006
-’Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun 248 001, Uttarakhand, India. Email: [email protected]
Anecologicalexpedition wasconductedacrossthealpineregionofwesternHimalaya,fromJunetoOctober2004,to
assess the conservation status ofalpine meadows, current land use practices, patterns ofplant species diversity and
wildlifeuse.Thispaperdealswiththefindingspertainingtopastoralpractices,abundanceofwildmammalsandstatus
ofalpinemeadowsundervarying intensityoflivestockgrazing. Barring 3-4 protectedareas (PAs), mostofthealpine
meadowswereheavilygrazedduringsummer.Abundanceofwildmammalswasverylowinheavilygrazedanddegraded
PAs. Unlessmanagementauthoritiesrationalizelivestockgrazing, inconsultationwiththelocal communities, several
PAswouldfailtomeetconservationobjectives,andalpine meadowswouldfurtherdegrade,leadingtoenvironmental
disasterintheregion.
Keywords: alpinemeadows,ecologicalexpedition,habitatdegradation,livestockgrazing,pastoralpractices,western
Himalaya,wildmammals
INTRODUCTION Himalaya:(i)alpinemoistmeadowsonthesouthfacingslopes
ofGreater Himalaya dominated by herbaceous formations,
The alpine zone occupies nearly 33% of the locallytermedasBugyalinUttarakhand,KandainHimachal
geographical area in the Himalayan region and represents Pradesh and Marg in Jammu and Kashmir, (ii) alpine dry
one of the most fascinating biomes, well known for its pastureslocated intherainshadowzoneortrans-Himalayan
biological, geo-hydrological, aesthetic and cultural values. zonecharacterizedbydryscrubanddesertsteppedominated
This zone is separated by a distinct treeline towards lower by graminoids (RawatandAdhikari 2005). The tworegions
elevation that lies around 3300 ± 200 m above msl in the differconsiderablyintermsofplantcommunitycomposition,
m
westernHimalaya,and3800±200 abovemsl intheeastern primaryproductivityandhistoryofgrazingbydomesticand
Himalaya. Diversity of life forms, structure and species wild ungulates (Mishra2001 Bagchi etal. 2004). Although
;
compositionofalpinevegetationhasalwaysattractedalarge the alpine meadows play an important role in relieving the
number of naturalists, phyto-geographers and ecologists grazing pressure on the forests and the grazing land ofthe
(e.g.,Mani 1974;Rau 1975).The moststrikingfeatureofthe lower altitudes, increased livestock and overuse has led to
alpine vegetation is an abundance of herbaceous plants degradationofalpinehabitats(Rawat 1998).Severalecologists
alongnarrowclimaticgradientsexhibitinginterestingpatterns have pointed out that the alpine meadows in many parts of
ofadaptationstoharsh environments, shortgrowing season theGreaterHimalayahavebeenoverusedanddegraded(Negi
and relatively recent Palaeo-history (Korner 1999; Vishnu- et al. 1993; Sundriyal 1989; Shah 1988). It has also been
Mittre 1984).Thoughhighlyfragileanddynamic,thealpine established that extensive grazing by migratory livestock
habitats not only support diverse groups offauna, but also negatively affects the habitat and abundance of ungulates
formtheuppercatchmentsofthe Himalayanriversthatserve (Sathyakumaretal. 1993; Bhatnagaretal. 2000; Vinodand
as lifeline for millions of people along their lower basins. Sathyakumar 2005). Nevertheless, livestock grazing in the
Hence, the healthand integrity ofthe alpineecosystems has alpine areas ofthe Himalaya is likely to continue as major
direct bearing on the life-support system, environmental land use fora long time, in the absence ofbetter livelihood
stability, biodiversity and human welfare in theregion. optionsforlocalcommunities.Dependingonchangingsocio-
The alpine meadows ofwestern Himalaya have been economic conditions of the local people, livestock
usedforlivestockgrazingbyalargenumberofagro-pastoral composition and grazing pressures have changed in many
communitiesforseveralcenturies(Tucker 1986).Otherhuman areas. Thiscalls foralandscape level assessmentofgrazing
activitiesinthealpineareasincludeextractionofwildmedicinal pressure, wildlife abundance and status ofmeadows.
plants for local as well as commercial use, pilgrimage, This paperdeals with the pastoral practices, livestock
recreation such as trekking, camping and skiing. Broadly, densities and abundance ofwild mammals across the alpine
there are two categories of meadows in the alpine zone of landscape in western Himalayabasedon arecent ecological
PASTORAL PRACTICES, WILD MAMMALS AND CONSERVATION STATUS OF ALPINE MEADOWS
expedition.Conservationstatusofthealpinemeadowsunder Reserves(BRs),NPs,WLSs, VanPanchayat RFs,USFswere
,
varying intensity of livestock grazing has been discussed. obtainedfromforest/revenuerecords. Informationwasalso
The majorobjectives ofthe expedition were to (i) study the collectedontheapproximateareaofthemeadows,dominant
patterns of plant species diversity across environmental vegetation types, intensity of human use and number of
gradients, (ii)quantifythe availabilityofwildmedicinal and livestockanddurationofgrazing. Directandindirectevidence
aromatic plants (MAPs) in the alpine region, (iii) assess the ofwild mammals were recorded alongthe surveyrouteon a
ecological condition ofthe alpine habitats vis-a-vis current daily basis, aided by previous experience, local informants
landusepractices,and(iv)documentthewildlifeuseofalpine andavailableliterature(Prater 1980;Menon2003).
meadowsalongthesurveyroute.Theresultsoftheexpedition Conservation status of alpine meadows / vegetation
for the state ofUttaranchal (now Uttarakhand) are given in wasassessedalongthesurveyroute. Fromtheherders’ point
Rawat(2005). of view, good pastures are characterized by dominance of
palatable forbs, absence of weedy and unpalatable species,
STUDYAREAANDMETHODS and an extensive area that could support larger herds.
Ecologically, sites with better conservation status are those
An ecological expedition across the alpine region of which represent the full range of alpine habitats (and
western HimalayawasconductedfromJunetoOctober2004 microhabitats), without human induced soil erosion. About
covering the states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and 162 meadows were rapidly assessed in terms of stages of
Jammu and Kashmir. Over 2500 km was traversed on foot degradationandoneofthefollowingcategorieswasassigned
covering an altitudinal zone of 3300-5500 m above msl on toeach: (a)Pristinemeadows(climaticclimaxwith leastsoil
eithersideoftheGreaterHimalaya.Thestartingpointofthe erosion caused dueto anthropogenic activities), (b) Slightly
expedition was near the Indo-Nepal border in Uttarakhand degraded or intact meadows, (c) Moderately degraded
(30°06'3 .7"Nand80°50'04.7"E),endingnearAmarnathin meadows (gently undulating areas with short duration of
1
KashmirHimalaya(34° 12'49.4”Nand75°27’48.8"E).Alarge grazingonly bysheepandgoats) (d)Heavilydegradedareas
number of forest officials and field staff of State Forest characterized by heavy soil erosion and infested by spiny
Departments joined the expedition at various places, in herbs(Cirsiumfalconeri, C. verutumandMorinalongifolia),
addition toafew volunteers. The expedition routecovereda and unpalatable herbs Rumex nepalensis Phlomis
( ,
numberofwildlifesanctuaries(WLSs),nationalparks(NPs), bracteosa Hackelia uncinata and Osmunda claytoniana),
,
communityownedforestsorgrazinglands VanPanchayat), amongothers.Thesecriteriaarenotapplicableforassessment
(
reservedforests (RFs) andunclassified state forests (USFs). ofalpine vegetation in the trans-Himalaya or closer to high
Onanaverage,adistanceof 15-20kmwastraversedinaday. alpine pioneervegetation.
Over300sitesweresampledfor 10x 1 sq. mrandomquadrants
for the analysis of species diversity following Rawat et al. RESULTSANDDISCUSSION
(2001).Thelandscapelevel surveyallowedanassessmentof
a wide range ofvegetation formations and habitats, such as Pastoral Practices
glaciated valleys, plateaus, moraines, high passes, scree Fivedistinctpastoralpracticesareprevalentacrossthe
slopes, glacial outwash, avalanchetraps, streamcourses and alpine landscape in the western Himalaya: nomadic, semi-
stable slopes. Environmental parameters, such as soil depth, nomadic, nuclear transhumance, trans-migratory and
soiltexture,altitudeandaspect,werenotedandgeographical sedentary (resident). True nomadic pastoralism is practiced
co-ordinatesateachsamplepointwererecordedusingGlobal mainlybythechangpaherdersintheChangthangplateauof
Positioning System (GPS), tobe analysed in detail at a later Ladakh, which lies outside the limits ofcurrent survey. The
date. The majorPAs visitedduring the survey includeAskot gujjars (the buffalo herders in the southern slopes of the
WLS,NandaDeviBiosphereReserve,ValleyofFlowersNP, Greater Himalaya and the Shivaliks) have over the years
KedamathWLS,GangotriNP,GovindWLS,ChurdharWLS, shiftedfromnomadic to semi-nomadic lifestyle. Thegaddis
RakshamChitkulWLS,Rupi-BhabaWLS,Seichu-TuanWLS, andbakarwalsofHimachalPradesh andJammu & Kashmir
RungdumWLSandThajwasWLS.Theroutefollowedduring followsemi-nomadiclifestyle(onlyfewmembersofafamily
the survey is shown in Fig 1. movelongdistancewiththeirlivestock). Manyagro-pastoral
Information on the pastoral practices and number of communitiesinUttarakhandandHimachal Pradesh practice
livestock(specieswise)wascollectedalongthesurveyroute nuclear transhumance (a part ofthe family moves to higher
throughinformal interviewswiththeherdersandlocalforest altitudes closer to treeline along with surplus cattle). Trans-
officials.LegalandmanagementstatusofthelandinBiosphere migration(seasonalaltitudinalmovementbytheentirefamily
6 J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 104 (1), Jan-Apr 2007
PASTORAL PRACTICES, WILD MAMMALS AND CONSERVATION STATUS OF ALPINE MEADOWS
Fig 1: Route followed and localities covered during the alpine expedition (2004)
1= ByansValky, 2 = Darma &Askot WLS, 3 =JoharValley, 4 = North of Nanda Devi BR, 5 = Valleyof Flowers NP, 6 = Kedarnath WLS,
7= Khatling, 8=Gangotri NP, 9= Nilang Valley, 10=Gidara, 11 =Govind WLS, 12= Raksham ChitkulWLS, 13=Sangla Valley,
14 = Rupi-BhabaWLS, 15 = Bhrigu lake & Rohtang, 16= Paton Valley, Lahul, 17= Pangi, 18= MyarValley,
19 = Padam, Zanskar, 20 = Surru valley, 21 = Thajwas WLS, 22 =Amarnath
along with the livestock) is practiced mainly by the bhotiya need immediate reversal if conservation has to succeed in
communities invariouspartsofUttarakhand, suchas Byans, and around the nearby PAs.
Darma, Johar and the upper basins of Alaknanda and Densities oflivestock in the alpine meadows ofthree
Bhagirathi.Presentlyonly20-30%oftheoriginalhouseholds states have been compared in Table 1. The survey revealed
andonly few membersineachfamilyalong with mostofthe that livestock densities in the alpine areas of Uttarakhand
livestock, except milch cattle, migrate to the distant alpine (33.92±10.01 /sq.km)weremuchhighercomparedtoHimachal
valleys,intheprocessmakingavailableseveralalpinepastures Pradesh(17.55±9.25/sq. km)andJammu& Kashmir(10.45
for other c^nmunities belonging to the lower parts of the ±12.33/sq.km). ItistobenotedthattheherdersfromChamba,
state (Uttarakhand) and the gaddi herders from Himachal KangraandotherpartsofHimachalPradeshtaketheirsheep
Pradesh.Inthe highaltitudevillagesofKinnaur,Spiti,Lahul, and goats either towards the Sarchu plains in Jammu and
Pangi and Zanskar there is round the year grazing by the Kashmir or to the alpine valleys of Uttarakhand, which is
resident livestock, in addition to migratory livestock. In ascribed to degradation of alpine pastures and shortage of
Chamoli, Tehri, Uttarkashi and Kinnaur districts, several forage in the state (personal interviews with the herders).
familiesdrivetheirscrubcattletosub-alpineandalpineareas Highest densities of sheep and goats were observed in the
forfree grazingduringthe snow free period (June-October). alpine areas of Govind WLS (50 sheep and goats, and
Thispractice leadstofasterdegradationofmeadowsandwill 10bovidsandequidspersq. km)followedbyThajwasWLS
1 Bombay Nat. Hist Soc., 104 (1), Jan-Apr 2007 7
PASTORAL PRACTICES, WILD MAMMALS AND CONSERVATION STATUS OF ALPINE MEADOWS
Table 1 Density of livestock in alpine meadows of Western Himalaya
Parameters Uttarakhand HimachalPradesh Jammu&Kashmir
Geographical Area (sq. km) 53,485 55,670 222,240
Area underAlpine Vegetation (sq. km)** 8,524 17,296 131,851
Density of sheep & goats in alpine areas (no. / sq. km) 33.92 ± 2.65 17.55 ± 9.25 10.45 ± 12.33
Density of bovids & equids in alpine areas* (no. /sq. km) 2.48 ± 2.65 1.62 ±2.46 1.42 ± 1.27
(Source: *StateAnimal Husbandry Departments, **Lal etat. 1991)
(31 sheep and goats, and 20 mules per sq. km) and Rupi- hodgsoni and Wild Yak (Bos grunniens locally known as
)
BhabaWLS(23 sheepandgoats,and3-4bovidspersq. km). ‘dong'). Furtherstatussurveyswouldberequiredtoconfirm
Except core areas ofNandaDevi NP, Valley ofFlowers NP theirpresenceintheinteriorareasofthisPark.Itisalsotobe
and part ofGangotri NP, all PAs had high grazing pressure noted that inner drier ranges of Uttarakhand exhibit
(mean density ofsheepandgoats 28.23 ±17.90/sq. km,and characteristics of trans-Himalaya rather than Greater
bovids and equids 2.15 ±2.87 /sq. km). Interestingly, mean Himalaya. This calls for a slight modification of current
livestock densities during peak summer months outsidethe biogeographic classification suggested by Rodgers and
PAs (22.21 ±19.16 sheep and goats /sq. km and 1.97 ±1.81 Panwar(1988).
bovidsandequids/sq. km werelowercomparedtodensities Highest abundance of wild ungulates was found
)
withinPAs,thoughthedifferencesarenotsignificant(Table2). enroutetoGangotriglacier(partofGangotriNP).Inawalkof
3km,65BlueSheepinfourgroupsweresighted.Thisvalley
1
Abundanceofwildmammals (c. 250 sq. km) has been protected from livestock grazing
Ofabout5I speciesofwildmammalsreportedfromthe since the last decade and according to a recent survey, it
alpine region ofwestern Himalaya (Menon 2003), only 25 supportsapopulationof270-300BlueSheep(WildlifeWarden,
wereseenorrecordedalongthesurveyroute.The 6species Gangotri NP, pers. comm.). Estimates for Himalayan Musk
1
sighted were Himalayan Tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus), Deer and other mammals are not available from this valley.
HimalayanMuskDeer(Moschuschrysogcister), BlueSheep UppercatchmentsofGirthiGanga(partofNandaDevi BRin
(Pseudoisnayaur),Goral(.Nemorhaedusgoral),AsiaticBlack Uttarakhand) also showedhigherabundance ofBlue Sheep,
Bear (Selenarctos thibetanus), Himalayan Yellow-throated HimalayanMarmotandSnowLeopardcomparedtoallother
Marten (Martes flavigula). Red Fox Vulpes vulpes), sectors along the survey route. The shepherds reported
(
Himalayan Marmot Marmota himalayana). Long-tailed frequent killings of domestic sheep and goats by Snow
(
Marmot (Marmota caudate), Himalayan Weasel (Mustela Leopard in this area. A major portion of this landscape
sibirica), HimalayanPalmCivet(Pagumalan’ata),Tibetan represents alpine arid pasture (steppe vegetation), which is
Woolly Hare (Lepus oiostolus), Royle’s Pika (Ochotona contiguous with the Tibetan plateau. Livestock grazing in
roylei), Large-eared Pika (O. macrotis), Mountain Vole thisvalleyiscarriedoutonlyforashortperiod(July-August).
(Alticola argentatus) and Lesser Bat (Hipposideros sp?), OtherPAswestofGovindWLShadamuchlowerabundance
while the other 8 species, namely Hangul Cervus elaphus
(
hanglu), Serow (Nemorhaedus sumatraensis), Himalayan Table 2: A comparison of livestock densities within PAs and
Brown Bear Ursus arctos Tibetan Wolf Canis lupus outside PAs within alpine region of Western Himalaya*
( ), (
chanco Snow Leopard Uncia uncia Himalayan Stoator
), ( ), Parameters Inside PAs Outside PAs
Ermine (Mustela erminea),TibetanWildAss (Equuskiang) (N = 14) (N = 13)
and Golden Jackal Canis aureus were confirmed based on
)
indirectevidencesuchasskin,horns,skull,tracks,droppings Approximate area 3205.00 3685.00
andreliablelocalinformants. Oneofthesignificantfindings surveyed (sq. km)
of this survey is the direct and indirect evidence of a few gDoeantssit±ySofDs(hneoe.p/s&q. km) 28.23 ± 17.90 22.21 ± 19.16
trans-Himalayan mammals (Woolly Hare and Tibetan Wild
Density of bovids & 2.15 ± 2.87 2.06 ±2.38
Ass) along the northern fringes ofUttarakhand. There is no equids± SD (no./sq. km)
report of these species from Uttarakhand in published
*Note: Independent samples test: No SD in the densities of sheep
literature.InNilangValley(partofGangotriNP)localpeople andgoats(t=0.842; df=24.487, 95%confidence interval)and bovids
reported presence ofTibetanArgali orNayan (Ovisammon and equids (t=0.200; df=22.130, 95% confidence interval)
8 J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 104 (1), Jan-Apr 2007
PASTORAL PRACTICES, WILD MAMMALS AND CONSERVATION STATUS OF ALPINE MEADOWS
ofwildmammals.Accordingtoforestofficials,livestockkilling Matted shrubs / shrubberies, (iv) Danthonia grasslands,
by Brown Bear in Govind WLS has been a major cause of (v) Kobresia meadows, and (vi) Cushionoid vegetation.
concern. The alpine areas of Seichu Tuan WLS in Pangi Characteristic features of these meadows are described by
supportsmallpopulationsofHimalayanTahr,HimalayanIbex, Rawat (2005). Vegetation cover and number of species per
Brown BearandHimalayanMuskDeer.Officialestimatesof unit area were the highest in tall and short herbaceous
Ibex and HimalayanTahr in this sanctuary are 250-300 and meadows, especially in the high rainfall zones of Greater
50-60respectively,butthereisalsoaheavyinfluxoflivestock Himalaya(cover>90% andspeciesrichness35-45 persite).
(>2500 sheep and goats) during summer. Raksham-Chiktul, Kobresiameadowsaregenerallyconsideredclimaxformations
m
Churdhar and Thajwas sanctuaries exhibited the least on the southfacinghigh alpine (>4000 abovemsl) slopes.
abundance of wild mammals. Incidentally, Churdhar and Of the 162 random sites assessed for stages ofdegradation
Thajwas sanctuaries are <100 sq. kmin size and have very within the moist meadows of the Greater Himalaya, only
high livestock densities. 6 sites (3.7%) were classified as ‘pristine meadows’. Intact
The alpine areas outside the current PA network also (slightly degraded), moderately degraded and heavily
varied considerably in terms of wildlife abundance. As degraded sites constituted 18.5, 39 and 30.8% respectively.
expected, interior localities free from human habitation and Thirteen sites (8%) showed signs ofrecovery from heavily
lowgrazingpressurehadhigherabundanceofwildmammals. degraded stages to moderate stage. The meadows grazedby
However, such areas are vulnerable to poaching, unless heavierlivestock(especiallybuffaloes,cattleandequids)for
regulated by the local communities themselves. A hill slope a longerperiod were the most degraded.
opposite Niti village in Uttarakhand (buffer zone ofNanda Conservationstatusofalpinemeadowswasbestwithin
Devi BR) hasbeen protectedby the villagers from livestock afewPAs,namelyValleyofFlowersNP,partsofNandaDevi
grazingforthelast8-10years,mainlyforfodderandmedicinal BR, Kedarnath WLS, and interiors of Tehri-Uttarkashi
herbs. This slope offers excellent sub-alpine and alpine districts in Uttarakhand. The sub-alpine slopes ofThajwas
habitats. Inawalkofabout2km, 12pilesofHimalayanMusk WLS and Amarnath were dominated by a least preferred,
Deer pellets were encountered on this slope. It was also unpalatable grass Stipa sibirica. Some of the heavily
interesting to find three active colonies of the Himalayan degradedalpinesitesincludedDayara,Auli,Panwali Kantha,
Marmotinthesamearea.OccurrenceoftheHimalayanMusk Kedarkantha in Uttarakhand, Churdhar, Sangla Valley,
Deerand the Himalayan Marmot in the samehabitathas not Rohtang-BhriguTal, Rupi BhabaWLSin Himachal Pradesh,
beenreportedfromotherpartsoftheHimalaya.Otherexamples andAmarnath,ThajwasareasinKashmir.The alpineslopes
of community regulated resource use and restriction on in Sangla Valley and many parts ofLahul are vulnerable to
poachingwereseeninJoharvalley(Uttarakhand),UpperSural encroachment,especially forcultivationofcashcrops, such
valleyinPangisub-division(HimachalPradesh)andRungdum as Green Pea Pisum sativum). Within the Zanskar range,
(
areaofSurraValley(JammuandKashmir).Excessivegrazing conservation status ofpastures wasbest alongthe left bank
and rush for high value MAPs, such as the Palm Orchid ofSurra river, especially from Rangdum to Nun Kun base.
(Dactylorhiza liatagirea) and Caterpillar Mushroom These slopes were reported to have moderate livestock
(Cordyceps sinensis) by local communities in the Greater grazing and support a reasonably good population of Blue
HimalayaofUttarakhandarethemajorfactorsaffectingwild Sheep.ThajwasWLS isgrazedby morethan2500sheepand
mammals during summer. In Byans Valley (eastern goatsandover200poniesduringsummer(June-September).
Uttarakhand)localpeoplereportedrecoveryofwildungulates According to the wildlife authorities, upper reaches of
duringthepast8-10yearsduetostringentlaws,conservation ThajwassupportasmallpopulationofHangul(KashmirStag),
awareness and a drastic reduction in trans-migration. The HimalayanMuskDeerandAsiaticBlackBear.TheSanctuary
scenariois,however,differentininteriorpartsofLahulwhere is contiguous with upperparts ofDachigam NP. The alpine
grazing pressure has increased over the years. A four day slopes on way to Amarnath are frequently broken due to
walk(c. 80km) alongMyarvalley (Lahul) yielded nodirect avalanches and landslips. The estimated area of alpine
sightingsofmammalsandonlyfewindirectevidencesofBlue meadows inthevicinityofAmarnathisabout250sq.kmand
Sheep,IbexandRedFox. over3000sheepandgoatsand 100mulesgrazeonthealpine
slopes. In addition, every yearthe Amarnath area is visited
Statusofthemeadows byovertwolakhpilgrims.Tramplingofthealpinevegetation,
Basedongeneralappearanceandspeciescomposition, overgrazingbypackanimalsandlitteringthetrailwith non-
the moist meadows can be grouped into the following six biodegradable waste have led to severe degradation ofthis
categories(i)Tall herbaceousformations,(ii)Shortforbs,(iii) alpine habitat.
J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 104 (1), Jan-Apr 2007 9
PASTORAL PRACTICES, WILD MAMMALS AND CONSERVATION STATUS OF ALPINE MEADOWS
CONCLUSION few (8%) sites represent pristine meadows. Quantitative
information on the extent ofdegradation within and outside
Landscape level survey of the alpine zone in the various PAs would be necessary in order to monitor the
western Himalaya revealed several facets of pastoral condition of meadows or formulate recovery plans.
practices, distribution and abundance ofwild mammals and Managementauthoritiesneedtorationalizelivestockgrazing
conservation issues. Livestock density in the alpine areas of within high altitude PAs in order to pursue conservation
Uttarakhand was higher compared to those of Himachal objectives and check further degradation of the alpine
Pradesh andJammu and Kashmir. There were nosignificant meadowsintheHimalaya.
differences in the livestock densities within and outside the
PAs, barring afew PAs in Uttarakhand. Influxoflarge herds ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
from Himachal Pradesh to the alpine areas of Uttarakhand
during therecent decades, and increase in the population of The alpine expedition was sponsored by the Herbal
heavy livestock, especially around treeline are causes for Research and Development Institute (HRDI), Gopeshwar.
concern and need to be addressed urgently. I am grateful to the following officials of the Uttarakhand
Low abundance ofwildlife in most ofthe areas can be Governmentforfacilitatingthesurvey:Dr.R.S.Tolia,Ex-Chief
attributed to habitat degradation and loss due to excessive Secretary, Mrs. Vibha Puri Das, Principal Secretary,
grazing by migratory and resident livestock. Larger PAs and Shri S. Chandola, Chief Wildlife Warden, Uttarakhand,
remote valleys allow adequate spatio-temporal separation Shri S.K. Singh, Director, HRDI and Prof. A.N. Purohit,
amongdomestic livestock andwild ungulates. Such areas had M.L. BharatiyaChairatHRDI.
higher abundance of wild mammals and better conservation I thank all the members ofthe expedition, especially
status of meadows, provided there was low pressure from Mr. GajendraSingh, Mr. Manoj Chandran, Mr. K.S. Rawat,
tourism and pilgrimage. Based on the habitat characteristics andDr. GS.Gorayafortheirwonderfulcompany.Thanksare
andevidencesoftrans-Himalayanmammals(directandindirect), alsoduetotheChiefWildlifeWarden,Himachal Pradeshand
itisrecommendedthatnorthernpartsofUttarakhandbeincluded the Chief Wildlife Warden, Jammu and Kashmir, various
under Biogeographic zone IB (Trans-Himalaya) by making officialsofthe IndianArmyandIndo-TibetanBorderPolice
appropriate amendments in the current biogeographic for their unconditional support during the survey in remote
classificationbyRodgersandPanwar 1988). localities. Shri PR. Sinha, Director and other colleagues
(
Alargenumberofmeadows(31%ofthesurvey localities) from Wildlife Institute ofIndia, namely Drs. B.S.Adhikari,
wereheavilydegradedduetoextensivegrazingbylivestock. K. Ramesh and Manoj Agarwal are thanked for their
39% ofthe meadows were moderately degraded and only a encouragement and help.
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