Conserving Biodiversity in the Himalayan Rangelands
Conserving Biodiversity in the Himalayan Rangelands
A term paper
Nawraj Sapkota
Roll no. 25
Tribhuvan university
Central Department of Environmental Science
Kathmandu, Kirtipur
2010
Supervisor: Mr. Prabin kishor Sharma
Contents
Chapters Page no.
Executive summary 1 Introduction 2
Objectives 4
Methodology 5 Result and Discussion 5
Conclusion 8
References 9
Conserving Biodiversity in the Himalayan Rangelands
Executive summary:
Rangeland of the Himalayas is exceptional environment for the biological diversity that they contain, in terms of both plant and animal life. Rangelands support diverse mammalian faunas, including the smallest and largest vertebrates. The ungulates, or large hoofed grazing animals, in the Himalayas are of special significance. The rangelands are one of the world’s most extreme environments and, undoubtedly, the harvest pastoral area on earth still used extensively by nomads. In recent decades, many profound changes have taken place on the rangelands of the Himalayas that ate transforming traditional rangeland use, altering rangeland conditions and disrupting the lives of herders dependent on the range resources.
Major issues regarding rangeland biodiversity include: habitat degradation and loss; loss of species, overgrazing and exploitation of rangeland sources, poaching of
A term paper
Nawraj Sapkota
Roll no. 25
Tribhuvan university
Central Department of Environmental Science
Kathmandu, Kirtipur
2010
Supervisor: Mr. Prabin kishor Sharma
Contents
Chapters Page no.
Executive summary 1 Introduction 2
Objectives 4
Methodology 5 Result and Discussion 5
Conclusion 8
References 9
Conserving Biodiversity in the Himalayan Rangelands
Executive summary:
Rangeland of the Himalayas is exceptional environment for the biological diversity that they contain, in terms of both plant and animal life. Rangelands support diverse mammalian faunas, including the smallest and largest vertebrates. The ungulates, or large hoofed grazing animals, in the Himalayas are of special significance. The rangelands are one of the world’s most extreme environments and, undoubtedly, the harvest pastoral area on earth still used extensively by nomads. In recent decades, many profound changes have taken place on the rangelands of the Himalayas that ate transforming traditional rangeland use, altering rangeland conditions and disrupting the lives of herders dependent on the range resources.
Major issues regarding rangeland biodiversity include: habitat degradation and loss; loss of species, overgrazing and exploitation of rangeland sources, poaching of
References: Bauer, J. 1990. ‘The analysis of plant-herbivore interaction between ungulates and vegetation on alpine grassland in the Himalayan region of Nepal.’ Vegetation, 90: 15-34. Carrier, W. and B. Czech. 1996. Threatened and endangered wildlife and livestock interactions’, pp. 39-50. Harris, R. and D. Miller. 1995. ‘Overlap in summer habitats and diets of Tibetan plateau ungulates.’ Mammalian 59(2): 197-212. Heady, H. 1996. ‘Rangeland resources’. Pp3-14, krausman, p (ed.) Rangeland wildlife, society for range management, Denver. Miller, D. 1997. ‘ Conserving and managing yak genetic diversity: and introduction.’ Pp 2-11. In: Miller, D., S. Craig and G. Rana (eds) Conservation and management of Yak Genetic Diversity. Proceeding of a workshop, 29-31 October 19969, Katmandu, Nepal. ICIMOD and FAO, Katmandu. Miller, D. and G. Schaller. 1996, ‘ rangelands of the Chang Tang wildlife Reserve, Tibet.’ Ambio, 26(3): 91-96. Miller, D. 1995. Herds on the Move: Winds of Change Among Pastoralists in Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau. ICIMOD Discussion Paper MNR 95/2. ICIMOD, Kathmandu. Miller, D. 1990. ‘Grasslands of Tibetan Plateau.’ Rangelands 12(3): 159-163. Singh, L. 1989. ‘Grass land ecosystem in the Himalayan region of India.’ Pp. 145-152. In: Shah, B. and S. Rafique. Regional seminar on problems affecting range and pastureland development in Himalayan region, Nov. 19-26, 1989, Peshawar, Pakistan. FAO.