Ecology of alpine arid pastures with special reference to livestock grazing in upper Dhauli valley, Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, Western Himalaya.

Abstract

Pastoral practices have been in existence in the alpine region of the Himalaya since millennia.The region is characterized by the presence of diverse pastoral practices such as sedentary, nuclear trans-humane, semi-nomadic, and nomadic pastoralism. These practices have strongly influenced the vegetation and ecology of the alpine rangelands, including local biodiversity. The region is broadly divisible into two distinct eco-climatic zones, viz., a moistal pine zone of Greater Himalaya and cold arid zone of Trans-Himalaya. These zones differ considerably in terms of physiognomy, species composition, history of livestock grazing and their ability to withstand grazing pressure. The objectives of the study were (i) To study the patterns of livestock grazing in the study area, (ii) To assess resource use by livestock, (iii) To assess the pasture quality (floristic) and quantity (biomass) in the study area, and (iv) to assess overlap in resource use between wild ungulates and livestock. The study was conducted in Upper Dhauli valley, situated in the cold arid region of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (hereafter NDBR; 30º 08’-31º 02’N, 79º 12’- 80º 19’E) in Uttarakhand. The study was conducted in 2012 and 2014