Abstract:

The western Himalaya has had a central role as a life support system for the local people and as a source of ecological services . This long term use of these resources, including livestock grazing, fuel wood collection and a variety of other uses , has shaped its montane cultural landscape . The present paper focuses on resource utilization in the Pali Gad watershed , which consists of 25 villages situated in the lesser Himalaya . Using a satellite derived map , natural resources available in this area were assessed , and the ecosystem services provided by them and level of pressure on them were computed
through a door to door socioeconomic survey . The study revealed a spatio-temporal variation in the resource demand and extraction at the permanent villages . Average fuel wood consumption was 1 . 12 kg􊄯day􊄯capita , fodder consumption was 3 . 69 kg􊄯day􊄯capita from lopping and 3 .25 kg/day􊄯capita from grass collection from forest . An attempt has been taken to evaluate the ecosystem services . The forest provides more provisional and regulatory services, whereas agriculture provides more supporting services and river bed􊄯water bodies serve more cultural purposes for the locals. This study contributes an example of a human shaped ecosystem in a mountainous region where an additional fragmentation of natural resources exists. An increase in resource demand has been noticed in the less productive lands of the region . This has resulted in increased resource extraction from the entire watershed may not be sustainable in the long run .

Key words: Ecosystem services