Rangeland Ecosystems in the Himalayan Mountains

Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Rangelands in retrospect. 3. Fodder Diversity and Ethnobotany. 4. Wildlife in range Ecosystems. 5. Utilisation pattern of some important fodder resources. 6. Herbaceous cover in range ecosystems. 7. Chemical composition of fodders. 8. Rangelands, ecological integrity and sustainability. 9. Traditional management of range resources. 10. Natural and anthropogenic factors operating on mountain rangelands. 11. Constraints in range management. Summary. References. Author index. Subject index. Index of botanical names. Index of zoological names.

"Rangelands occur almost everywhere on land's surface of the earth. In total, they cover about a quarter of the earth's surface. According to some estimates, 70 per cent of the world's total land area serves as rangelands. In the Himalayan areas, they occupy quite an appreciable proportion of the geographical area, ranging from some 60 to more than 80 per cent. Despite this dominance of the range ecosystems on earth, they remain relatively less understood and grossly neglected in the policy framework and development interventions. Negligence of the largest chunk of Earth's terrestrial ecosystems costs the whole planet. Dismal state of rangelands in the fragile and poverty-ridden Himalaya is of grave concern. The present book is an attempt to bring to the fore the many facets of the Himalayan rangelands and to resolve the critical issues relating to their management.

Rangelands, croplands and livestock in the Himalayan mountains are integrated with considerable nutrient flows within a single functional unit, the agro-ecosystem. Amongst these, rangelands serve as a storehouse of nutrients. The Himalayan rengelands are a rich natural repository of nature's biodiversity. Their ecological role is critical to the very ecological integrity of the agro-ecosystems in the fragile mountains. "ecological" and "economic"  issues are inseparable. The Economy emanates from the ecosystems. The largest ecosystems-the rangelands-are the most crucial ones from the ecological integrity and, hence, from the economic point of view. Livelihoods of the masses in the Himalayan mountains are rooted in their rangeland ecosystems. Mountain communities, in essence, are the livestock dependent communities and rangelands harbour a number of species of varying fodder values. The book presents taxonomic, ecological, ethnobotanical and economic account of a variety of plants prospering in the mountain rangeland ecosystems. A variety of wild fauna present in the range ecosystems has also been presented. Chemical composition of prominent fodder species has been presented. Farmers traditional strategies of rangeland management have also been discussed in detail. The book also elaborates on the various natural and anthropogenic factors and the constraints in range management. The present book will prove to be a useful tool for the students, teachers, researchers, social scientists, natural resource management experts, economists, and policy makers particularly interested in the Himalayan mountains and for all those committed to the cause of the earth."