Ecology and Environment in the Himalayas
Contents: Introduction. 1. Eco-stress around Himalaya. 2. Himalaya\'s strain environment calls for quick action. 3. Himalayan expedition by a British Climber--a review. 4. Himalaya--its geology, metereology and hydrology. 5. Constitutional provision to save Himalaya. 6. Effect of pilgrimage in Gangotri-Gaumukh region. 7. Gangotri conservation project. 8. North eastern frontier region in Jeopardy. 9. Human interference into nature accelerates natural hazards. 10. Effect of environmental problems in Himalaya. 11. Threat to wildlife in Himalaya--a region wise review. 12. Flora and fauna of Kumaon region. 13. Nepal\'s protected areas and their management. 14. Rich flora and fauna of Arunachal Pradesh. 15. Beautiful but little known species: Red Panda on the brink of extinction. 16. Eastern Himalaya--habitation of Salamanders.17. Trapping of beautiful butterflies in Darjeeling. 18. The Lloyd botanic garden--its aesthetic and recreational value. 19. Changing process of conservation around the great Himalayan National Park. 20. "Valley of the lost horizon". 21. Ecological disturbances and conservation of wildlife Garhwal Himalaya. 22. Jigme Dorji National Park largest protected area of Bhutan. 23. Global trade in wildlife. Index.
"Today environment and ecology are the buzzwords. The pace of development and modernisation has endangered the ecological balance of Himalaya. When the British brought railways in India in the late eighteenth century, the Himalayan jungles were denuded of vast forests cover due to the demand for sleepers. When in early nineteenth century, the Britishers attempted to curb wanton tree-felling, there arose resentment among the people of Garhwal and Kumaon in Uttarakhand. But in later times, those very women folk took to Chipko movement to curb tree-felling. The book gives a multitude of ill-effects of tree-felling ranging from soil-erosion to causing floods in the plains, and depositing silt. The shrinking of various Himalayan glaciers has also created alarm among the global ecologists and environmentalists. Denudation of forests also has been causing landslides and endangering the wildlife.
Now the efforts are being made to avert the man-made disaster. This book comes to grips with the magnitude of problem in the entire Himalayan region." (jacket)
