Assessment of fuelwood resource preference in representative watershed of west Himalaya, India: conservation and management implications

Bhaskar Ch. Joshi, Ranbeer S. Rawal, K. Chandra Sekar () and Ashish Tewari
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Bhaskar Ch. Joshi: Centre for Biodiversity Conservation and Management, G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development
Ranbeer S. Rawal: Centre for Biodiversity Conservation and Management, G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development
K. Chandra Sekar: Centre for Biodiversity Conservation and Management, G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development
Ashish Tewari: Kumaun University

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, 2020, vol. 22, issue 2, No 48, 1617-1632

Abstract: Abstract In the Himalayan hills, woody plant species form a major source of fuelwood. This practice often leads to degradation of forests and raises several management issues. However, lack of adequate information about use patterns and species-level trends of utilization results in gaps in management planning and interventions. Realizing this, a detailed species-level quantification of annual extraction of fuelwood was conducted in Hat-Kalika watershed that represents west Himalayan conditions in India. Across nine surveyed villages, a total of 30 plants (26 trees, 4 shrubs) were being collected for fuel purpose by the inhabitants. Mean fuelwood collection by households ranged from 2916.4 (kg hh−1 year−1) in high-altitude villages to 1256.6 (kg hh−1 year−1) in low altitude. Among used species, probability of use was maximum for Pinus roxburghii (0.79 high-altitude, 0.89 mid-altitude and 0.82 low-altitude zone). Broadly, the tree species contributed 93.3% (low altitude) to 97.3% (high altitude) of annual fuelwood requirement of households. The quantum of collection was considerably higher from the native species compared to the non-natives. Study brings out the possible management implications of present trends of fuelwood collection in the study watershed in particular and mid-Himalaya watersheds of west Himalaya in general.

Keywords: Fuelwood; Diversity; Native; Management; Himalaya (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1007/s10668-018-0245-5

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