Land Use Changes in Himalaya and Their Impacts on Environment, Society and Economy: A Study of the Lake Region in Kumaon Himalaya, India

The traditional resource use structure in Himalaya has transformed considerably during the recent past, mainly owing to the growth of population and the resultant increased demand of natural resources in the region. This transformation in resource use practices is particularly significant in the densely populated tracts of Himalaya. As a result, cultivated land, forests, pastures and rangelands have been deteriorated and depleted steadily and significantly leading to their conversion into degraded and non-productive lands. These rapid land use changes have not only disrupted the fragile ecological equilibrium in the mountains through indiscriminate deforestation, degradation of land resources and disruption of the hydrological cycle, but also have significant and irreversible adverse impacts on the rural economy, society, livelihood and life quality of mountain communities. It has been observed that the agricultural production has declined, water sources are drying up fast due to decreased ground water recharge and a large number of villages are facing enormous deficit of critical resources, such as food, fodder, firewood and water, mainly due to unabated deforestation. As a result, the rural people, particularly the women, have to travel considerably long distances to collect fodder and firewood and to fetching water. It is therefore highly imperative to evolve a comprehensive and integrated land use framework for the conservation of the biophysical environment and sustainable development of natural resources in Himalaya. The land use policy would help local communities in making use of their natural resources scientifically and judiciously, and thus help in the conservation of the biophysical environment and in the increasing of the productivity of natural resources. The study indicates that conservation of forests and other critical natural resources through community participation, generation of alternative means of livelihood, and employment in rural areas can help increase rural income as well as restore ecosystem services.

Association patterns reveal dispersalaggregation dynamics among cattle in a South Texas Rangeland,USA

Introduction:The spatial association dynamics of free-ranging cattle herds are not fully understood;however,they can have a direct influence on the spatial patterns of resource utilization.The aim of our study was to examine new analytical methods of identifying the spatio-temporal patterns of behavioral dynamics that determine cattle herd dispersal in the semi-arid rangelands of South Texas.We fitted 10 free-ranging cows with global positioning system collars and obtained positions every 5 min for each animal for 21-day trials,twice during the summer and winter period.We used an association pattern recognition software(ASSOC1)and the herd center of gravity to identify the spatial and temporal thresholds that defined dispersion-aggregation patterns and individual position to determine their relation to social dominance.Results:The association pattern defining herd membership was that animals spent 70%of their time within 200 m of each other.Dominance ranking did not appear to influence association membership or position within the herd.The cattle showed a more dispersed distribution during summer,but in winter,herd members behaved in a more aggregated pattern.This distribution is contrary to patterns described in more northerly and mountainous regions.Conclusions:The spatial thresholds of the cattle herd and the overall distance of all members to the center of the herd were smaller during winter and larger during summer,indicating that this study herd congregated during the winter and dispersed during the summer.Although this study uses a herd of 10 individuals in a 100 ha pasture to evaluate spatio-temporal dynamics,our results provide evidence of the ability of current tracking and spatial association tools to detect and quantify seasonal changes in cattle herd dispersion-aggregation patterns.The use of these data collection and analysis methods could prove useful in larger cattle herds,increase our understanding of herd spatiotemporal behavior,and subsequently help in the development of improved management practices.