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Classification and management of community forests in Indian Eastern Himalayas: implications on ecosystem services, conservation and livelihoods

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Title Classification and management of community forests in Indian Eastern Himalayas: implications on ecosystem services, conservation and livelihoods
 
Creator Ranjay K. Singh, Shah M. Hussain, T. Riba, Anshuman Singh, Egul Padung, Orik Rallen, Y. J. Lego and Ajay Kumar Bhardwaj
 
Subject Adi tribe, Forest classification, Traditional ecological knowledge, Indigenous institutions, Ecosystem services, Conservation, Livelihoods
 
Description Introduction: Evidence is mounting that traditional knowledge can play a critical role in shaping the biodiversity
conservation strategies and maintaining ecosystem services. This study was conducted with Adi community of
Arunachal Pradesh (Ar P) state in the Eastern Indian Himalayas to understand as how local systems of forest
classification governs conservation tradition and influences subsistence livelihoods. Twenty Adi villages were
sampled from East Siang district of Ar P. A total of 197 men and 204 women (total of 401) Adi respondents were
selected for this study. A combination of methodologies including in-depth interview, transect walks, focus group
discussion, participant observation and informal interactions were combined for data collection.
Results: Local forests are classified into 10 different categories based on indicators such as topography, cultural
significance, use typology, ownership rights and plant diversity indicators. Local people assign different values
(economic, cultural and ecological) to different forest types. Overall, morang followed by regpi and homegardens
are perceived to be more valuable to the local needs than other forests with relative ranking of a particular forest
reflecting its sustainability. Adis access several diverse services from these community-managed forests. Compared
to men (3–35%), the role of women was assessed to be much higher (65 to 100%) in conserving forest biodiversity.
Woman-led practices, instrumental in sustainable forest management, included deliberate manipulations of micro-habitats,
sustainable harvesting strategies and species domestication. Men were mostly involved in ownership and decision-making
roles and in devising social norms to ensure sustainability. Adi celebrate a number of cultural events to sustain biodiversity.
Forest-based livelihoods are intrinsically connected to forest resource conservation and are governed by community
approaches. Most of the community members gather plants, hunt wild animals and access other ecosystem services from
these forests to sustain their livelihoods. Community-owned forests are collectively managed by an indigenous institution
‘Kebang’. Conflicts relating to forest land use and resource management are resolved by the customary chief ‘Gaon Burha’
and his associates using traditional norms.
Conclusions: Adi’s system of forest classification, based on ecological, socio-cultural and livelihood indicators, is a
location-specific yet comprehensive in nature. Study suggests that integrating the local indicators applied in classifying
and strategies applied in managing the local forests can provide valuable insights to the policy makers for the
sustainable conservation of forest resources.
 
Date 2018-07-21T05:26:30Z
2018-07-21T05:26:30Z
2018-07
 
Type Research Paper
 
Identifier Singh, R.K., Hussain, S.M., Riba, T., Singh, Anshuman, Padung, E., Rallen, O., Lego, Y. J. and Bhardwaj, A. K. 2018. Classification and management of community forests in Indian Eastern Himalayas: implications on ecosystem services, conservation and livelihoods. Ecol Process (2018) 7: 27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-018-0137-5
http://krishi.icar.gov.in/jspui/handle/123456789/6274
 
Language English
 
Publisher Springer