Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
The collection of caterpillar fungus accounts for 50–70% of the household income of thousands of ... more The collection of caterpillar fungus accounts for 50–70% of the household income of thousands of Himalayan communities and has an estimated market value of $5–11 billion across Asia. However, Himalayan collectors are at multiple economic disadvantages compared with collectors on the Tibetan Plateau because their product is not legally recognized. Using a customized hybrid-enrichment probe set and market-grade caterpillar fungus (with samples up to 30 years old) from 94 production zones across Asia, we uncovered clear geography-based signatures of historical dispersal and significant isolation-by-distance among caterpillar fungus hosts. This high-throughput approach can readily distinguish samples from major production zones with definitive geographical resolution, especially for samples from the Himalayan region that form monophyletic clades in our analysis. Based on these results, we propose a two-step procedure to help local communities authenticate their produce and improve this ...
Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 2017
Ethnobotanical knowledge plays a significant role in plant diversity conservation and the curing ... more Ethnobotanical knowledge plays a significant role in plant diversity conservation and the curing of various ailments in remote rural areas of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). A total of 53 plant species from 27 families have been documented from the Byans valley and are used traditionally for the treatment of various diseases. Valley inhabitants have maintained a symbiotic relationship between natural resources and their cultural belief system by developing sacred forests/groves which conserve the region's plant diversity pool. Information on sacred natural sites and traditional beliefs was documented in order to understand the environmental and conservationist implications of these rules and practices. The study provides comprehensive information about eroding traditional knowledge and biodiversity conservation practices. This study could be a pilot to strengthen the conservation practices and sustainable utilization of frequently used bioresources by understanding the traditional knowledge system and conservation ethics of tribal communities in the Himalayan region.
International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 2007
... Correspondence: Chandra S. Negi, Department of Zoology, Government Post Graduate College, Pit... more ... Correspondence: Chandra S. Negi, Department of Zoology, Government Post Graduate College, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, India-262502. ... Panicum miliaceum Chena Prolamine, gluteline, niacin, riboflavin Grains cooked with curd for jaundice, used to cure gonorrhea in ...
A new species of <em>Thitarodes</em> Viette is described from the montane habitat of ... more A new species of <em>Thitarodes</em> Viette is described from the montane habitat of Balmiya in the western Himalaya of Uttarakhand, India. Genitalia are described and illustrated for male and female specimens. The species is distinctive for its sinuate-shaped valva of the male genitalia and this feature distinguishes it from all other <em>Thitarodes</em> species where the male genitalia is described and illustrated. The male and female genitalia also distinguish this species from the other five<em>Thitarodes</em> species recorded from the Himalaya. Based on current records for the harvesting of the <em>Ophiocordyceps</em> fungus that parasitises <em>Thitarodes</em> in this region, the moth appears to be widespread in alpine habitats of at least the eastern regions of Uttarakhand, which currently represents the western-most geographic limit for the distribution of <em>Thitarodes</em>.
Morels, also known as sponge mushrooms, belong to the genus Morchella Dill. The present paper dea... more Morels, also known as sponge mushrooms, belong to the genus Morchella Dill. The present paper deals with the most commonly exploited species of this genus in the Darma valley, district Pithoragarh, Kumaun Himalaya with an aim to improve upon the knowledge base about these macrofungi for further exploration.
Humanities collective knowledge of biodiversity and its use and management rests in cultural dive... more Humanities collective knowledge of biodiversity and its use and management rests in cultural diversity; conversely, conserving biodiversity often helps strengthen cultural integrity and values. These inter-relationships need to be studied mainly for the simple reason that culture is not only the ethical imperative for development, it is a condition of its sustainability, for there exists a symbiotic relationship between biological diversity and cultural diversity, between habitats and cultures, between ecosystems and cultural identity, and that this relationship constitutes a determining factor in ensuring sustainable human development. Religious beliefs and rituals are very much intimately related to the management of the ecosystems. The AA. examine the socio-cultural norms governing the activities of the villagers during the Yatra and try to emphasize the importance of these socio-religious practices or ethics towards conservation. However coming in contact with the external force...
The provision of declaring Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) in the National Biodiversity Act 200... more The provision of declaring Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) in the National Biodiversity Act 2002 provides an opportunity to give recognition to the community initiatives vis-a-vis the institution of the sacred natural sites (SNS). In brief, the salient feature of the Biodiversity Act 2002, as relates to the BHS, is that the state government in consultation with the local bodies may notify in official gazette, biodiversity rich areas, including the SNS as BHS. Subsequently, under sub-section (2) of section 37, the state government in consultation with the Central government may frame rules for the management and conservation of BHS. As per the guidelines framed by the National Biodiversity Authority of India (NBAI), Chennai, for the selection of the sacred natural sites as BHS, and for the constitution of Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) to manage the BHS, 13 sacred forests across eight hill districts of Uttarakhand were selected. The present paper in brief, attempts to brin...
The Askote conservation landscape is located in eastern Kumaun in the state of Uttarakhand of Ind... more The Askote conservation landscape is located in eastern Kumaun in the state of Uttarakhand of India and bounded by the international border with the Tibetan Autonomous Region of the Peoples’ Republic of China in the north. It represents an enlarged version of the Askote Wildlife Sanctuary, encompassing the peripheral villages and landscape, which are part of the adjoining Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve . Of a total land area of about 4463 km2, only about 103 km2 or just 2.31% of the area is cultivated land. The present study however, confines itself to the summer habitations of the Bhotiya community residing within the valleys-Darma , Vyas and Johaar , and delves into the factors that sustain the very livelihood of the stakeholders. Trade with Tibet and the factors associated with its maintenance (agriculture and livestock) were the prime occupation of Joharis and Darmis tribesman until 1962, when the Sino-Indian war brought an immediate end to this thriving lifeline. The loss of trad...
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
The collection of caterpillar fungus accounts for 50–70% of the household income of thousands of ... more The collection of caterpillar fungus accounts for 50–70% of the household income of thousands of Himalayan communities and has an estimated market value of $5–11 billion across Asia. However, Himalayan collectors are at multiple economic disadvantages compared with collectors on the Tibetan Plateau because their product is not legally recognized. Using a customized hybrid-enrichment probe set and market-grade caterpillar fungus (with samples up to 30 years old) from 94 production zones across Asia, we uncovered clear geography-based signatures of historical dispersal and significant isolation-by-distance among caterpillar fungus hosts. This high-throughput approach can readily distinguish samples from major production zones with definitive geographical resolution, especially for samples from the Himalayan region that form monophyletic clades in our analysis. Based on these results, we propose a two-step procedure to help local communities authenticate their produce and improve this ...
Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 2017
Ethnobotanical knowledge plays a significant role in plant diversity conservation and the curing ... more Ethnobotanical knowledge plays a significant role in plant diversity conservation and the curing of various ailments in remote rural areas of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). A total of 53 plant species from 27 families have been documented from the Byans valley and are used traditionally for the treatment of various diseases. Valley inhabitants have maintained a symbiotic relationship between natural resources and their cultural belief system by developing sacred forests/groves which conserve the region's plant diversity pool. Information on sacred natural sites and traditional beliefs was documented in order to understand the environmental and conservationist implications of these rules and practices. The study provides comprehensive information about eroding traditional knowledge and biodiversity conservation practices. This study could be a pilot to strengthen the conservation practices and sustainable utilization of frequently used bioresources by understanding the traditional knowledge system and conservation ethics of tribal communities in the Himalayan region.
International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 2007
... Correspondence: Chandra S. Negi, Department of Zoology, Government Post Graduate College, Pit... more ... Correspondence: Chandra S. Negi, Department of Zoology, Government Post Graduate College, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, India-262502. ... Panicum miliaceum Chena Prolamine, gluteline, niacin, riboflavin Grains cooked with curd for jaundice, used to cure gonorrhea in ...
A new species of <em>Thitarodes</em> Viette is described from the montane habitat of ... more A new species of <em>Thitarodes</em> Viette is described from the montane habitat of Balmiya in the western Himalaya of Uttarakhand, India. Genitalia are described and illustrated for male and female specimens. The species is distinctive for its sinuate-shaped valva of the male genitalia and this feature distinguishes it from all other <em>Thitarodes</em> species where the male genitalia is described and illustrated. The male and female genitalia also distinguish this species from the other five<em>Thitarodes</em> species recorded from the Himalaya. Based on current records for the harvesting of the <em>Ophiocordyceps</em> fungus that parasitises <em>Thitarodes</em> in this region, the moth appears to be widespread in alpine habitats of at least the eastern regions of Uttarakhand, which currently represents the western-most geographic limit for the distribution of <em>Thitarodes</em>.
Morels, also known as sponge mushrooms, belong to the genus Morchella Dill. The present paper dea... more Morels, also known as sponge mushrooms, belong to the genus Morchella Dill. The present paper deals with the most commonly exploited species of this genus in the Darma valley, district Pithoragarh, Kumaun Himalaya with an aim to improve upon the knowledge base about these macrofungi for further exploration.
Humanities collective knowledge of biodiversity and its use and management rests in cultural dive... more Humanities collective knowledge of biodiversity and its use and management rests in cultural diversity; conversely, conserving biodiversity often helps strengthen cultural integrity and values. These inter-relationships need to be studied mainly for the simple reason that culture is not only the ethical imperative for development, it is a condition of its sustainability, for there exists a symbiotic relationship between biological diversity and cultural diversity, between habitats and cultures, between ecosystems and cultural identity, and that this relationship constitutes a determining factor in ensuring sustainable human development. Religious beliefs and rituals are very much intimately related to the management of the ecosystems. The AA. examine the socio-cultural norms governing the activities of the villagers during the Yatra and try to emphasize the importance of these socio-religious practices or ethics towards conservation. However coming in contact with the external force...
The provision of declaring Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) in the National Biodiversity Act 200... more The provision of declaring Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) in the National Biodiversity Act 2002 provides an opportunity to give recognition to the community initiatives vis-a-vis the institution of the sacred natural sites (SNS). In brief, the salient feature of the Biodiversity Act 2002, as relates to the BHS, is that the state government in consultation with the local bodies may notify in official gazette, biodiversity rich areas, including the SNS as BHS. Subsequently, under sub-section (2) of section 37, the state government in consultation with the Central government may frame rules for the management and conservation of BHS. As per the guidelines framed by the National Biodiversity Authority of India (NBAI), Chennai, for the selection of the sacred natural sites as BHS, and for the constitution of Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) to manage the BHS, 13 sacred forests across eight hill districts of Uttarakhand were selected. The present paper in brief, attempts to brin...
The Askote conservation landscape is located in eastern Kumaun in the state of Uttarakhand of Ind... more The Askote conservation landscape is located in eastern Kumaun in the state of Uttarakhand of India and bounded by the international border with the Tibetan Autonomous Region of the Peoples’ Republic of China in the north. It represents an enlarged version of the Askote Wildlife Sanctuary, encompassing the peripheral villages and landscape, which are part of the adjoining Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve . Of a total land area of about 4463 km2, only about 103 km2 or just 2.31% of the area is cultivated land. The present study however, confines itself to the summer habitations of the Bhotiya community residing within the valleys-Darma , Vyas and Johaar , and delves into the factors that sustain the very livelihood of the stakeholders. Trade with Tibet and the factors associated with its maintenance (agriculture and livestock) were the prime occupation of Joharis and Darmis tribesman until 1962, when the Sino-Indian war brought an immediate end to this thriving lifeline. The loss of trad...
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