Forest Degradation and the Structure of Biomass Utilization in a Himalayan Foothills Village

Abstract

The linkage between socio-economic change in the Uttar Pradesh (Indian) Himalaya and forest resource condition is investigated through a case-study of Munglori village. Research focused on the village biomass utilization system, particularly fodder- and fuel-flows, as the key link through which socio-economic conditions can be translated into actual forest-use patterns. In 1984, agriculture and animal husbandry in Munglori was dominantly subsistence-oriented. Rain-fed rice, wheat, and various millets, were the main food-crops. Animal fodder and fuel were derived from a variety of sources near the village, and demand for these resources was dispersed via a seasonal migration-cycle which provided access to resources outside of the immediate village area. This basic pattern of resource use has prevailed in the area throughout historic time, and has led to gradual degradation of forest resources primarily through inhibiting regeneration of Camus Oak ( Quercus leucotrichophora ), the dominant fodder- and fuel-species.