Livestock predation by carnivores in Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, Bhutan

Status and conservation of rare and endangered medicinal plants in the Indian trans-Himalaya

A Holocene pollen record from the northwestern Himalayan lake Tso Moriri: Implications for palaeoclimatic and archaeological research

Life-forms and clonality of vascular plants along an altitudinal gradient in E Ladakh (NW Himalayas)

The loss of livestock to wild predators is an important livelihood concern among Trans-Himalayan pastoralists. Because of the remoteness and inaccessibility of the region, few studies have been carried out to quantify livestock depredation by wild predators. In the present study, we assessed the intensity of livestock depredation by snow leopard Uncia uncia, Tibetan wolf Canis lupus chanku, and Eurasian lynx Lynx l. isabellina in three villages, namely Gya, Rumtse, and Sasoma, within the proposed Gya-Miru Wildlife Sanctuary in Ladakh, India. The three villages reported losses of 295 animals to these carnivores during a period of 2.5 years ending in early 2003, which represents an annual loss rate of 2.9% of their livestock holdings. The Tibetan wolf was the most important predator, accounting for 60% of the total livestock loss because of predation, followed by snow leopard (38%) and lynx (2%). Domestic goat was the major victim (32%), followed by sheep (30%), yak (15%), and horse (13%). Wolves killed horses significantly more and goats less than would be expected from their relative abundance. Snow leopards also killed horses significantly more than expected, whereas they killed other livestock types in proportion to their abundance. The three villages combined incurred an estimated annual monetary loss of approximately $USD 12,120 amounting to approximately $USD 190/household/y. This relatively high total annual loss occurred primarily because of depredation of the most valuable livestock types such as yak and horse. Conservation actions should initially attempt to target decrease of predation on these large and valuable livestock species.

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Carnivore-caused Livestock Mortality in Trans-Himalaya

The mountain ungulates of Ladakh, India

Changes in economy and land use are under way in the Indian Transhimalayan region of Ladakli, creating both negative and positive prospects for wildlife conservation in this sparsely populated and previously remote area. New livestock breeds, irrigation developments, farming practices, foreign tourists, and a large military presence are changing the way people view and use the mountainous land that surrounds them. With only 0.3% of the land currendy arable, changes in wildlife and natural resource conservation are most apparent on Ladakh 's extensive rangelands which are apparently undergoing a redistribution of use associated with social changes and recently introduced animal husbandry and farming practices. Internationally endangered species such as the snow leopard, several wild ungulates, and the black-necked crane provide special incentive for conservation efforts in what are some of the best remaining natural areas in the mountainous regions to the north of the Himalayan crest. The success of newly created protected areas for wildlife conservation in Ladakh rests on an understanding of the effecls of various development directions, a commitment to environmentally sensitive development amid the many competing demands on Ladakh 's natural resources, conservation laws appropriate to human needs, and a clear recognition that solutions can be neither directly adaptable from other mountainous areas nor even widely applicable across the Himalayan region. fc Conservation de la Jaunt et ckangementi d'utiliiation des trrres dam la region trtmshimalayeiinf du Ladakh, Inile. Des changements dans ['economic et 1'utilisation des terres sont en train de se produire dans le region transhimalayenne du Ladakh en Inde, entrainant des expectatives negatives aussi bien quc positives pour la conservation de la faune dans celte zone faiblemenl peuplee et jusque dans ces derniers temps isolee, Les nouvelles especes de bestiaux, les projets d'irrigation, les pratiques agricoles, les touristes etrangers et la presence d' in stall aliens militaires imponantes ont modifie la maniere dont la population percoit et utilise le milieu momagnard qui les entoure. Si 1'on considere qifa present seulemertt 0,3 pour cent des terres sont arables, les changements dans la conservation de la faune et des resources naturelles sont plus apparents dans les grands paturages du Ladakh; ces paturages semhlent subir line redistribution de leur utilisation associcc aux changements sociatix ct aux pratiques d'clcvagc du bctail ct dc culture qui ont ete introduces recemment. Les especes menacees a 1'echelle Internationale, comme le leopard des neiges, plusieurs ongules sauvages et la gnie a col noir, fournissent une forte justification pour les projets de conservation dans ces zones naturelles qui comptent parmi les meilleures encore preservers dans les regions montagneuses situees au nord de la crete himalayenne. Le succes des zones protegees qui ont etc recemment crcecs pour la conservation dc la faune du Ladakh est base sur une comprehension des effets de diverses approches vis-a-vis du developpement, un engagement total envers un developpement respectant 1'environnement dans le cadre des demandes multiples sur les ressources naturelles du Ladakh, des lois sur la conservation appropriees aux besoins de la population, et une admission claire que les solutions ne peuvent ni etre directement adaptees a partir d'autres zones montagneuses, ni elre applicables a la totalite de la region himalayenne. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Artensehutz und Landnutaingsdnderungen im Transhimalaya Gfbiet van Ladakh, Indien. 1m indischen Transhimalaya Gcbict von Ladakh verandern sich die Okonomie und die Landnutzung— was in diesem sparlich besiedelten und frtther abgeschiedenen Gebiet Vorund Nachteile fur den Artenschutz mit sich bringL Neue Arten bei der Viehzucht, Bewasserungsprojekte, neuc Landwirtschaftsmethoden, auslandische Touristen und ein grofies militarisches Kontingcnt verandern die Art und Weise, in der die Revolkerung das sie umgebende Land sieht und nulzt. Da nur 0,3% des Gebietes anbaufahig sind, werden Veranderungen bcim Artenschutz und bei der Erhaltung der Naturressourcen auf den ausgcdehnten Flachcn Ladakh's besonders auffallig. Diese Gebiete unterliegen einer Nutzungsordnung, die sich aus sozialen Veranderungen und kurzlich neu eingefuhrten Ackerbauund Viehzuchtmethoden ergibt. Tiere, die global geschutzt sind, wie der Schneeleopard, verschiedene wilde Hufiiere und die schwarzhalsigen Kranichc gcben Erhaltungsbcstrebungcn besondere Motivation, denn die bergigen Regionen nordlich des Himalaya Kammes gehoren zu den besterhaltenen unter den verbliebenen Naturlandschaften. Der Bestand der neuerlich geschaffenen Schutzgebiete in Ladakh hangt voin Verstandnis der Auswirkungen verschiedener Entwicklungsprojekte ab, ebenso von der Verpflichtung fur umweltgerechte Entwicklung innerhalb der vielen konkurrierenden Anforderungen an Ladakh's Naturressourcen. Gesetzgebung auf dem Gebiet des Artenschutzes muB den menschlichen Bedurfnissen angcpaBt sein, und es mulJ erkannt werden, daB Losungen von anderen Bergregionen nicht unbedingt iibernommen werden konnen und oftmals fur das Himalayagebiet unzutreffend sind. 'Department of Ecology/ Zoo logy (IBG), University of Tromsn, N-9037 TromsB, Norway Department of Wildlife Protection, Leh 19-1101, Ladakli, Jammu and Kashmir, India 'School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT OfiSll, U.S.A. Present address: Vikram Sambhai Centre for Development Interaction, Thaltej Tekra, Ahmedabad 380054, Gujarat, India 'Conservation Action Group, 211 DDA(SFS) Haul Khas, New Delhi 110016, India

Chering Nurbu

Papers

The mountain ungulates of Ladakh, India

Wildlife Conservation and Land-Use Changes in the Transhimalayan Region of Ladakh, India