Abstract
The biologically and culturally diverse mountain habitats of the red panda (Ailurus fulgens) produce numerous ecosystem goods and services of global significance and satisfy the daily sustenance requirements and wellbeing of poor and vulnerable local communities. Most studies of ecosystem services conducted in Nepal have investigated community forest management and protected areas, largely in the lower hills and plains of the country. However, to conserve red pandas and associated biodiversity, knowledge is needed of the services instrumental to the livelihoods and wellbeing of people living in and around their Himalayan mountain habitats. Using case studies of 6 remote villages nearest to known red panda habitats inside and outside a protected area in western Nepal, this study reports on key informant interviews, focus group discussions, informal interactions, and participant observations to identify and categorize the goods and services provided by these habitats. Among the provisioning and cultural ecosystem goods and services obtained from red panda habitats, local people prioritized seasonal grazing in high-Altitude pastures, plant materials for medicines and food, wild plants for energy, transhumance culture, and religious interaction with nature. Their dependence on these services varied with season and location, with greater reliance on the services outside the protected areas. Some services used for valuing ecosystems, such as carbon storage and improved air and water quality and biodiversity, were only ever mentioned in a manner that would characterize them as cultural services provided by mountain deities. They only appear to be acknowledged as services with a use value by people from outside the region. This study suggests that understanding the value of the services provided to local communities could allow development of a policy that would also help conserve red pandas, particularly if income can be obtained for providing services to outsiders who have no perceived local economic benefit.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | R50-R60 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Mountain Research and Development |
| Volume | 40 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We would like to acknowledge the contributions and cordial support of local communities, key informants, and focus group discussion participants. We are grateful to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and Department of Forests and Soil Conservation, Nepal for providing research approval. We are also grateful to District Forest Office, Jumla, Rara National Park (RNP), Mugu, and RNP buffer zone committee members who assisted with organization of fieldtrips. Special thanks to field assistant Dipesh Acharya for his efforts and integrity during the fieldwork. A special word of gratitude is due to Tom Duncan, who read and commented on earlier version of the manuscript. Human ethics approval for the research was obtained through Charles Darwin University Human Ethics committee. This project was supported by the Australian Postgraduate Award, postgraduate research funding under the College of Engineering, IT, and Environment of Charles Darwin University, Australia. We highly appreciate the editorial support from the MRD editorial team. Two anonymous reviewers who evidently considered the paper in meticulous detail are gratefully acknowledged.
Publisher Copyright:
©
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.