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Chronic Extraction of Forest Resources is Threatening a Unique Wildlife Habitat of The Upper Brahmaputra Valley, Northeastern India


Affiliations
1 Department of Environmental Biology and Wildlife Sciences, Cotton University, Panbazar, Guwahati 781 001, India
 

This study examines the extent and nature of harvest of non-timber forest products (NTFP) by local human communities residing adjacent to the Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in the Upper Brahmaputra Valley of Assam, northeastern India. The harvest of NTFP was monitored at 15 entry points to the sanctuary over a period of 41 days. Dry timber was the most dominant form of NTFP collected and the most preferred firewood species was Vatica lanceaefolia, a critically endangered tree species. About 25% of the harvested NTFP were food plants for the six primate species of the sanctuary. Highlighting the threats posed by this chronic extraction of NTFP to the vegetation and unique primate assemblage of the sanctuary, we recommend measures to check the unsustainable extraction of natural resources from this shrinking, and now highly threatened, forest patch.

Keywords

Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, Non-Timber Forest Products, Primates, Sustainability, Vatica lanceae-folia.
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  • Chronic Extraction of Forest Resources is Threatening a Unique Wildlife Habitat of The Upper Brahmaputra Valley, Northeastern India

Abstract Views: 324  |  PDF Views: 131

Authors

Narayan Sharma
Department of Environmental Biology and Wildlife Sciences, Cotton University, Panbazar, Guwahati 781 001, India
Ankita Sharma
Department of Environmental Biology and Wildlife Sciences, Cotton University, Panbazar, Guwahati 781 001, India
Bitupan Deka
Department of Environmental Biology and Wildlife Sciences, Cotton University, Panbazar, Guwahati 781 001, India
Anindya Sinha
Department of Environmental Biology and Wildlife Sciences, Cotton University, Panbazar, Guwahati 781 001, India

Abstract


This study examines the extent and nature of harvest of non-timber forest products (NTFP) by local human communities residing adjacent to the Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in the Upper Brahmaputra Valley of Assam, northeastern India. The harvest of NTFP was monitored at 15 entry points to the sanctuary over a period of 41 days. Dry timber was the most dominant form of NTFP collected and the most preferred firewood species was Vatica lanceaefolia, a critically endangered tree species. About 25% of the harvested NTFP were food plants for the six primate species of the sanctuary. Highlighting the threats posed by this chronic extraction of NTFP to the vegetation and unique primate assemblage of the sanctuary, we recommend measures to check the unsustainable extraction of natural resources from this shrinking, and now highly threatened, forest patch.

Keywords


Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, Non-Timber Forest Products, Primates, Sustainability, Vatica lanceae-folia.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv119%2Fi6%2F1042-1045