Livestock Grazing in the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve of Sikkim Himalaya, India : Implications for Management

The Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (KBR), with a total area of 1,784 km² in core zone and 825.92 km² in buffer zone, is a representative of Eastern Himalayan region due to its unique habitats, exhilarating thick forests, rich flora & fauna, and famous mountain ranges including those of massive Khangchendzonga, the third highest mountain peak in the world. Local communities, to meet their various needs, i.e. fuel, fodder, timber, wild edibles and medicinal plants, have traditionally been using the biosphere reserve. Animals for grazing visit the rcserve area, and a large share of local economy is dependent on the animals and their products. This paper attempts to analyze livestock economy and grazing pattern and the carrying capacity of the biosphere reserve. The economy of the people at higher elevation was mainly/totally dependent on animals and their products. This dependence increases with increase in elevation. It was found that, barring a few areas which are extensively grazed, the present level of grazing is within grazing limits of the reserve. However, there is an increasing trend of rearing more number of animals for meeting economic needs, that will certainly augment the grazing pressure in near future. It is highly desirable that the villages and other nearby areas should be planted with more fodder species, and community should be motivated for raising good quality animals to reduce pressure on KBR. At the same time the villagers should also be involved in decision-making for developing the grazing regulation and other management plans for the KBR area.