Forest-Product Use in Upland Nepal

摘要: Much uncertainty about Himalayan deforestation results from unreliable information forest-product use. This article surveys patterns and approximates quantities of wild-vegetation use in upland Nepal. Wild-vegetation varies among east-to-west regions the country communities at different altitudes. Two-thirds population live lowand middle-elevation production types, small amounts forest products, obtain many them private resources. Upper-elevation types account for 25 percent large fuel fodder, most which is collected public land. THE forests Himalaya provide humans with fuel, building materials, livestock feed bedding, food, medicines. These areas have also experienced rapid past several decades. Scholarly explanations causes effects that varied dramatically. In mid-1970s, hypothesis a rapidly growing subsistence farmers was stripping steep slopes cover, thereby inducing catastrophic erosion flooding, gained wide scientific acceptance. Since 1980, however, this has been increasingly rejected as grossly oversimplified, scholars even questioned effect on flooding. At least one study (Thompson Warburton 1985) concluded that, light available facts, all interpretations are equally valid, an assumption underscored by existence forty-nine separate pre-1980 estimates per capita fuelwood consumption differed factor much sixtyseven (Donovan 1981). Despite continuing uncertainty, various studies completed during decade general outline forest-use section, Nepal, estimate range materials used there. offers such synthesis, framework fivefold classification subsistence-production (Metz 1989b). Admittedly, comprehensive description uses wild vegetation whole Nepal still elusive, because reliable describe too few to support more than preliminary results. Even when analysis confined country, specifying villagers formidable task owing physical cultural diversity Reliable data require long, in-depth representative communities, variety exists country. Compounding these research difficulties * I thank Mark Garner Thomas R. Vale their help formulating essay. DR. METZ assistant professor geography Northern Kentucky University, Highlands Heights, 41076. content downloaded 157.55.39.163 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 04:30:00 UTC All subject http://about.jstor.org/terms GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW legal code, forbids practices thus leads believe may cause harm. Additional detailed needed; nonetheless, careful already yielded meaningful insights into sources other products Nepalese households using, further drawn back veil broad question deforestation. SUBSISTENCE-PRODUCTION TYPES Before extant be extrapolated entire percentages employ must identified. No typology currently exists. However, country's north-to-south topographic regularities its eastto-west climatic gradient can generalized five categories reasonably well found eastern two-thirds hills mountains The so identified labeled low elevation, middle upper high inner valley (Table I). following paragraphs briefly how derived. Three mountain ranges, trending south-southeast north-northwest, cross define three principal (Fig. 1). Terai part Gangetic plain within lies south mountains. flat, low-elevation area, productive developing rapidly; elevation places it outside scope article. second region, hills, traditional heartland Two Siwaliks Mahabharat Lekh, southern third fused, although some they separated narrow, structural valleys. extend Lekh Himals, Nepal's ranges close northern border. rise 3,000 meters, block streams rivers flowing chain, collect river systems cut canyons through drain Ganges system. region valleys, north Himals rain shadow valleys constitute percentage territory arid, cold environment supports inhabitants. monsoon advances withdraws southeast. Thus total precipitation, reliability, length decrease west, winter precipitation important component annual approximated developmental defined government: eastern, central, western, midwestern, far western. view gradient, especially 280 TABLE I-CHARACTERISTICS OF PRODUCTION