Establishing ecological baselines around a temperate Himalayan peatland

Abstract

Temperate wetlands provide ecosystem services for Himalayan communities and are important targets for biological conservation. However, over the past decade, management activities around these sites have lagged due, in part, to limited baselines on their historical ecology and hydrologic dynamics. This article advances Himalayan wetland studies by reviewing available data from Khecheopalri, a temperate peatland located in the Sikkim Eastern Himalayas. Formed after the Last Glacial Maximum, Khecheopalri contains distinctive ecological assemblages as well as a central waterbody considered sacred to Indigenous and local groups. Environmental organizations have collaborated with cultural institutions to conserve these natural resources. Nevertheless, significant anthropogenic changes have continued at Khecheopalri since the late 1980s. By reviewing these developments, this article establishes baselines for future management activities at this peatland. It also presents the first collated record of Himalayan peatland biodiversity, which includes 682 species representing 5 kingdoms, 196 families, and 453 genera reported at Khecheopalri. Results emphasize the need for continued, systematic surveys of biodiversity as well as rigorous hydrologic sampling throughout the Eastern Himalayas. Such data will support ongoing efforts to recognize this site as both a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.