Abstract
Apple cultivation in the Kinnaur district of the northern Indian State of Himachal Pradesh faces challenges from climatic changes and developmental activities. Farmers in the neighboring districts have already faced a major loss of livelihood due to seasonal changes. Therefore, it is important to study the extent of seasonal variations in the apple growing locations of this region. This study makes that attempt by assessing seasonality variations during a 15-year period from 2004 to 2018 when maximum construction activities occurred in this region. The study uses geospatial and statistical techniques in addition to farmer perceptions obtained during a field visit in November 2019. A temporal pattern using a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) was studied for seven apple-growing locations in the district. The results show high seasonal variations and reduced snowfall at lower elevations, resulting in less chilling hours, which are necessary for the healthy growth of apples. The normalized difference snow index (NDSI) and rainfall show a high correlation with apple growth. Local farmers are unprepared for future seasonal disturbances, as they lack early warning systems, insurance for apple crops, and alternative livelihood options.
Highlights
Himachal Pradesh in the western Himalayas is one of the four biodiversity hotspots in India
The major findings of this study are (i) high variations in the seasonality of apple plantations for all of the selected locations, with maximum variations at KR1 and KR5, the regions at the lowest and highest altitudes; (ii) indications of reduced snowfall in the lower elevation zones shown by the slightly increasing normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in the winter months; (iii) indications of flower thinning shown by a higher NDVI, especially at the start of season (SOS), pointing towards reduced output per tree; (iv) a high correlation of both normalized difference snow index (NDSI) and rainfall to the growth and seasonality of apple, which shows high dependence on climatic variables; and (v) a high convergence of these findings with farmer perceptions
There is a high chance that this region may see a boon of apple production as the temperature rises and higher altitudes become more suitable for apple orchards
Summary
Himachal Pradesh in the western Himalayas is one of the four biodiversity hotspots in India. It hosts a variety of endemic species but is vulnerable to climatic changes [1,2,3,4]. Forests are becoming degraded due to developmental activities such as road construction and dam-building, which have changed the traditional sustainable use of natural resources [7]. Irrespective of what is causing a change in the Land Use Land Cover (LULC), it is acting as a major driver for biodiversity loss and reduction in water availability and quality, apart from affecting mountain sustainability [8]
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