Perceived Changes in Ecosystem Services in the Panchase Mountain Ecological Region, Nepal

Shankar Adhikari,Himlal Baral,Vishwas Sudhir Chitale,Craig Nitschke

doi:10.3390/resources8010004

Abstract

Ecosystem services (ES) are increasingly recognized as a means to facilitate adaption to environmental change. However, the provisions of ES are likely to be impacted by changes in climate and/or changes in land use. In developing countries, where people are typically dependent on these services for their livelihoods, these impacts are of concern; however, very little is known about the changes in provisioning of ES over time. In this study, we assess the perceived changes on ES in the Panchase Mountain Ecological Region of western Nepal. The study area accommodates three distinct ecoregions, ranging from lowland to upland ecosystems and communities. Focus group discussions and key informant interviews were used to collect information on how ES may have changed in the landscape over time. This approach was supported by transect walks, field observations, and secondary sources of information, such as climatic and remote sensing data. Perceived changes on ES in the study region include reduced availability of water, reduced food production, degradation of forest ecosystems, and changes in species compositions. These changes are thought to have impacted other ES, and, in turn, local livelihoods. Management actions that can help local communities foster ES are recommended.

Highlights

Ecosystems provide different goods and services, such as food, fiber, timber, flood protection, clean water, and clean air for human beings
The objective of this study was to explore the potential impacts of observed climate change and land use change on the ecosystem services (ES) and livelihoods of communities in the Panchase Mountain Ecological Regions of western Nepal
(98%) perceive perceive that that climate climate change change is is occurring occurring in in the the region, region, with with more more than of respondents identifying that temperatures in the summer have increased, while than 60% of respondents identifying that temperatures in the summer have increased, while 39%

Summary

Introduction

Ecosystems provide different goods and services, such as food, fiber, timber, flood protection, clean water, and clean air for human beings. The benefits people obtain from ecosystems are known as ecosystem services (ES) [1]. These ES can be further classified into provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services [1]. Many forest ecosystems are rich in biodiversity and provide multiple services that promote human wellbeing [2,3]. Though forest and agro-ecosystems deliver a wide range of goods and services to human beings [6], environmental change, due to climate and/or land use changes, could reduce an ecosystem’s ability to deliver such services [7]. Changes in climate typically impact on the biophysical processes that underpin ecosystem dynamics, affecting the provisioning of ES from these ecosystems [8,9,10]

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Conclusion