Forest Ecosystem Services in the Central Himalaya: Local Benefits and Global Relevance
2019
Joshi, A. K. | Joshi, P. K.
Ecosystem services (ESs) are the benefits that people obtain from ecosystems. These benefits contribute immensely to human welfare and play a vital role in supporting life on the planet. It is a recognized fact that ESs are always in flow; their use and valuation depends on anthropocentric usage, both inside and outside the ecosystem. Historically, the nature and value of these services have largely been ignored until their disruption or loss has highlighted their importance. Himalaya is one such least reported region, wherein forest ecosystems provide services not only to the local communities, but also to the downstream communities and are of global relevance. In the present study, 28 ESs from the forest ecosystems were mapped, which include 8 provisioning services, 9 regulatory services, 4 cultural services and 7 supporting services in the central Himalaya. The present paper elaborates on ESs provided by forest ecosystems in three different altitudes and with local and global perspectives in the Himalayan region.
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