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BackgroundLocal people in the Himalayan region use a wide range of wild and non-cultivated edible plants (WNEPs) for food, spice, medicinal, and cultural purposes. However, their availability, use, status and contribution to livelihood security are poorly documented, and they have been generally overlooked in recent agro-biodiversity conservation and management programmes. The study aimed to investigate WNEP diversity and current status in a part of the Kailash Sacred Landscape—a transboundary landscape shared by Nepal, India and PR China—in terms of collection, use, management and conservation initiatives.MethodsMultiple methodologies and tools were used for data collection. A series of participatory tools (45 key informant interviews, 10 focus group discussions, a crop diversity fair, direct observation of species through a transect walk and rapid market assessments) was followed by a household survey (195 respondents) and complemented by a literature review.ResultsThe study recorded 99 WNEPs belonging to 59 families of which 96 were angiosperms, one gymnosperm and two pteridophytes. Species were used for food, spice, medicine, rituals and income generation. Thirty-five species had multiple uses, including these: 40 species were used for fruit and 31 for vegetables. WNEPs contribute significantly to daily food requirements, especially the vegetables. The use value of Dryopteris cochleata was found highest (0.98) among frequently used vegetable species. The values of informant consensus factor were found maximum for worms in the stomach (0.99) and minimum for skin disease treatment (0.67). Nearly 85% of households depended exclusively on WNEPs for at least more than a month per year. Results on the importance and use of different species, gender roles in WNEP activities and conservation approaches are presented.ConclusionsPeople living in the Kailash Sacred Landscape depend significantly on WNEPs, and this is especially critical in times of food shortage. The WNEPs have considerable potential as an important supplement to cultivated food crops. Farmers prioritise species with multiple use values and popular vegetables. However, there are numerous challenges and interventions needed to ensure conservation and management of species and their continued availability to support food security and local livelihoods.

SummaryAim The aim of the research was to understand the distribution pattern of butterflies along attitudinal and disturbance gradients in a trekking corridor in Sikkim, India.Location Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, West Sikkim, India. Material and MethodsThe study focused on two sets of data, one on inventory of species along the trekking corridor and the other on butterfly species and their numbers along the 19 permanent plots measuring 30x40m. Among the 19 plots, four each was laid in degraded forests (canopy cover <40%) and undisturbed forests (canopy cover >40%) within the warm temperate broadleaf forest (1780-2350 m), and five and six in degraded and undisturbed forest respectively in cool temperate sub-alpine forest (2350-3600 m). The surveys were conducted thrice a season for two seasons. All individuals recorded from the 114 pseudo replicate plots (19 plots, 3 times a season for 2 seasons) and the casual observations were considered for preliminary analysis for dominant families.Key findings Among the 189 species recorded, Nymphalidae family was dominant (44%) followed by Lycanidae (19%) and the least number of species was recorded from Riodinidae (1%). Likewise, 69% of the species recorded were found to be 'fairly common' , 16% 'common' and 11% rare. The highest number of species per transect was recorded from the disturbed condition (7.1±0.7 Standard Error) at warm temperate broadleaf forest (WTBF) followed by undisturbed condition (6.7±0.8) and the least was recorded at the undisturbed condition (4.1±0.5) of cool temperate subalpine forest (CTSF). Similarly, the butterfly species diversity, its richness and evenness significantly differed between the forest types i.e. WTBF and CTSF and showed negative correlation along altitudinal gradients. Conservation implications Study concludes that the human interventionsand tourism enterprises are bringing subtle changes in butterfly habitat and may have major effects on some of the habitat specific species if they are not seriously considered in the management interventions.

h i g h l i g h t s• Temporal change in land cover and forest fragmentation were analyzed.• The results showed 9% decrease in forest cover and 12% increase in cropland.• A further 4% decline in forest cover and 5% increase in cropland were predicted. • 10% decrease in large core forest and 10.6% decline in core forest was predicted.• Expansions of cropland coupled with high dependency on forests are the drivers. a b s t r a c tLand cover change is one of the most important drivers of forest ecosystem change. The Hindu Kush Himalayan region (HKH) has experienced severe forest degradation but data and documentation are limited. We undertook this study in the Nepalese part of the Kailash Sacred Landscape (KSL), an important transboundary region known for its biodiversity and the scared values. Forest is an important ecosystem within the landscape and provides various goods and services including habitat for many keystone species. However, precise information on forest change and overall land cover change in the area is limited. We analyzed land cover change and forest fragmentation between 1990 and 2009, and the predicted change for 2030. There was a 9% decrease in forest cover and 12% increase in cropland between 1990 and 2009. A further 4% decline in forest cover and 5% increase in cropland was predicted by 2030, together with a slight increase in grassland and barren area. Fragmentation analysis showed a 10% decrease in large core forest between 1990 and 2009, accompanied by an increase in patch forest. A further 10.6% decline in core forest was predicted by 2030, accompanied by an increase in patch, perforated, small-sized core, and mediumsized core areas. The study suggests that expansions of cropland coupled with high dependency on forests are the major drivers of the observed forest change. Recommendations are made based on the results of the study that will help to maintain and restore forest, and support biodiversity conservation and livelihoods.

SUMMARYMultifaceted patterns of protected area (PA) expansion are reviewed considering: i) the increase in PA number and coverage; ii) distribution and extent of important bird areas (IBAs); and iii) distribution and coverage of global biodiversity hotspots and the Global 200 Ecoregions that fall within the Hindu Kush-Himalayas (HKH). The analysis revealed that biodiversity conservation is a priority for the eight regional member countries of the HKH, who have established 488 PAs over the last 89 years (1918 to 2007). The eight countries sharing the HKH have committed 39% of this total geographical area to the PA network and 11% to IBAs, which is quite significant when compared to the global target of 10%. There has been an increasing trend in PA establishment over the last four decades. The PA coverage within the HKH of China alone is significant (35.5%), followed by India (1.46%) and Nepal (0.58%). When IUCN management categories are considered, the majority of PAs belong to Category V (39%), followed by Category IV (29%). Only 0.6% of PAs are managed as Category I, and, in recent years, Categories V and VI have increased. Of the total HKH geographical area, 32% is covered by four global biodiversity hotspots and 62% by the Global 200 Ecoregions. However, only 25% of the global biodiversity hotspots and 40% of the Global 200 Ecoregions are part of the PA network. There are still numerous gaps in conservation in the HKH. Coordinated and committed efforts are required to bring other critical habitats within the PA network in the HKH.

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