Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

STUDY ON DIVERSITY AND EXTRACTION TREND WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO FUEL WOOD OF THE VILLAGES IN THE VICINITY OF TIRTHAN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, DISTRICT KULLU, HIMACHAL PRADESH, INDIA

Shalu Devi Thakur, K. S. Kapoor and S. S. Samant

Abstract

The present study deals with the fuel wood use pattern by villagers during different seasons in Tirthan wildlife Sanctuary. Fuel wood used in the study area for different purposes such as cooking, boiling water and space heating. The sampled household complained of decline in the availability of fuelwood species in the nearby areas. The most preferred species for fuelwood were: Piceasmithiana, Quercus semecarpifolia, Aesculus indica, Abiespindrow, Rhododendron campanulatum, Loniceraangustifolia, L. hispida, Viburnum cotinifolium, V. grandiflorum and Sorbariatomentosa. The information in this communication could be utilized for developing suitable region-speciûc and need-based alternative strategies for achieving sustainable fuelwood management at the micro-level.