CONSERVING BIODIVERSITY & DELIVERING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

Forests, grasslands,
wetlands and the high
mountains are all important
habitats for Nepal’s
spectacular wildlife,
appreciated by people
everywhere and provide a
range of ecosystem services
which are integral to the
livelihoods of local
communities.
Forests: In Nepal, forests cover nearly 40% of the land area and provide a number of important
ecosystem services, including provision of goods such as timber and fuelwood and local
climate and water regulation. Forests also have great cultural and spiritual importance, as
places of pilgrimage, and store large amounts of carbon in their living biomass, thereby
playing a role in global climate regulation by reducing net ‘greenhouse gas’ emissions to the
atmosphere. They are a very important habitat for wildlife—over half of the nationally
threatened bird species occur in forest. However, there are a number of trade-offs associated
with the use of forest services, particularly in relation to production values. Enhancing one
service, for example the supply of timber, through conversion of natural forest to plantations
will affect other services, such as harvested wild goods and nature-based tourism.
Grasslands: In Nepal, natural grasslands cover approximately 14% of the land area, ranging
from subtropical savannas in the flood plains and terraces of the Terai to temperate grasslands
and alpine meadows in the cold, arid steppe of the Himalayas. Grasslands are integral to the
livelihoods of local communities, for example through providing grazing for livestock, as a
source of medicinal and aromatic plants, and supporting populations of prey species (e.g.
ungulates) for predators such as tigers. The spread of cultivation in Nepal’s lowlands has led to
the once extensive lowland grasslands becoming greatly reduced and fragmented. Today,
grasslands only exist in their natural state within protected areas in the Terai. Here they are still
home to a huge number of birds, including the globally threatened Bengal Florican and
Swamp Francolin, and threatened mammals such as the Indian Rhinoceros, Tiger and Asian
Elephant. Higher altitude grasslands are also home to a diverse range of wildlife, providing
forage for wild ungulates such as Wild Yak and Himalayan Tahr.
Wetlands: There are many wetlands in Nepal providing critical services to local people, including
fodder for livestock and fibre for building, helping to regulate and purify water flows, often
reducing the risk of flooding and enabling clean water to be accessed year-round. They are also
an important habitat for large numbers of migratory birds and other wetland-dependent species,
such as Asian Water Buffalo and Ganges River Dolphin. Many wetlands are under severe pressure
from drainage and reclamation, inappropriate use or fisheries management, and water extraction.
High mountains: The high altitude mountain habitats of Nepal include large alpine and semidesert
areas, as well as extensive areas of temperate forest. The Himalayas have great beauty
and grandeur, holding spiritual and cultural value for the people living in and around them and
for the thousands of visitors who travel to the region every year. Mountain dwellers, who
comprise 7% of Nepal’s population are particularly heavily dependent on natural resources,
perhaps more so than people in other regions of Nepal. Mountain ecosystems are also very
susceptible to environmental pressures, with changes in the climate and provision of ecosystem
services having significant impacts on local communities as well as those living downstream.
Nepal’s rich biodiversity and its varied ecosystems, such as forests, grasslands, wetlands and high mountains, provide
vital services and livelihoods for people (clockwise from top left: David Thomas, Jyotendra Jyu Thakuri, Andy Graham, Hum Gurung)