Grassland Ecosystems of Central Indian Himalaya: Structure and Function

This is a study of the threat of degradation faced by the Himalayan grasslands which are ecologically and economically important habitats owing to migratory and sedentary livestock population, unplanned grazing and other factors. Pointing out that grasslands have long been ignored by the government in its plans and policies, it focuses on the yawning gap that exists between understanding the ecosystem function of the Himalayan grasslands and the need for their sustainable utilisation. It presents data and analyses on aspects of grassland ecosystem such as structure and species composition of grasslands, species’ phenology, biomass and productivity of grasslands, efficiency of energy capture in grasslands and nutrient cycling of grasslands. It also takes up some socio-economic aspects of grasslands for study.