Assessment of ecosystem services from sacred groves of India
By: SK Barik*, Rashmi Rekha Gogoi, Saralyn Kharbhih,
Blessing Suchiang, Ibadahun Mary Nonghuloo,
D. Adhikari, K. Upadhaya, KC Malhotra, RS
Tripathi#
Introduction
Sacred groves are forest ecosystems maintained by traditional communities
on the ground of religious beliefs. The pan-Indian presence of sacred
groves is a testimony to the religious belief-based biodiversity
conservation practice among the traditional communities across the country.
The rich diversity of cultural practices and biodiversity conservation
interface manifested in the form of sacred groves that exist in India since
time immemorial is indeed an important natural heritage. Each community has
a unique set of deity, belief system, and rituals associated with sacred
groves that helped conserving diverse plant, animal and microbial species
in different eco-regions of the country. Most often, sacred groves
represent the original floral and faunal diversity of a particular
eco-region. Although sacred groves did exist in the past in many other
countries including Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos and many African and South
American countries, today most of these nations have lost these islands of
biodiversity due to modernity, weakened belief systems and developmental
pressure. Fortunately, in India despite these pressures, an estimated three
lakh sacred groves still exist, although a large portion of these sacred
groves are partially or highly degraded (disturbed). It is realized
that in the present day scenario, religious belief alone can no longer save
these vanishing sacred groves. Unless the people who manage these groves
are convinced of the value of these ecosystems it would be difficult to
protect them. In addition to the biodiversity and cultural values,
ecosystem services (i.e., the benefits derived by the humans from
these ecosystems), are the greatest benefits that sacred groves provide to
the society.
Ecosystem services as defined in Millennium Assessment(MA)-2003, include,
"provisioning services such as food and water; regulating services such as
flood and disease control; cultural services such as spiritual,
recreational, and cultural benefits; and supporting services, such as
nutrient cycling; that maintain the conditions for life on Earth".
Unfortunately, most ecosystem service assessment studies in India have not
used rigorous scientific methods for quantifying various ecosystem services
provided by different ecosystems. Therefore, there is a need to standardize
the field data collection protocols and methods for quantifying different
ecosystem services in different ecosystems. Keeping these twin objectives
in mind viz., (i) quantifying ecosystem services so that the people
who are custodian of sacred groves realize and appreciate the tangible and
intangible benefits that sacred groves provide, and (ii) standardizing
field data collection protocols and methods for a robust quantification of
ecosystem services, an all India coordinated project was undertaken during
the period 2012-2017 in 15 eco-regions of the country involving 15
different institutions/universities (Box 1) with a goal to achieve sacred
grove conservation through realization/appreciation of ecosystem service
values by the conserving communities.
Box 1: Participating institutions/universities in the All India
Coordinated Project on "Sacred Grove Ecosystem Services Assessment"
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North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya (Coordinating
Institution)
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Manipur University, Imphal, Manipur
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North-Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, Itanagar,
Arunachal Pradesh
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Goa University, Goa
-
Pondicherry University, Pudducherry
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Andhra University, Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
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Jiwaji University, Gwalior
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GB Pant National Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Kullu Centre,
Himachal Pradesh
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Transdisciplinary University (FRLHT), Bengaluru, Karnataka
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Sambalpur University, Sambalpur, Odisha
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Kerala Forest Research Institute, Nilambur, Kerala
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CPR Environmental Education Centre, Chennai
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HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, Uttarakhand
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Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka
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Abasaheb Garware College, Pune, Maharashtra
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The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of
India, sponsored this mega-project with the following objectives:
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To identify and characterize ecosystem services provided by sacred forest
ecosystems of the country;
-
To develop a framework, set of indicators, and methods for quantification
of sacred forest ecosystem services including the mapping of flow of
ecosystem services;
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To assess the quantity and quality of various ecosystem services
attributable to sacred forest ecosystem;
-
To identify and characterize various drivers impacting ecosystem services
in sacred forests;
-
To study the change in quantity and quality of ecosystem services due to
varying degree of product extraction and other disturbances in sacred
groves; and
-
To value ecosystem services and suggest practical recommendations for
their inclusion in conservation decision making process.
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The following ecosystem services under four categories as per MA
classification, were quantified:
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Provisioning: Fresh water
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Cultural: Recreation/Spiritual
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Regulating: Carbon sequestration and local hydrological balance
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Supporting: Biodiversity and Nutrient cycling
In total, six ecosystem services viz., biodiversity conservation service,
cultural services, water quality and improved hydrology, carbon
sequestration, and nutrient conservation provided by more than 100sacred
groves located in different ecological regions of the country were
quantified.
The eco-regions were: Central Himalaya (Kullu, Himachal Pradesh), Western
Himalaya (Srinagar, Garhwal), North-eastern India (Meghalaya and Manipur),
Eastern Himalaya (Arunachal Pradesh), Central India (Madhya Pradesh),
Eastern Ghats (Odisha and Andhra Pradesh), Western Ghats (Kerala and
Karnataka), Deccan plateau (Tamilnadu), and Coastal Tamilnadu/Pudducherry.
Ecosystem services were assessed along the size of sacred groves ss and
disturbance gradients as well as under different management regimes.
Disturbances in sacred groves were characterized, and impact of disturbance
on sacred grove ecosystem services was assessed. A uniform method for
quantification of each of the ecosystem services was developed and was
followed for all the sacred groves. The quantification exercise was
undertaken in close collaboration with the people associated with the
sacred grove management. This helped them realize the importance of sacred
grove conservation.
Results
The amount of data collected through this initiative on six ecosystem
services from 100 sacred groves was enormous. The magnitude of data varied
based on geographic location, size, management regime and disturbance level
of sacred groves. Although all the identified ecosystem services got
depleted with increased level of disturbance, and decreased size of sacred
groves throughout the country, the management regime did not show any
definite trend, which varied according to the management structure that is
in place in different states/regions. The data pertaining to selected
sacred groves of Meghalaya in respect of certain ecosystem services are
presented in this article as a case study.
Sacred groves of Meghalaya selected for the study
The study was conducted in six sacred groves viz., Mawnai sacred grove,
Nongkrem sacred grove, Mukhla sacred grove, Nongbah sacred grove, Muthlong
sacred grove and Ialong sacred grovesituated in different districts of
Meghalaya. Out of the total six sacred groves studied, four are located in
JaintiaHills district viz., Ialong sacred grove, Mukhla sacred grove,
Muthlong sacred groveand Nangbah sacred grove. Ialong sacred grove, managed
by Raid (community management under
Elaka Chief) is located
about 9 km from Jowai, the headquarters town of Jaintia Hills district
(latitude 25°27.45'N, longitude 92°15.21'E).Mukhla sacred grove, managed by
Lyngdoh (priest) is located about 15 km from Jowai (latitude
25°29.84'N, longitude 92°11.34'E).Muthlong (latitude25°27.80'N, longitude
92°19.00'E), managed by Lyngdoh is located 17 km from Jowai, and
Nangbah sacred grove (latitude 25°31.58'N, longitude 92°15.26'E) managed by
Doloi (Elaka chief of Jaintia Hills), is about 13 km from
Jowai (Figure 1). The sacred groves managed by
Doloi and
Raid
are called as KhlooBlai(literally meaning 'forest of the God') and
those by Lyngdoh or priest are known as
KhlooLyngdoh. These
groves are well protected for a long time based on strong religious beliefs
of the Jaintia tribe and they generally represent the climax vegetation of
the region.
The other two sacred groves are located in East and West Khasi Hills
districts of Meghalaya. Both these forests are known as
Law lyngdoh
(forest taken care by the Lyngdoh or Priest). Mawnai sacred grove is
located in West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya (latitude 25°34.95'N,
longitude 91°36.00'E) at a distance of about 65 km from Shillong, the
capital of Meghalaya state. The other sacred grove is known as Nongkrem
sacred grove and is located in East Khasi Hills district (latitude
25°29.67'N, longitude 91°52.65'E), which is about 23 km from Shillong.
Plant
diversity in sacred groves under different management institutions
Sacred groves managed by
Lyngdohs (priest clan) had greater species
richness than those managed by Raid (Elaka chiefs in Khasi
Hills district) and Dolois (Elaka chiefs in Jaintia Hills).
The species richness as well as the number of endemic and threatened plant
species was far greater in the sacred groves than the adjoining unprotected
community forests (Figure 2). All the plant community attributes likewise,
were adversely affected due to disturbance.
Tree biomass/carbon in sacred groves and adjacent unprotected community
forests
Tree biomass values, an expression of carbon stock ,in the three sacred
groves viz., Mawnai, Nongkrem and Nangbah, and their adjacent
unprotected community forests revealed significant (p<0.05) variation in
biomass content among the groves as well as between the sacred groves and
adjacent unprotected community forests (Figure 3). The adverse effect of
disturbance was evident from the lower tree biomass values as obtained in
adjacent community forests compared to the undisturbed sacred groves.
Other ecosystem services
Although data is not presented here due to space constraint, water quality
in the undisturbed sacred forests was far better than the disturbed
community forests. Water-use data showed that more households draw water
from the undisturbed sacred forest for different purposes as compared to
the disturbed community forests. The soil nutrients showed significant
decrease in concentration with disturbance. There was a flow of nutrients
from the sacred forests to the adjacent agricultural fields, which
contributed towards the soil fertility in the adjacent agricultural field.
This contribution of nutrient flow towards the soil fertility in the
agricultural field resulted in increase in the annual crop yield of the
agricultural field adjacent to the undisturbed sacred forest as compared to
the agricultural field adjacent to the disturbed community forests. The
data on tree biomass carbon validated the hypothesis that undisturbed
sacred groves with dominance of higher girth class trees are better carbon
sinks than the disturbed forests. Cultural importance of each sacred grove
was also documented. Level of cultural importance and religious belief
associated with the sacred grove was a major determinant of disturbance
intensity in the sacred grove (Figure 4).
Management of grove did vary among the sacred groves, and the ecosystem
services varied with management regime. Large sacred groves provided
greater ecosystem services per unit area than the medium and small sized
groves.
Multiple ecosystem service-based conservation area prioritization
Remote sensing imageries and geographic information system duly supported
by adequate field sampling were used to map the spatial distribution of
these ecosystem services. The flow of different ecosystem services was
mapped and areas providing maximum ecosystem services in a landscape were
identified for future protection (Figure 5).
Conclusion
The sacred groves are the remnants of climax vegetation of the region, and
have been protected by the tribal communities and their traditional
institutions since time immemorial on religious ground. They provide
several benefits to the people. They maintain clean environment, protect
water sources and offer suitable ecological niches to a number of endemic
and threatened species. However, the decrease in number and size of sacred
groves, and their degradation caused by erosion of religious beliefs, and
increasing anthropogenic pressures are a matter of grave concern. The
quantitative data collected on ecosystem services will generate added
interest in the tribal communities to conserve these forest patches. The
realization of immense value of ecosystem services that these sacred groves
provide,is expected to enhance conservation efforts by the local
communities, which in turn, would ensure continuous flow of ecosystem
services. Thus there is a strong need to undertake quantitative assessment
of ecosystem services provided by the sacred groves representing diverse
ecosystems in order to convince all stakeholders to protect these groves
from disturbance.
Acknowledgement
Financial support from Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change,
Government of India is gratefully acknowledged.
Centre for Advanced Studies in Botany, North-Eastern Hill
University, Shillong-793022
*Present address: CSIR-National Botanical
Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow- 226001 (Corresponding author:
[email protected])
#Present address: International Society for
Environmental Botanists, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Rana
Pratap Marg, Lucknow - 226001 ([email protected])
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