Nepal is gifted with a stupendous wealth of biodiversity, both in flora and fauna. Even though Nepal covers less than 0.03 percent of the earth’s landmass, the wide range of latitudinal variations produce about 6 percent Bryophytes, 3 percent Pteridophytes, 8 percent of all birds, 4 percent mammals and 645 butterflies available in the world. Nepal is also rich in ecosystem diversity. A total of 118 ecosystems, 75 vegetation types and 35 forest types have been identified so far. Based on the availability in ecosystems, the number of endemic, threatened and endangered species of plants and animals, Nepal is on the 25th position from the top in the global context of bio-diversity.
About 100 plant species are already in trade, almost 250 species seem to have high potential for marketing and some 800 additional species find subsistence uses in Nepal. The forestry sector contributes about 15 percent of the GDP to the national economy while revenue from the non-timber forest products including medicinal and aromatic plants are estimated to be over 4 percent amounting to US $ 8.6 million annually. In certain rural areas these non-timber forest products alone provide up to 50 percent of the family income.
Nepal’s climatic variations in agro- ecological zones also favour diversity in crops and domesticated animals. Over 400 species of agro-horticultural crops are believed to be found in Nepal of which 50 species have been domesticated for commercial and household consumption. Seasonal fruits harvested from forests belong to about 37 genera and 45 species. Nepal Agricultural Research Council has stored germ plasmas of various crops, cereals, grain legumes, oil seeds, vegetables, industrial crops, spices crops and the accession totals to about 9,862. At present, 153 varieties of different crops have been registered for cultivation in Nepal. Broad genetic base of livestock breeds also exist here. About 24 breeds of indigenous genotypes of cattle (Yak, Lulu, Kirko, Achhame, Lime and Parkote), goat (Chyangra, Sinhal and Khari) and sheep (Bhyanglung, Baruwal, Dorel and Kage) have been reported. They exist low in number and hence need special attention in conservation.
This Himalayan kingdom has been identified as a hot spot of bio-diversity, and could be considered as a meeting point for several species of flora and fauna. Speciation (emergence of new species) is favoured in Nepal because of its altitudinal and climatic variations and for its location at the junction of paleartic and oriental bio-geographical regions with a number of isolated localities.
One of the important components of Nepal’s flora is the cultivated plant bio-diversity–mainly agricultural crop bio-diversity that includes at least 250 species of flora under cultivation in different ecosystem ranging from tropical to alpine climates. Interestingly over 500 flowering plant species exist as wild relatives of cultivated agricultural crop plants in this tiny realm. Except that of maize and potato, wild relatives of almost all other cultivated crop plants exist here. At least 5 wild species of rice, 10 wild relatives of wheat and at least 38 wild relatives of grain legumes are reported in Nepal. Forests of wild species of strawberry in high altitude of Humla, apple in Jumla, mango and asparagus in the tropical forest of Chitwan bear ample meaning to evolutionary process of cultivated plants in this unique land of Nepal. Similarly, at least 1,463 plant species have been identified as herbal medicinal plants used by people. Most of them are in wild state and many are the wild relatives of cultivated plants. Among hundreds of wild relatives of agricultural crops, wild asparagus, wild lady’s finger, wild amaranth etc. are few living examples of wild relatives of agricultural plants in Nepal.
In all 246 species of the total flowering plants and 248 species of non-flowering plants are reported to be endemic to Nepal. Scientists estimate about 7,000 species of flowering plants exist in Nepalese Himalayas. A total of 5833 species of flowering plants and 4,216 species of non-flowering plants have been recorded so far. However, this diversity is in gradual loss due to unsustainable utilization and imperfect land use. Deforestation, shifting cultivation, and expansion of natural forest areas for cultivation have increased the loss of biodiversity. Illegal collection of commercially valuable plant and animal species is also a major threat to species loss. Wild animals are also under pressure from poachers. In addition, development activities have either been implemented in or pass through the natural habitats, thereby, damaging various species. Some species may have been lost even before their ecological, economic, and scientific importance is known. Human activities have dramatically scaled threatening the existence of the wildland resources.
Endangered Wildlife in Nepal
Man’s greed, to claim ever more space and resources, has threatened our counterparts – the creatures of the wild. There is always this man-animal conflict in settlements that are near the jungles. Elephants in eastern Terai and rhinos in mid-western Terai enter villages and destroy houses and crops. Tigers and leopards, too, enter human settlements and attack people. Obviously, they are in search of food that is getting scarce in the jungle due to human encroachment.
Even in the Kathmandu Valley, in the last one year, six cases of leopard attacks have been recorded. The habitat of the wild animals should have been mapped out, and people made aware of the need to protect them. But who cares about the animals, when people face so many problems?
In Nepal, animals like the tiger, rhino, snow leopard, and birds like the vulture and owl are becoming endangered. And their dwindling population is of concern not only to the specialists and
conservationists but also to us, because if nothing concrete is done, in a few years’ time, we will lose them forever.
Survival of animals is as important as the survival of man, a social animal himself. We are not the sole claimant of this earth. When it comes to existence, man, animals and plants have to live side by side.
Day in and day out, we hear about species vanishing in the wild. Loss of habitat, poisoning of their food chain by the use of excessive drugs in cattle, chemical fertilisers that poison the wetlands,
imbalance in nature because of farming only economically viable species and use of hazardous chemicals in cultivation are some reasons.
Wildlife poising has become a burning issue in our time. From Africa to Asia, where most of the threatened wildlife is found, chemical substances used in livestock and cultivation are killing wildlife.
In these societies, people build their settlements in the rural areas next to the forests because they constantly depend on forest products such as firewood, fodder and even edible roots and fruits for their livelihood. Human and wild animals face each other squarely since they are sharing the same food chain.
As demand for food is rising, farmers use all sorts of pesticides and drugs to keep their crops and livestock healthy. When the wild animals forage into the farmlands, they consume these poisoned foods, which results in their untimely death.
When food becomes scarce in the jungle due to human encroachment, obviously animals will run to the farmland and the villages. So people living near the national parks and community forests frequently poison wildlife. Farmers are also known to use tainted bait to get rid of wild animals. Poisons are also used by poachers in different parts of the world.
When the cattle die, the villagers dispose the carcass on the barren lands near the jungle. These cattle are treated with all kinds of chemical substances to make them produce more meat, milk, or fur. When such dead animals are consumed by the wild animals such as jackals, hyenas, foxes, vultures or eagles, they fall prey to these chemicals inside the carcass.
Some 10 years ago, vultures were abundant in Nepal, but now they are dying in large numbers. It is estimated that the population of the white-rumped and slender-billed vulture has been reduced by 95 percent. These species of vultures are listed in the IUCN Red List. The pink-headed duck that once was critically endangered has now almost disappeared in Nepal. The vultures, too, may vanish if necessary measures are not taken.
All animals are part of the ecosystem. Saving one will simply enhance better survival of the other. Without grasslands and wetlands, herbivorous animals cannot survive. When jungles are well protected, rhinos are safe. In one way or the other, every animal is dependent on another.