given in Rao and Pant (2001); Farrow and Winograd (2001); Semwal et al. (2004);
Manson (2005, 2006); Schaldach et al. (2006); Koch and Schaldach 2006; van den
Hove (2007); Hellden (2008); Nautiyal and Kaechele (2007a, b, c, 2008); Nautiyal
et al. 2007); Schladach and Koch 2009; Lapola et al. (2010); Schladach et al. (2009,
2011a, b); Fuhrer and Leifeld (2010). To evaluate the complexity of rural
ecosystem there is a need to develop bio-physical indicators that would provide
quantified information and helps us to explain how things are changing over time.
Well chosen indicators able to permit summarizing the complex information
(methodology is given in Nautiyal et al. (2003, 2007, 2010, 2011); Nautiyal and
Nidamanuri (2010). To understand the process of how the people have been
changing their lives and activities due to a variety of factors (such as environmental,
policy, socioeconomic), and therefore, how the natural ecosystems also change with
human activities, a long-term study of the region is needed. Therefore, the
framework for this study is prepared for three years (2010-11–2013-14).
• Village-wise data on population from different study regions would be obtained
from the census/district/block records and also from the personal observation (as
and when required). This data would enable computation of population growth
rates.
• All the households have to be surveyed to determine average land holding size,
area under different crops, crop compositions, cropping patterns, crop rotations,
animal husbandry and forest resource collection in view of their understanding
about the change in climatic conditions.
• In addition, investigations will also be made into the attitude of the farmer
towards their thought about factors responsible for the conditions at the time—
such as change in climate—consequently implementation of policies, socioeconomic change, population growth, national economy, limitations for land use,
resource, infrastructure etc.
• To gather this information, sampled household must be visited at least 5–6 times
during the study period (2010-11 to 2013-14). To measure crop diversity more
accurately, the total land used for agriculture must be surveyed to assess the actual
area under cultivation of different crops during winter (October/November–
April/May) and rainy (May/June–September/October) seasons.
• The area that is under cultivation of each crop during the study period and in the
recent past (at various points of time) due to change in climate and/or because of
other driving forces, have to be calculated for all the crops by interviewing the
villagers of the region. In this process the collected information need
cross-checking by taking personal observations in field conditions.
• Data on livestock population need to be collected from the livestock census for
the years of land use land cover mapping. In case of unavailability of data from
the secondary sources then elders from the households in each village can be
asked to recall the livestock population to estimate changes in grazing pressure,
resource quantification.
• The different food production systems (i.e. agriculture, medicinal plants cultivation, kitchen gardens, animal husbandry, flow of resources and their
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S. Nautiyal and R. Schaldach
Manson (2005, 2006); Schaldach et al. (2006); Koch and Schaldach 2006; van den
Hove (2007); Hellden (2008); Nautiyal and Kaechele (2007a, b, c, 2008); Nautiyal
et al. 2007); Schladach and Koch 2009; Lapola et al. (2010); Schladach et al. (2009,
2011a, b); Fuhrer and Leifeld (2010). To evaluate the complexity of rural
ecosystem there is a need to develop bio-physical indicators that would provide
quantified information and helps us to explain how things are changing over time.
Well chosen indicators able to permit summarizing the complex information
(methodology is given in Nautiyal et al. (2003, 2007, 2010, 2011); Nautiyal and
Nidamanuri (2010). To understand the process of how the people have been
changing their lives and activities due to a variety of factors (such as environmental,
policy, socioeconomic), and therefore, how the natural ecosystems also change with
human activities, a long-term study of the region is needed. Therefore, the
framework for this study is prepared for three years (2010-11–2013-14).
• Village-wise data on population from different study regions would be obtained
from the census/district/block records and also from the personal observation (as
and when required). This data would enable computation of population growth
rates.
• All the households have to be surveyed to determine average land holding size,
area under different crops, crop compositions, cropping patterns, crop rotations,
animal husbandry and forest resource collection in view of their understanding
about the change in climatic conditions.
• In addition, investigations will also be made into the attitude of the farmer
towards their thought about factors responsible for the conditions at the time—
such as change in climate—consequently implementation of policies, socioeconomic change, population growth, national economy, limitations for land use,
resource, infrastructure etc.
• To gather this information, sampled household must be visited at least 5–6 times
during the study period (2010-11 to 2013-14). To measure crop diversity more
accurately, the total land used for agriculture must be surveyed to assess the actual
area under cultivation of different crops during winter (October/November–
April/May) and rainy (May/June–September/October) seasons.
• The area that is under cultivation of each crop during the study period and in the
recent past (at various points of time) due to change in climate and/or because of
other driving forces, have to be calculated for all the crops by interviewing the
villagers of the region. In this process the collected information need
cross-checking by taking personal observations in field conditions.
• Data on livestock population need to be collected from the livestock census for
the years of land use land cover mapping. In case of unavailability of data from
the secondary sources then elders from the households in each village can be
asked to recall the livestock population to estimate changes in grazing pressure,
resource quantification.
• The different food production systems (i.e. agriculture, medicinal plants cultivation, kitchen gardens, animal husbandry, flow of resources and their
574
S. Nautiyal and R. Schaldach