terai region of Nepal Flashcards
Describe where terai is found
low land region of plains in Northern India and Southern Nepal.
describe the terai ecosystem
It is made of marshy grasslands, savannah, and forests.
what are the three largest mammal species to live there?
bengal tiger, asian elephant, and horned rhino
give the latin names of the 3 biggest mammal species and their ICUN classification
tiger = P.tigris (endangered)
elephant = E. maximus (endangered)
rhino = R. unicornis (vulnerable)
who lived in the area before the 1950s?
originally populated with non-hindu settlers within indigenous cultures, usually lived a nomadic lifestyle.
why has there been a dramatic rise in population in the area since then?
many Indian farmers mass migrated during Rana dynasty due to the muslim invasions. As a result they pushed the indigenous nomads into slopes of terai hills causing population to multiply.
give two examples of how the conflict between wild life and people effect the PEOPLE of terai
- farmers crops get eaten by deer = no money
- elephants trample on crops
state 3 ways human activity has an effect on wildlife
increase population - more land is used up to make space for grazing + livestock = animals are driven further out their homes
poaching - animals hunted to sell their horns or fur
development of new roads - many animals are killed by speeding vehicles.
what are the potential issues with conserving tigers?
human population growth - this reduces amount of wild habitat space for tigers
+ people may well poach the same animals for food as tigers do = starvation
what is the WWF terai arc landscape
810km stretch between river Yamuna and river Baghmati in terai flood plains.
How much land do the majority of individual households own in this area
60% own less than 1 hectare of land
What is the value of one hardwood tree?
50 rupees
How has the programme helped reduce the exploitation of the forest?
- introducing alternative energy resources such as BIOGAS generators, fuel efficient stoves to reduce cutting trees for fuel.
- reduce open grazing of cattle (large space) villagers are encouraged to stall feed their cattle, which helps collection of dung used in biogas thus reducing grazing pressure
- therefore, this all reduces exploitation of forests
how has this scheme reduced conflict between wild life and local people?
- wall constructed at lansdowne corridor to prevent elephant raiding = elephants can’t trample crops
- better patrolling infrastructure donated e.g. jeeps, patrolling camps to maintain order between people and wildlife
- awareness campaigns run in school (world environment day) is used to educate children which is an important intervention to mitigate conflict.
what is the annual income for these people?
100 US dollars a year
