An Ecological Viewpoint on Sustainability of Agriculture in the Uttarakhand Mountains

Agroecosystems in Uttarakhand mountains have evolved as a result of interaction among five components (i.e., cropland, private support system, natural forest, livestock and man). The cropland forms the core of agricultural operations, sustained by the flow of biomass energy from adjacent forest ecosystems through the livestock-mediated fodder–FYM–traction power channel. On average, every unit of crop production in 0.10cultivated fields requires approximately 10–12 energy units derived from nearby forests in the form of fodder, leaf litter used as bedding material, fuelwood, and similar resources, which can rise to as much as 20 units in rainfed farming systems. Crop yields are diminishing due to multiple natural and human -induced factors, and soil fertility is steadily deteriorating. The livestock component, once crucial in integrating various elements of the agroecosystem, is now becoming a liability to the overall ecological functioning. The self - sustaining agroecosystems have now gradually turned non-viable both ecologically and economically as a consequence of depleting forest stock, increasing population pressure and a variety of other socio -economic constraints. Large chunks of once productive croplands are left abandoned due to outmigration of male population away from the region in search of livelihood. Therefore, there is a need to shift the traditional form of agriculture to tree / cash crops and other alternative forms of cultivation using environment-friendly, income generating and socio-economically feasible technologies to achieve food security among the marginal farming communities of this region, particularly in the face of climate change.