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Bugyals are alpine pasture lands, or
Bagji Bugyal
and Munsiyari.
"Withering of traditional institutions? An institutional analysis of the decline of migratory pastoralism in the rangelands of the Kailash Sacred Landscape, western Himalayas."
''Environmental Sociology'' 3, no. 1 (2017): 87–100. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{coord missing, Uttarakhand Montane grasslands and shrublands Ecoregions of India Geography of Uttarakhand Grasslands of India
Bugyals are alpine pasture lands, or meadow
A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non- woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or arti ...
s, in higher elevation range between and of the Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
, where they are called "nature’s own gardens". The topography of the terrain is either flat or sloped. The surface of these bugyals is covered with natural green grass and seasonal flowers. They are used by tribal herdsmen to graze their cattle. During the winter season the alpine meadows remain snow-covered. During summer months, the Bugyals present a riot of beautiful flowers and grass. As bugyals constitute very fragile ecosystems, particular attention needs to be given for their conservation.
Some of the notable bugyals are: Auli near Joshimath
Joshimath, also known as Jyotirmath, is a city and a municipal board in Chamoli District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Located at a height of 6150 feet (1875 m), it is a gateway to several Himalayan mountain climbing expeditions, trekki ...
, Garsi, Kwanri, Gulabi Kantha, Bedni, Panwali Kantha and Kush Kalyan
"Kush Kalyan" is a bugyal (Himalayan Alpine Meadow) in the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India. Kush Kalyan Bugyal is a popular trekking and camping Destination. The Bugyal has the highest elevation of 3789m. The trek is of 16 km and ...
, Dayara, GidaraBagji Bugyal
and Munsiyari.
List of Bugyals
Conservation issues
Bugyal is a fragileecosystem
An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...
and it is essential to maintain a balance between ecology
Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overl ...
and environment. In this context a court case was filed by the public objecting to erection of the prefab houses and by introducing non-biodegradable matter in the upper meadows of the bugyals by the tourism departments. It was averred that the peace and tranquility of the bugyals was getting affected. The court had ordered that the polluter must pay for the damage to environment based on absolute liability principle, which covered payment of damages to the affected people but also to compensate for all costs for restoration of the degraded environments.
See also
*Meadow
A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non- woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or arti ...
* Grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...
* Shola
Sholas are the local name for patches of stunted tropical montane forest found in valleys amid rolling grassland in the higher montane regions of South India, largely in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamilnadu. These patches of shola forest are foun ...
References
Bibliography
*Pandey, Abhimanyu, Nawraj Pradhan, Swapnil Chaudhari, and Rucha Ghate"Withering of traditional institutions? An institutional analysis of the decline of migratory pastoralism in the rangelands of the Kailash Sacred Landscape, western Himalayas."
''Environmental Sociology'' 3, no. 1 (2017): 87–100. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{coord missing, Uttarakhand Montane grasslands and shrublands Ecoregions of India Geography of Uttarakhand Grasslands of India