Land-Use Politics, Disturbance, and Biodiveristy in the Indian Aravalli

Ohio State University Research Foundation -Do Not Use, Columbus OH

Investigators

Abstract

Environmental conservation has entered an era of upheaval. Ecosystems far from human impact, once thought to be pristine and stable, are increasingly understood to undergo unpredictable changes. Meanwhile, regimes of human disturbance, long characterized as out of balance, have been shown to enhance ecosystem stability and productivity. As a result, traditional conservation models, which hold that "pristinity" and the enclosure of nature from human activity are required to maintain biodiversity, have been called into question. This poses a problem for environmental science at a time when global biodiversity is in rapid decline. Similarly, where groups of stakeholders engage in conflict over resources, dissolution of control ensues, with multiple land uses emerging from monolithic laws. Such variation in land use commonly leads to variation in land cover and floral biodiversity. Far from being a force that invariably reduces species diversity, populist contests for control of resources may lead to dynamic landscapes, with patches of distinct and diverse ecological communities. This research project explores the relationships among environmental politics, ecological disturbance, and floral biodiversity. The investigators hypothesize that when populist demands for access to environmental resources (forests or pasture) lead to heterogeneous management, the result will be patchy forms of ecological disturbance. Conflict-laden sociopolitical conditions therefore may enhance, rather than undermine, biodiversity, though potentially by favoring the encroachment of invasive species at the expense of native ones. Using a case study from Rajasthan India, the researchers will use satellite image analysis, biodiversity surveys, and stakeholder surveys to map the conflicting demands of resource users and the distribution of ecologically significant plant species. The interdisciplinary team includes researchers from geography, ecology, and zoology, and the work involves close collaboration between Indian and U.S. institutions. Empirically, the project will provide a first systematic- view of regional biodiversity change in the Aravalli, an area that forms a storehouse of endemic species and a crucial source of water and nutrient inputs for the vast areas to the north and west. Conceptually, the research will offer insights into the relationship between political struggle, state power, and land-cover change. The project will provide educational and training opportunities for graduate students, and it will increase international collaboration.