Understanding Biodiversity Conservation, Social Structure, And Buffer Zone Vegetation In Mukundapur Buffer Zone Vdc, Chitwan National Park

Abstract

Mukundapur, a buffer zone VDC of Chitwan National Park, was chosen as the study area to study the ecology, economy and the social strata to understand biodiversity conservation. The study was conducted using direct interview survey by randomly sampling 68 households, 14 vegetation sampling plots (7 plots in the buffer zone forest and 7 outside buffer zone forest) that were randomly selected and land use change using Arc info and Arc view from 1978 and 1992. There was a huge deficit of fuel wood and fodder in the VDC. The estimated total demand of fuel wood and fodder were 1670.8 ton/yr and 18552.3 ton/yr of which only 2% of the fuel wood demand and green fodder demand could not be supplied from the buffer zone forest. Majority of the households were dependent on their private land and agricultural residues for fuel wood and fodder. The installation of the biogas plant was found highest in Brahmin/Chhetris and Tharus and the management level participation in the buffer zone committee was also only from these two castes. The buffer zone had Sal forest. The yield of fuel wood and fodder was 33.3 ton/yr and 1071.5 kg/yr respectively. The poaching and killing of wildlife species was not reported in the VDC. However, 39.7 % of the households reported that the frequency of the rhino movement in the VDC had increased and 35% reported the crop depredation by rhinos. The land use change pattern between 1978 and 1992 suggest decrease in forest area and agricultural land while water bodies and the shrub land had increased probably because of forest degradation and annual flood that frequently changed the river course.