The habitat diversity and patterns in the use of the local natural resource bases by the rural populations of North-West Karnataka

Abstract

The north-west part of Karnataka (latitude 14-15° N, longitude 74° 30° - 75° E) represents a very high diversity region in the Indian subcontinent in physical, biological and cultural aspects. Five distinct ecological habitat zones are identified lying along a 150 km transect drawn in a west to east direction and one village community from each of these habitats is selected for the present study The ecological features of the habitats are described, and subsistence strategies of the people of the village communities that depend on the use of local natural resource bases are discussed in details. The common patterns observed are the exploitation of all types of subhabitats available in the local landscape to produce a diversity of biomass and minerals that meet the local demands for food, fodder, fuel etc and agriculture as the common mode of subsistence.The variable importance of particular modes of subsistences (agriculture, horticulture, livestock rearing, etc} and further specific variations in. them in any of the habitats, suggest the evolution of traditional patterns of using the local natural resource bases in response to the variation in the ecological features of the habitats and basically to meet the local demands The recent trend in changes in these patterns suggest the influence of the linking up of local economy with the market of the outside world and of the availability of modern technologies to these communities.