Adverse Anthropogenic Impacts in Yarsa-Gambu and Alpine Region in the Gori Ganga Watershed Kumaun Himalaya

Caterpillar Fungus is an endemic herb of the higher Himalayan regions. It has become the very important source of cash income in whole areas of Kumaun Himalaya, where it is known as Yarsa-Gambu, ‘summer-grass-winter-worm’, this new occupation of the local inhabitant arisen out of extraction of Yarsa-Gambu in the higher Himalayan areas is now struggling for its survival due to various anthropogenic activities. The adverse anthropogenic activities are (i) increase human pressure in the caterpillar growing areas is steadily increasing the atmospheric temperature in the region, which is not good for the health of caterpillar, (ii) use of plastic materials is in the region by the tourists and local inhabitant and (iii) felling and burning of trees and shrubs in the region. All these anthropogenic activities have accelerated the process of warming and de-glaciations in the region. The fundamental objective of this paper is to study in detail about distribution, production, and impacts of anthropogenic activities in the growth of caterpillar fungus in the higher Himalayas by employing a higher Himalayan watershed viz., Gori Ganga as an experimental laboratory.