TRENDS OF KAFAL TREE RESOURCES UTILIZATION IN GARHWAL HIMALAYA: DECADAL DYNAMICS FROM 1985 TO THE PRESENT

This study deals with the utilization of ‘Kafal’ tree resources in the Garhwal Himalaya region, focusing on the decadal trends from 1985 to the present. The ‘Kafal’ tree (Myrica esculenta) is culturally and ecologically vital to the region, offering wild edible fruits and being utilized for various medicinal and agricultural applications. Despite its importance, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the decadal dynamics of its utilization. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap by documenting traditional knowledge and practices related to ‘Kafal’ tree resource utilization and analyzing the trends through a decadal analysis approach. Field visits were conducted across 15 villages in Chamoli, Pauri, and Tehri districts of Uttarakhand, where data on traditional uses of ‘Kafal’ tree resources were collected through interviews and discussions with local communities. The use citation index (UCI) was calculated to classify the prevalence of different uses, ranging from predominant to not used. Additionally, a decadal trend analysis was performed, categorizing individuals into decadal classes based on their age and capturing the evolving patterns of resource utilization over time. Results indicate a significant decline in the consumption of ‘Kafal’ tree resources across various use categories from 1985 to 2024. This decline reflects shifting socio-economic dynamics and resource utilization patterns in the region.