Adding 896 square kilometre of landscape to the existing Maenam, Fambong Lho and Barsey wildlife sanctuaries and creating three new protected areas in Yumsedong, Lachen and Chungthang regions, the pristine ecosystems harbouring some of the rare species, are some of the immediate measures that need to be taken to ensure meaningful conservation goals in Sikkim in the face of climate change threats, researchers have pointed out.
In a study published in the latest issue of Biological Conservation, the researchers, after using a combination of species distribution modelling (SDM) and systematic conservation planning techniques, delineated and prioritised areas for endemic plant species conservation under current and future climate conditions spanning between 2050s and 2070s.
They found that plant species in Sikkim will shift northward and towards higher elevation from their current habitats under future green house gas emission scenarios. To tackle the threat, the researchers said, “Our analyses show that to mitigate the effects of ensuing climate change, a single large PA with wide geographic and elevational extents instead of several smaller PAs would be a more prudent strategy for conserving the plant diversity in the Himalaya.”
“The consequences of warming and altered distribution of plant species entails redefining the existing boundaries of protected areas,” said lead author Maharaj K Pandit, Director, Centre for Inter-disciplinary Studies of Mountain and Hill Environment (CISMHE), University of Delhi and Ngee Anne Kongsi, distinguished professor, National University of Singapore.
They asserted that the application of this research, would be helpful to the decision-makers in redrawing PA boundaries in the light of climate change.
Pandit explained that, “there are limited genuine empirical studies on the Himalayas that can shed light on the quantum of impact on biodiversity patterns due to global change, of which climate change is a part.
“We have to redesign our biodiversity conservation plans to keep pace with the changing distribution patterns of species. Moreover, biodiversity and livelihoods in India are closely linked. This demands that we sit up and take note and not consider these warnings a mere academic exercise.”
According to the researchers, the severe effect of climate change on Sikkim fauna might even lead to serious consequences like the extinction of some species. Hence, “we recommend long-term monitoring and detailed studies to understand such effects and consequences so that mitigation measures can be undertaken,” they said.