Work Package 3.1

Work Package 3.1

About:
Work Package 3.1 aims to address the little-studied impact of Nr air pollution from Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) on Himalayan forests, a global biodiversity hotspot. With the highest NH3 in the world, major impacts are expected, with parallel concerns about high wet Nr deposition (e.g. Bhutan). Ecosystem services valuation will consider epiphytic lichen communities used to make perfumes, exported for use in religious cleansing rituals (part of global trade in medicinal and aromatic plants worth $60B). Key traded species (Parmelia, Everniastrum, Usnea esp. in Oak, Pine, Rhododendron forests) are anticipated to be highly sensitive to NH3 pollution, based on functional similarity to Eurasian spp. Full biodiversity survey (inc. epiphytes, trees, ground flora and soil fauna) will use micro-and mesotransects (<1-1000 km, from PAK to BTN) across NH3 and Ndep gradients, supported by WP4.2, esp. linking epiphyte performance and physiological indicators. Transects will deploy a culturally acceptable and novel micro-dosing chamber system (inc. NH3 permeation source & passive sampling – to be validated at the unique Whim Bog fumigation facility of CEH). Local people will be involved from the start, inc. discussions on current harvesting practices, threats from air pollution to livelihoods, and potential for long-term sustainable harvest under contrasting pollution regimes.

Work package level Specific objectives 

• Standardise a field taxonomy for, and improve understanding of, lichen diversity in Himalayan forests
• Understand how NH3 and wet Nr deposition (N pollution) is affecting lichen diversity
• Establish an extent to which N pollution is degrading ecosystem services and goods
• Provide ecological forecasting for the impacts of N pollution on lichen diversity, and ecosystem function, services and goods
• Develop a platform for long term ecological monitoring that guides sustainable management

Work package level-specific questions or hypotheses

• High levels of atmospheric N pollution in the IGP is causing a loss of lichen diversity
• Included among the sensitive species are those of importance to known ecosystem functions, services and goods
• Sustainable harvesting of lichens is harder to achieve as N pollution increases
• Loss of lichen diversity affects individual wellbeing and/or social-economic structures built around the use of non-timber forest products

Work Package Leads:

• Jones (UKCEH)
• Chatterjee (TERI-SAS) 
• Ellis (RBGE)

Partners:

• CEH
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Kathmandu
• University of Perideniya
• TERI
• RBGE
• NHM
• Royal University of Bhutan
• JNU
• NPL