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Papers by nancy loria
Mausam, Aug 3, 2021
In the present study, vulnerability level of individual farming households to climate change is e... more In the present study, vulnerability level of individual farming households to climate change is examined in Himachal Pradesh, Northwestern state of India. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to develop vulnerability index for individual household. Mean household vulnerability index in the study area was 0.27. The farming households from Kullu district were the most vulnerable (5.94) while those from Hamirpur district were least vulnerable (-3.37). The study successfully identified the regional sources of vulnerability and prioritises the districts for adaptation planning. Implication of the study results lays with the policy makers in formulating region specific and targeted climate adaptation policies that foster asset building so as to reduce vulnerability and build long-term resilience to climate change.
A B S T R A C T Vulnerability index as a function of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity ... more A B S T R A C T Vulnerability index as a function of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity at the household scales was developed to assess vulnerability of farming community. A questionnaire based survey was conducted during 2014 by taking 202 households across four blocks in two districts of low-hills zone of Himachal Pradesh. The quantitative and qualitative data was collected by employing participatory method. The indicators of vulnerability are weighted using Principal Component Analysis. In the low-hill zone, frequency of drought events, share of non natural resources based income and human assets registered highest weights of 0.68 , 0.98 and 0.89 among the indicators of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity, respectively. In the region households vulnerability depended on socioeconomic characteristics such as education, infrastructure and income as well as access to capital assets. In the region, households situated away from the district headquarter were found to ...
The objective of this study was to assess the long-term cumulative effects of forest land use on ... more The objective of this study was to assess the long-term cumulative effects of forest land use on soil properties under four forests, Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii), Deodar (Cedrus deodara), Oak (Quercus leucotrichophora) and mixed (Chir Pine + Deodar) forest. Tree litter samples were drawn from each of forest by forming a 1 m × 1 m quadrant. Litter sampling was done at three months interval in a year. Tree biomass estimation was done by laying 10 m × 10 m quadrant for each forest site, and DBH (Diameter at Breast Height) of all trees within quadrate was recorded. Soil sample was randomly collected at soil depth of 0–15 (surface layer) and 15–30 cm (sub-surface layer) in triplicate in each forest for two successive years. The sampling and analysis of soil and plant was done during 2016–2017 and 2017–2018. Biomass production varied from 28.01 to 156.64 Mg ha−1. Total carbon (soil + biomass) in mixed forest was highest (89.9 Mg ha−1) and the least in deodar (39.21 Mg ha−1). Soil under Oa...
Journal of Agrometeorology
The study examined the farmers’ perceptions regarding climate change, types of adaptation strateg... more The study examined the farmers’ perceptions regarding climate change, types of adaptation strategies, factors influencing adaptation choices and barriers to adaptation, in the low-hill zone of Himachal Pradesh in India. In low-hill zone, 202 farm households were randomly considered for the study. In the region, 62.4 % of the farm households were of the opinion that temperature has increased during the last 10 years, whereas, 57.9% of the respondents have perceived that there is a decrease in rainfall in low-hills of the state. In this part of the state, people have switched over to off farm jobs to meet their livelihood as perceived by 89.1 percent of the respondents. At farm level, farmers have adopted irrigation, crop diversification, change of sowing/planting dates and crop variety as the strategies to cope up with the changing situation. About 50% of the people have perceived that high cost of adaptation, limited knowledge of adaptation measures, lack of access to technology, la...
Journal of Agrometeorology
Climate change impact varies across different altitudinal ranges and demands local specific manag... more Climate change impact varies across different altitudinal ranges and demands local specific management strategies for water resource and farming system management. The present study analyses spacio-temporal climate parameters across different altitudes of Himachal Pradesh a hilly state of India. Analysis shows that annually, minimum temperature has significantly decreased by -0.09°C at altitude I (350 - 400 m) while maximum temperature has significantly increased by 0.05°C at altitudes I and II (1400-1500 m) and decreased significantly by -0.08°C at altitude III (2000- 2100 m). Higher regions Altitude – IV (2900-3000 m) received lowest rainfall (746.1 mm) with 30.2 % variation. Seasonal rainfall variability was higher in post monsoon (102 - 174%) and least in monsoon (21 - 57%). Annual rainfall at altitude I is strongly irregular (PCI 20.1 to 22.3), followed by altitude – IV (PCI 15-25); altitude – II irregular (PCI 15-20) and altitude – III moderate to irregular (PCI 12 -19) rainfa...
Journal of Applied and Natural Science
The impact of cropping systems on soil properties, nutrient availability and their carbon sequest... more The impact of cropping systems on soil properties, nutrient availability and their carbon sequestration potential was studied during the years 2014 and 2015 in Shiwalik hills of Himachal Pradesh. The four commonly occurring cropping systems namely vegetable, fruit, cereal crop and agroforestry were selected. Uncultivated land in the region was considered as control. In total, there were five treatments which were replicated six times under randomized block design. The study indicated that the cropping systems in the Shiwalik hills varied significantly (P=0.05) with respect to their impact on soil properties, nutrient availability and carbon sequestration potential. The pH and EC was in the range of 6.04 to 6.90 and 0.094 to 0.138 dSm-1, respectively and were normal in range. Organic carbon and bulk density in surface soils ranged from 8.06 to 9.70 g kg-1 and 1.19 to 1.34 Mg m-3, respectively. The available NPK was highest (267.21, 19.99, 172.42 kg ha-1) under vegetable based croppin...
International Journal of Bio-resource and Stress Management
The study on the environmental impacts of catchment management on the status of Pong wetland was ... more The study on the environmental impacts of catchment management on the status of Pong wetland was conducted during the year 2011-12 in the immediate catchment of Pong reservoir. Four main tributaries viz., Buhal, Dehar, Gaj and Banerwere selected to determine spatial trends in nutrient concentrations and to relate these trends to different land use systems in the catchment. Each tributary was divided into four sites of 5 km each. Site which does not form the catchment of Pong reservoir was excluded. Nutrient concentrations at most of the sites within the catchment were found within the permissible limits. However, no spatial trend was observed along a longitudinal gradient in the nutrient concentrations of tributaries taken under study. Spatial distribution of land use system in the catchment of wetland corroborated that catchment under study covered maximum area under forest land use followed by cultivated land and barren land. Three representative samples of silt at different locations were collected from the lake at the point of their entry into the lake and were used to analyze for certain heavy metals like Cd, Fe, Cu, Zn. Silt characteristics of lake were showed that lake sediments contain heavy metals but ranged within the permissible limits. However, increase in their concentration in near future may cause changes in the physico-chemical composition of the lake water. Improved management and maintenance of catchment land use systems are crucial and there is a need to conserve and preserve these existing wetlands to maintain and improve the ecological balance.
The present research work was conducted on the Rewalsar Lake in the historic holy town of Rewalsa... more The present research work was conducted on the Rewalsar Lake in the historic holy town of Rewalsar; district Mandi, (H.P), India. This lake comes under the category of sacred lakes and is unique in terms of religious and ecological significance. Eutrophication, anthropogenic pressures, holy rituals and tourism have been the major factors which have contributed to its damage and deterioration. For collection of water samples four sampling sites were identified and the lake water quality was analysed for physico- chemical characteristics on a monthly basis over a period of six months in year 2011. Every water sample was analysed for pH, electrical conductivity, transparency, total dissolved solids (TDS), alkalinity, acidity, calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride, potassium, phosphate, sulphate, biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The study revealed that the lake water was alkaline. The TDS and transparency values were high in all the four sites chosen. The ...
Mausam, Aug 3, 2021
In the present study, vulnerability level of individual farming households to climate change is e... more In the present study, vulnerability level of individual farming households to climate change is examined in Himachal Pradesh, Northwestern state of India. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to develop vulnerability index for individual household. Mean household vulnerability index in the study area was 0.27. The farming households from Kullu district were the most vulnerable (5.94) while those from Hamirpur district were least vulnerable (-3.37). The study successfully identified the regional sources of vulnerability and prioritises the districts for adaptation planning. Implication of the study results lays with the policy makers in formulating region specific and targeted climate adaptation policies that foster asset building so as to reduce vulnerability and build long-term resilience to climate change.
A B S T R A C T Vulnerability index as a function of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity ... more A B S T R A C T Vulnerability index as a function of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity at the household scales was developed to assess vulnerability of farming community. A questionnaire based survey was conducted during 2014 by taking 202 households across four blocks in two districts of low-hills zone of Himachal Pradesh. The quantitative and qualitative data was collected by employing participatory method. The indicators of vulnerability are weighted using Principal Component Analysis. In the low-hill zone, frequency of drought events, share of non natural resources based income and human assets registered highest weights of 0.68 , 0.98 and 0.89 among the indicators of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity, respectively. In the region households vulnerability depended on socioeconomic characteristics such as education, infrastructure and income as well as access to capital assets. In the region, households situated away from the district headquarter were found to ...
The objective of this study was to assess the long-term cumulative effects of forest land use on ... more The objective of this study was to assess the long-term cumulative effects of forest land use on soil properties under four forests, Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii), Deodar (Cedrus deodara), Oak (Quercus leucotrichophora) and mixed (Chir Pine + Deodar) forest. Tree litter samples were drawn from each of forest by forming a 1 m × 1 m quadrant. Litter sampling was done at three months interval in a year. Tree biomass estimation was done by laying 10 m × 10 m quadrant for each forest site, and DBH (Diameter at Breast Height) of all trees within quadrate was recorded. Soil sample was randomly collected at soil depth of 0–15 (surface layer) and 15–30 cm (sub-surface layer) in triplicate in each forest for two successive years. The sampling and analysis of soil and plant was done during 2016–2017 and 2017–2018. Biomass production varied from 28.01 to 156.64 Mg ha−1. Total carbon (soil + biomass) in mixed forest was highest (89.9 Mg ha−1) and the least in deodar (39.21 Mg ha−1). Soil under Oa...
Journal of Agrometeorology
The study examined the farmers’ perceptions regarding climate change, types of adaptation strateg... more The study examined the farmers’ perceptions regarding climate change, types of adaptation strategies, factors influencing adaptation choices and barriers to adaptation, in the low-hill zone of Himachal Pradesh in India. In low-hill zone, 202 farm households were randomly considered for the study. In the region, 62.4 % of the farm households were of the opinion that temperature has increased during the last 10 years, whereas, 57.9% of the respondents have perceived that there is a decrease in rainfall in low-hills of the state. In this part of the state, people have switched over to off farm jobs to meet their livelihood as perceived by 89.1 percent of the respondents. At farm level, farmers have adopted irrigation, crop diversification, change of sowing/planting dates and crop variety as the strategies to cope up with the changing situation. About 50% of the people have perceived that high cost of adaptation, limited knowledge of adaptation measures, lack of access to technology, la...
Journal of Agrometeorology
Climate change impact varies across different altitudinal ranges and demands local specific manag... more Climate change impact varies across different altitudinal ranges and demands local specific management strategies for water resource and farming system management. The present study analyses spacio-temporal climate parameters across different altitudes of Himachal Pradesh a hilly state of India. Analysis shows that annually, minimum temperature has significantly decreased by -0.09°C at altitude I (350 - 400 m) while maximum temperature has significantly increased by 0.05°C at altitudes I and II (1400-1500 m) and decreased significantly by -0.08°C at altitude III (2000- 2100 m). Higher regions Altitude – IV (2900-3000 m) received lowest rainfall (746.1 mm) with 30.2 % variation. Seasonal rainfall variability was higher in post monsoon (102 - 174%) and least in monsoon (21 - 57%). Annual rainfall at altitude I is strongly irregular (PCI 20.1 to 22.3), followed by altitude – IV (PCI 15-25); altitude – II irregular (PCI 15-20) and altitude – III moderate to irregular (PCI 12 -19) rainfa...
Journal of Applied and Natural Science
The impact of cropping systems on soil properties, nutrient availability and their carbon sequest... more The impact of cropping systems on soil properties, nutrient availability and their carbon sequestration potential was studied during the years 2014 and 2015 in Shiwalik hills of Himachal Pradesh. The four commonly occurring cropping systems namely vegetable, fruit, cereal crop and agroforestry were selected. Uncultivated land in the region was considered as control. In total, there were five treatments which were replicated six times under randomized block design. The study indicated that the cropping systems in the Shiwalik hills varied significantly (P=0.05) with respect to their impact on soil properties, nutrient availability and carbon sequestration potential. The pH and EC was in the range of 6.04 to 6.90 and 0.094 to 0.138 dSm-1, respectively and were normal in range. Organic carbon and bulk density in surface soils ranged from 8.06 to 9.70 g kg-1 and 1.19 to 1.34 Mg m-3, respectively. The available NPK was highest (267.21, 19.99, 172.42 kg ha-1) under vegetable based croppin...
International Journal of Bio-resource and Stress Management
The study on the environmental impacts of catchment management on the status of Pong wetland was ... more The study on the environmental impacts of catchment management on the status of Pong wetland was conducted during the year 2011-12 in the immediate catchment of Pong reservoir. Four main tributaries viz., Buhal, Dehar, Gaj and Banerwere selected to determine spatial trends in nutrient concentrations and to relate these trends to different land use systems in the catchment. Each tributary was divided into four sites of 5 km each. Site which does not form the catchment of Pong reservoir was excluded. Nutrient concentrations at most of the sites within the catchment were found within the permissible limits. However, no spatial trend was observed along a longitudinal gradient in the nutrient concentrations of tributaries taken under study. Spatial distribution of land use system in the catchment of wetland corroborated that catchment under study covered maximum area under forest land use followed by cultivated land and barren land. Three representative samples of silt at different locations were collected from the lake at the point of their entry into the lake and were used to analyze for certain heavy metals like Cd, Fe, Cu, Zn. Silt characteristics of lake were showed that lake sediments contain heavy metals but ranged within the permissible limits. However, increase in their concentration in near future may cause changes in the physico-chemical composition of the lake water. Improved management and maintenance of catchment land use systems are crucial and there is a need to conserve and preserve these existing wetlands to maintain and improve the ecological balance.
The present research work was conducted on the Rewalsar Lake in the historic holy town of Rewalsa... more The present research work was conducted on the Rewalsar Lake in the historic holy town of Rewalsar; district Mandi, (H.P), India. This lake comes under the category of sacred lakes and is unique in terms of religious and ecological significance. Eutrophication, anthropogenic pressures, holy rituals and tourism have been the major factors which have contributed to its damage and deterioration. For collection of water samples four sampling sites were identified and the lake water quality was analysed for physico- chemical characteristics on a monthly basis over a period of six months in year 2011. Every water sample was analysed for pH, electrical conductivity, transparency, total dissolved solids (TDS), alkalinity, acidity, calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride, potassium, phosphate, sulphate, biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The study revealed that the lake water was alkaline. The TDS and transparency values were high in all the four sites chosen. The ...