Biodiversity and people: Balancing socioeconomic development and conservation

Team: Shripad Tuljapurkar, Gretchen Daily, Harman Jaggi, Wenyun Zuo, Alejandra Ochoa
Planning (Scoping)

In the high mountains of the Indian Trans Himalaya, locals pick green peas, the main cash crop grown throughout the valley. Their playful laughter adds life to a hot day in this breathtaking, rugged landscape. Location: Hull village, Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, India. (*Image credit: Harman Jaggi*)

The objective of this research was to understand the impacts of climate change on traditional farming landscapes in the northwestern Himalayas, specifically in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, India. The project team assessed the socioeconomic, ecological, genetic, and cultural implications of agricultural shifts due to climate change. Relying on ethnographic and participatory methods to first gather local perspectives from 26 villages (265 interviews), the researchers learned that changing snowfall patterns and subsequent reductions in soil moisture are affecting agricultural productivity, finances, and employment opportunities.

To investigate whether these changes were perceived or actual, and to assess the social-ecological impacts, the team established experimental plots for traditional crops (barley and black peas) and a cash crop (green pea) at three high-altitude sites. It monitored these plots for survival and reproductive traits under simulated drought conditions. In addition, the researchers examined the genetic diversity for black peas using whole-genome sequencing and chromosome-wide principal component analysis. Findings suggest that black peas and barley are not only better adapted to local conditions (with higher survival, flowering, and pod production) but also hold significant untapped genetic and nutritional potential.

One potential outcome of this study is that black peas, a traditional crop currently facing cultural extinction, could enter the agricultural mainstream. The team’s next steps are to help farmers diversify their agriculture to minimize finishing losses and increase crop productivity, to create a market profile for black peas, and to make them available to consumers across India and around the world. This work is a model for other traditional farming landscapes that face similar climate challenges. The research demonstrates that by integrating local knowledge and modern science, there is an opportunity to foster food systems that are not only environmentally sustainable but also adaptable to changing climatic conditions and potentially profitable to smallholding farmers.