Table 1.

Characteristic features of the buffer zone villages situated along an elevational gradient in Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, India.

Parameter	Lower	Middle	Higher
Altitude (m)	1900–2400	2400–2800	2800–3600
Transhumance	Not practiced	Practiced (short migration)	Practiced
Cropping pattern	3 crops per 2 years	3 crops per 2 years	1 crop per year
Distance from NDBR core zone (km)	5–8	3–4	<1.2
Main occupation	Agriculture	Agriculture	Agriculture
Subsidiary occupation	Animal Husbandry	Animal Husbandry	Animal Husbandry
Horticultural trees	Present	Present	Present
Number of cultivated agricultural crops	14	12	10
Number of cultivated medicinal plant species	3	4	4
Land under traditional crops (ha)	105	61	107
Land under medicinal plants (ha)	2.12	3.49	5.79
Total arable land (ha)	107.12	64.49	112.79
Name of the villages	Lata, Reni and Peng	Tolma, Suki, Bhallagaon, Phagti and Laung	Malari, Dronagiri Garpak and Niti