Abstract

The present study deals with the consumption of fuel wood in a area of Central Himalaya. The study have been done in three villages, viz. Shitlakhet, Deolikhan and Dhamas. In each selected villages, 10 families were randomly selected and divided into four groups, according to the size of the family (viz. FA, FB, FC and FD). Fuel wood consumption varies from 23.14 qtl.y-1 for FA to 65.34 qtl.y-1 FD (Village-I), between 22.45 qtl.y-1 in FA and 59.50 qtl.y-1 in FD (Village-II), while these values ranged between 20.84 qtl.y-1 in FA and 55.44 qtl.y-1 in FD in Village-III. Average Per Capita Fuel wood Consumption (PCFC) in different villages ranged between 7.14 qtl.y-1 to 8.00 qtl.y-1. The PCFC was decreased from FA to FD, across all the villages. PCFC during study year was maximum in FA, which was approximately 36 to 37 percent, while the minimum (17-19% approximately) was in FD across the Village. The average fuel wood consumption across the season varies from 27.99 percent at Village –I to 41.54 percent at Village - II.

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