The role of biodiversity in the maintenance of ecosystem services in human-dominated landscapes:evidence from the Terai Plains of Nepal

Despite a rapidly accumulating evidence base quantifying ecosystem services, the role of biodiversity in the maintenance of ecosystem services in shared human-nature environments is still understudied, as is how indigenous and agriculturally dependent communities perceive, use, and manage biodiversity. This chapter presents the results of ethnobotanical surveys of wild and tended plant material conducted around rice-cultivated agroecosystems in the Terai Plains of Nepal. It shows that despite being situated in densely populated agricultural landscapes, these farms are reservoirs of biodiversity. They provide multiple provisioning, regulating and supporting goods and services that sustain livelihoods. The chapter also observes that, even today, farmers maintain a rich ethnobotanical knowledge and plants are being used for their wide-ranging benefits. It is argued that low-cost, small-scale ethnobotanical practices enhance the overall resilience of farming communities in the Terai Plains of Nepal