Local Perceptions of Ecosystem Servicesand Anthropogenic Disturbances onEndangered <i>Taxus wallichiana</i>: Implications forConservation and Sustainable Management

The current study provides insightful information on the ecosystem services and anthropogenic disturbances that affect the endangered Taxus wallichiana forest.T. wallichiana has enormous ecological and societal significance, as evidenced by a diverse range of ecosystem services and products in the Kashmir western Himalayan region.The demographic features of participants and ecological services of the T. wallichiana were documented during group discussions and personal interviews.The interviews included 106 informants, of whom 19 were women and 87 were men.The majority of informants (82.07%) were male due to restrictions on women's interactions with strangers in the study area.Based on visual assessment at each sampling site, anthropogenic disturbance levels were assessed on a four-point scale (1 = low, 2 = moderate, and 3 = high).The bark is used as a substitute for tea during the winter to feel warm.Tea from Taxus bark is also believed to increase vitality and cure other healthrelated problems.The bark is also considered an anti-cancerous agent among the locals.The highest value of daily fuel wood consumption per capita was 5.25 kg at Kala Ban, whereas the lowest value of daily fuel wood consumption per capita was 1.36 kg at Japsar.Rural communities mostly rely on T. wallichiana wood as a source of fuelwood for cooking and heating their homes because upper temperate zones are dominated by mostly coniferous trees like T. wallichiana forests and other tree species