Management Deficits of Yarshagumba Collection

In the upper Kumaon region Yarshagumba (ophiocordyceps sinensis) collection is the main income source for nearly 18,000 households. Deficits in the management of the collection and trade of the species are increasingly decimating its surrounding habitat, leading to declining production each year and illegal trade. In addition to the degradation of ecosystem services, these deficits threaten the livelihoods of local communities and the living environment of many other species.