A general decrease in the abundance of wild plant species of fuel suggest that more detailed information is is urgentaly needed on species- level trend and their conservation. Such studies have not been carried out in India on water-shed basis and elsewhere; present study therefore quatified the species wise collection of fuel from watershed rissa khad. In all forty eight (48) species (38 Trees and 10 Shrubs) were extracted for fuel by the inhabitants. Out of these 11 were native to Himalaya while 2 species were native with extension to surrounding area while 6 species were near endemic. Utilization pattern, preference, distribution, probavility of use (PU), resource use indices (RUI), of these species were dertermined. Species such as Albizzia chinensis, Quercus leucotrichophora, Pinus roxburghii, Grewia oppositifolia, Pyrus pashia, Bauhinia variegata, Berberis lysium, Celtis australis and Toona ciliata were mostly prefered as fuel. Use pattern did not vary much with low altitude where as along the vertical (Elevation) gradient it varied consideravly. At high altitudinal villages like Kaas, Thankar, Gujar Gehra species such as Quercus leucotricophora A. Camus, Cedrus deodar* (Roxb.) Loud., Euonymus pendulus* Wall., Myrica esculenta Ham.ex Don, Pinus roxburghii *Sarg., Lonicera quinqulocularis * Royle, Viburnum continifolium Wall. ex CI. Contributed most to collection, while at low altitudinal villages Janjehal, Chail, Ropri, Rissa species such as Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.ex DC.) Wt.& Arn., Terminalia tomentosa (Roxb.) Wt. & Arn.) , Mallotus philippensis Muell. -Arg., Carissa opaca Stap. Murraya koenigii (L.) Spr. Gymnosporia royleana Wall, Spondias pennata Willd., Acer oblongum Wall. ex DC., Albizzia lebbeck (L.)Willd. Contributed most to collection and remaing species such as Albizzia chinensis Osbeck, Grewia oppostifolia* Roxb. Ex Mast., Bauhinia variegata L, Toona ciliata Roem., Prunus cerasoides Don, Cocculus laurifolius DC Contributed most to collection at mid elevational villages Kalar Ropri, Bhalyan and Khadii. Overall, average collection of fuel species ranged from 38.4 - 946.2 kg household-1 year-1 , it was highest for Albizzia chinensis (946.2 kg household-1 year-1 ), followed by Pinus roxburghii (773.6 kg household-1 year-1 ), Grewia oppositifolia (686.4 kg household-1 year-1 ), Pyrus pashia (525.1 kg household-1 year-1 ) and Quercus leucotrichophora (409.2 kg household-1 year-1 ). Overall, PU ranged from 0.01-0.7, it was highest for Albizzia chinensis (0.7), followed by Grewia oppositifolia (0.22), Pyrus pashia (0.17) Bauhinia variegata (0.17), Quercus leucotrichophora (0.12,) and Toona ciliata (0.11, each). The remaining species showed < 0.11 PU. Overall, RUI ranged from 4.56-280.04. It was highest for Albizzia chinensis (280.04.), followed by Pinus roxburghii (271.98), Grewia oppositifolia (192.94) and Quercus leucotrichophora (161.42). The remaining species showed < 161.42 RUI.
