DEFINITIONS

FAO/Pradeep Gurung

MOUNTAINS

The standard mountain definition within the UN is the UNEP- WCMC definition. Kapos et al. (2000) used criteria based on altitude and slope in combination to represent the world’s mountain environments. The definition indicates six elevation classes according to the following scheme:

∙ Class 1: elevation ≥ 4 500 m

∙ Class 2: elevation 3 500–4 500 m

∙ Class 3: elevation 2 500–3 500 m

∙ Class 4: elevation 1 500–2 500 m and slope ≥ 2°

∙ Class 5: elevation 1 000–1 500 m and slope ≥ 5° or LER > 300 m

∙ Class 6: elevation 300–1 000 m and LER > 300 m

∙ Class 7: isolated inner basins an dplateaus less than 25 km2 in extent that are surrounded by mountains but do not themselves meet criteria 1-6

UNEP-WCMC (2002) Mountain Watch: Environmental Change and Sustainable Development in Mountains. Defining Mountain Regions Page 74. UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre Cambridge, United Kingdom

 

SMALLHOLDERS

Smallholders are small-scale farmers, pastoralists, forest keepers, fishers who manage areas varying from less than one hectare to 10 hectares. Smallholders are characterized by family-focused motives such as favouring the stability of the farm household system, using mainly family labour for production and using part of the produce for family consumption. (FAO, 2014)

 

 

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