saritha online assignment

8/11/2019 Saritha Online Assignment

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BASELIOS MARTHOMA MATHEWS II

TRAINING COLLEGE

KOTTARAKARA

ASSIGNMENT

TOPIC: FORESTS IN INDIA

Submitted to Submitted by

Mrs. Jiby Varghese Saritha Joy

Natural scienceReg no:13350030

Date:12.09.2014


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INDEX

Sl

No.

Content Page No.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Introduction

Forest in India

Distribution

Forest as resource

Importance of forest

Deforestation

Causes of Deforestation

Conclusion

References

3-5

5-10

10-13

13-14

14-15

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16-18

18-20

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INTRODUCTION

The forest is a complex ecosystem consisting mainly of trees that

shield the earth and support innumerable life forms.

A forest is an area, which has a very high density of trees. Trees are

an important component of the environment. They clean the air, cool it

on hot days, conserve heat at night, and act as excellent sound absorbers.

Forests create a special environment, which, in turn, affects the kinds of

animals and plants that can exist. Forests can develop wherever there is

an average temperature greater than about 10 C in the warmestmonth and an annual rainfall in excess of about 200 mm annually, except

where natural fire frequency is too high, or where the environment has

been impaired by natural processes or by human activities. In any area

having conditions above this range there exists an infinite variety of tree
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species grouped into a number of stable forest types that are determined

by the specific conditions of the environment there.

Forests can be broadly classified into many types, some of theseveral types of forest are the Taiga type (consisting of pines, spruce, etc.)

the mixed temperate forests with both coniferous and deciduous trees,

the temperate forests, the sub tropical forests, the tropical forests, and

the equatorial rainforests. The six major groups of forest in India are

moist tropical, dry tropical, montane sub tropical, montane temperate,

sub alpine, and alpine. These are subdivided into 16 major types of

forests.

The scientific study of the different forest species and their

relation with the environment is called forest ecology, while the

managing of forests is known as forestry. Globally only two types of

forests can be identified. One of them is the Natural forests, which

contain only the original patterns of biodiversity. The native species

occurring in established seral patterns. These formations and processes

have not been impacted by humans with a frequency or intensity to

change established seral patterns, and anthropogenic forests, which have

been impacted by humans with a frequency or intensity to change

established seral patterns. Often, they contain elements of exotic species.

Climate, soil type, topography, and elevation are the main factors

that determine the type of forest. India has a diverse range of forests:

from the rainforest of Kerala in the south to the alpine pastures of

Ladakh in the north, from the deserts of Rajasthan in the west to the


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evergreen forests in the northeast. Forests are classified according to

their nature and composition, the type of climate in which they thrive,

and itsrelationship with the surrounding environment.

FORESTS IN INDIA

India is not only famous for its diverse wildlife, architectural marvels and culture, but

also for its dense and vast forest cover. Indian climate befits the variety of flora and

fauna.

Forest is the second largest land use in India next to agriculture. The forest cover of

India is assessed as 67.83 million hectares which constitute 20.64 per cent of the

country's geographical area, ranging from the Himalayan Temperate to Dry Zone

forests. The National Forest Policy stipulates that one-third of area should be underforest or tree cover. Being a mega-bio diversity country, the nation possesses high level

of endemism.

The forests play vital role in harboring more than 45,000 floral and 81,000 faunal


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species of which 5150 floral and 1837 faunal species are endemic. The nation has

established 597 Protected Areas comprising 95 National Parks, 500 Wildlife

Sanctuaries, 2 conservation reserves covering 1.56 million ha area or 4.75 per cent

geographical area of the country. The rising demand for forest based products and

resultant deforestation and encroachment has led to a severe loss of natural resources

and destruction of habitat.

India is likely to face severe shortage of supply of timber to meet its requirement from

both domestic and international front. It is estimated that the demand for timber is likely

to grow from 58 million cubic metres in 2005 to 153 million cubic meters in 2020. The

supply of wood is projected to increase from 29 million cubic meters in 2000 to 60

million cubic meters in 2020. As a result, the nation has to heavily depend on imports

for meeting its growing demand. This could result in loss of high conservation value

forests or loss of biodiversity else where.

The Living Planet Report 2006 ranked India as the third highest gross foot print nation,

followed by US and China. India is presently 4th largest economy in terms of

purchasing power parity and is growing at 8-9 per cent per annum. This fast growth

32coupled with the needs and aspirations of more than one billion people is a challenge

for conservation of forests unless environmentally responsible policies are in place. In

this regard, the new strategy document of the Forest programme incorporated

innovative approaches such as Payment for Forest Ecosystem Services (PES),

Ecological Footprint Analysis and Forest Certification.

The identified priority landscapes for field level activities for strengthening

conservation of forests and biodiversity are Western Arunachal Landscape (WAL) in


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Eastern Himalayas and South Western Ghats, Landscape (SWG L) in the Western

Ghats. Besides, the programme continues to provide inputs and support to conservation

programmes in other priority landscapes of WWF-India, including Terai Arc

Landscape, Kanchanjunga Landscape, Sundarbans landscape.

The forests of India can be classified into several types. These are- Taiga type

(consisting of pines, spruce, etc.) the mixed temperate forests with both coniferous and

deciduous trees, the temperate forests, the sub tropical forests, the tropical forests, and

the equatorial rainforests. But there are mainly six groups of forest in India which are-

moist tropical, dry tropical, montane sub tropical, montane temperate, sub alpine and

alpine.

These forests have a great relation with the surrounded atmosphere. The range of forest

of India is very diverse. We can find here from the rain forest of Kerala in the South to

the alpine pastures of Ladakh, from the desert of Rajasthan in the west to the evergreen

forest in the North East.


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India is not only famous for its diverse wildlife, architectural marvels and culture,

but also for its dense and vast forest cover. Indian climate befits the variety of

flora and fauna.

Forest is the second largest land use in India next to agriculture. The forest cover

of India is assessed as 67.83 million hectares which constitute 20.64 per cent of

the country's geographical area, ranging from the Himalayan Temperate to Dry

Zone forests. The National Forest Policy stipulates that one-third of area should

be under forest or tree cover. Being a mega-bio diversity country, the nation

possesses high level of endemism.

The forests play vital role in harboring more than 45,000 floral and 81,000 faunal

species of which 5150 floral and 1837 faunal species are endemic. The nation has

established 597 Protected Areas comprising 95 National Parks, 500 Wildlife

Sanctuaries, 2 conservation reserves covering 1.56 million ha area or 4.75 per

cent geographical area of the country. The rising demand for forest basedproducts and resultant deforestation and encroachment has led to a severe loss of

natural resources and destruction of habitat.

India is likely to face severe shortage of supply of timber to meet its requirement

from both domestic and international front. It is estimated that the demand for

timber is likely to grow from 58 million cubic metres in 2005 to 153 million

cubic meters in 2020. The supply of wood is projected to increase from 29

million cubic meters in 2000 to 60 million cubic meters in 2020. As a result, the

nation has to heavily depend on imports for meeting its growing demand. This

could result in loss of high conservation value forests or loss of biodiversity else


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where.

The Living Planet Report 2006 ranked India as the third highest gross foot print

nation, followed by US and China. India is presently 4th largest economy in

terms of purchasing power parity and is growing at 8-9 per cent per annum. This

fast growth coupled with the needs and aspirations of more than one billion

people is a challenge for conservation of forests unless environmentally

responsible policies are in place. In this regard, the new strategy document of the

Forest programme incorporated innovative approaches such as Payment for

Forest Ecosystem Services (PES), Ecological Footprint Analysis and Forest

Certification.

The identified priority landscapes for field level activities for strengthening

conservation of forests and biodiversity are Western Arunachal Landscape

(WAL) in Eastern Himalayas and South Western Ghats, Landscape (SWG L) in

the Western Ghats. Besides, the programme continues to provide inputs and

support to conservation programmes in other priority landscapes of WWF-India,

including Terai Arc Landscape, Kanchanjunga Landscape, Sundarbans

landscape.

The forests of India can be classified into several types. These are- Taiga type

(consisting of pines, spruce, etc.) the mixed temperate forests with both

coniferous and deciduous trees, the temperate forests, the sub tropical forests, the

tropical forests, and the equatorial rainforests. But there are mainly six groups of

forest in India which are- moist tropical, dry tropical, montane sub tropical,

montane temperate, sub alpine and alpine.


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These forests have a great relation with the surrounded atmosphere. The range of

forest of India is very diverse. We can find here from the rain forest of Kerala in

the South to the alpine pastures of Ladakh, from the desert of Rajasthan in the

west to the evergreen forest in the North East.

Distribution

Temperate rainforest in Tasmania'sHellyer Gorge

Forests can be found in all regions capable of sustaining tree growth, at altitudesup to thetree line,except where natural fire frequency or other disturbance is too

high, or where the environment has been altered by human activity.

The latitudes 10 north and south of theEquator are mostly covered intropical

rainforest,and the latitudes between53N and67N haveboreal forest.As a

general rule, forests dominated byangiosperms (broadleaf forests) are more

species-rich than those dominated bygymnosperms (conifer, montane,

or needleleaf forests), although exceptions exist.

Forests sometimes contain many tree species only within a small area (as

intropical rain and temperate deciduous forests), or relatively few species over
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperate_rainforesthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellyer_Gorgehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_linehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equatorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_rainforesthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_rainforesthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/53rd_parallel_northhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/67th_parallel_northhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boreal_foresthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angiospermshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnospermshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_rainforesthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hellyer_Gorge,_Tasmania.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_rainforesthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnospermshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angiospermshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boreal_foresthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/67th_parallel_northhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/53rd_parallel_northhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_rainforesthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_rainforesthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equatorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_linehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellyer_Gorgehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperate_rainforest


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large areas (e.g.,taiga and aridmontane coniferous forests). Forests are often

home to many animal and plant species, andbiomassper unit area is high

compared to other vegetation communities. Much of this biomass occurs below

ground in the root systems and as partially decomposed plantdetritus.The woody

component of a forest containslignin,which is relatively slow

todecompose compared with other organic materials such ascellulose or

carbohydrate.

Forests are differentiated fromwoodlandsby the extent ofcanopy coverage: in a

forest, the branches and the foliage of separate trees often meet or interlock,

although there can be gaps of varying sizes within an area referred to as forest. A

woodland has a more continuously open canopy, with trees spaced farther apart,

which allows more sunlight to penetrate to the ground between them (also

see:savanna).

Among the major forestedbiomes are:

rain forest (tropical and temperate)

taiga

temperate hardwood forest

tropical dry forest

Rainforest :

These forests belong to the tropical wet climate group characterized by high

rainfall. They play the role of cooling the air. In fact, it has a vital role in global

climate system. It also supports a very broad array of animals, birds, reptiles etc.

The North-Eastern part of India is famous for the rain forest. The rain forest
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taigahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montane_ecologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomass_(ecology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detritushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligninhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decomposehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulosehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canopy_(biology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_foresthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taigahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperate_hardwood_foresthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_and_subtropical_dry_broadleaf_forestshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_and_subtropical_dry_broadleaf_forestshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperate_hardwood_foresthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taigahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_foresthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canopy_(biology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulosehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decomposehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligninhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detritushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomass_(ecology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montane_ecologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiga


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stretch of Arunachal Pradesh is considered as one of the largest elephant zone in

India, through which more than 2000 elephants migrate to Arunachal Pradesh

every year.

Tropical Rain Forests In India :

Tropical rain forests are the result of heavy rain forest. Plants like coffee,

bananas, chocolate, mangoes papayas, sugar cane etc came from tropical rain

forest. It is the oldest form of forest in India.

Temperate Deciduous Forests :

These type of forests are available in the area where there is around 100 to 200

cms annual rainfall. The deciduous is also divided into two category: moist and

dry. Except the western and north western region these type of forest can be

found most parts of India.

They are found on the lower slopes of the Siwalik Hills from Jammu to the West

Bengal in the east. These forests include trees like sal and teak, mango, bamboo

and rose wood. The dry deciduous forests are available in the Northern and

Southern part of the India except in the North East. Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat,

Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are home to dry deciduous forest,

which include sandalwood, khair, mahua, mango, jackfruit, wattle, bamboo,

semal, sisasm, arjun, sisam etc.


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The Dry deciduous forests are found throughout the northern parts of the country.

These provide shelter to many animals, reptiles, mammals, insects, birds and so

many other things. The vast range of national park and wild life sanctuaries in

India bear the witness of the rich lush green forest of India. For better crops and

more rainfall more forest is always required. But now a days deforestation is one

of the acute issue of global warming. So, the Government of India has a special

measure for plantation of trees to cater this issue

FORESTS AS RESOURCE

Forests(also referred to as a woodor the woods) are communities of living

organisms characterized by the presence of trees that havesymbiotic relationships

with each other and the physical environment. The trees of a forest constitute the

larger part of theirbiomass.[1]Different cultures have varying definitions of what a

forest may be, in terms of size and of what the forest is composed of.[2]A forest is

usually an area filled with trees, but any tall densely packed area of vegetation may

be considered a forest, even underwatervegetationsuch askelp forests,or non-

vegetation such asfungi,[3]andbacteria.Tree forests cover approximately 9.4% of

theEarth's surface (30 percent ofEarth's total land area); in pre-industrial times

they'd covered around 15.6% (around 50 percent of total land area). They function

ashabitats for organisms,hydrologic flowmodulators,andsoil conservers,

constituting one of the most important aspects of thebiosphere.

A typical forest is composed of the overstory (canopy or upper tree layer) and

theunderstory.The understory is further subdivided into a shrub layer, herb layer,

and moss layer, and also soil microbes. In some complex forests, there is also a well-

defined lower tree layer. Forests are central to all human life because they provide a

diverse range of resources: they storecarbon dioxide,aid in regulatingclimate,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbiotichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomasshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest#cite_note-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest#cite_note-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest#cite_note-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelp_foresthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacteriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Earth%27s&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_(ecology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_cyclehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modulatorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biospherehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canopy_(biology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canopy_(biology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biospherehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modulatorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_cyclehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_(ecology)http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Earth%27s&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacteriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelp_foresthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest#cite_note-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomasshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbiotic


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purifywater and mitigate natural hazards such asfloods.Forests also contain roughly

90 percent of the world's terrestrial biodiversity.[4]

Importance of forestsForests are very useful in the life of man. They help us in many

ways. They provide us shade and keep the place cool. Without forests

most of the areas would have been deserts.

1. Forests purify the air. The trees break up carbon dioxide into carbon

and oxygen in the presence of sun light. They consume carbon as their

food and release oxygen in the atmosphere. Thus the trees are helpful in

keeping the air clean.

2. Forests provide us fuel and timber. In many parts of India wood is

used as fuel for cooking food and for many other purposes. Timber is

used for making houses, furniture and railway coaches.

3. Hundreds of industries depend on forests, for example, paper industry,

ply wood industry, paint, varnish, rubber goods, match sticks and many

other industries.

4. Forests cause rains. Trees cool down the winds which have water

vapor. -Thus the forests help in causing rainfall. Forest areas have more

rainfall than the other areas.

5. Forests prevent floods. The roots of the trees soak a lot of rain water.

The rain water does not flow down quickly and cause floods.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floodshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floodshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water


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6. Forests prevent soil erosion. The roots of the trees in the forest areas

hold the soil firmly. They do not allow the rain water to wash it away

easily. Thus the trees help to prevent soil erosion,

7. Forests keep up the natural balance. The trees keep up the balance

between the plant and the animal life. The forests preserve wild animals

like lions, tigers and panthers. These animals depend for their food on

animals like deer, antilopes, stags and other animals. In turn these

animals live on plants. Similarly some birds feed on smaller birds who

live on insects and plants. Thus the forests keep up a balance in nature.

No plant or animal goes out of existence and no plant or animal

overgrows in number than it is required by the nature.

8. Herbs and some parts of certain trees are used for making medicines.

Cincona and Neem are some of such trees

Deforestation

Process of clearing forests. Rates of deforestation are particularly high in

the tropics, where the poor quality of the soil has led to the practice of

routine clear-cutting to make new soil available for agricultural use.

Deforestation can lead toEROSION,drought, loss of biodiversity through

extinction of plant and animal species, and increased atmospheric carbon

dioxide. Many nations have undertaken afforestation or reforestation

projects to reverse the effects of deforestation, or to increase available

timbe
http://www.merriam-webster.com/concise/erosionhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/concise/erosionhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/concise/erosionhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/concise/erosion


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Causes of deforestation

The basic reasons of deforestation are the followings:

(1) Expansion of Agriculture:

With increase in the demands for agricultural products, more and more

land is brought under cultivation for which forests are destroyed,

grasslands ploughed, uneven grounds, leveled, marshes drained and even

land water is reclaimed. Such an expansion is marked with more

ecological destruction. In tropical regions of the world, as much of the

mineral material is lodged in the plant biomass, its removal takes away

large part of nutrients. The soil becomes poorest thus is unable to

support farming for long duration.

(2) Shifting Cultivation:

Shifting cultivation is considered to be another cause for deforestation. In

fact shifting cultivation has occurred due to poor fertility of the soil. In

this cultivation a small patch of tropical forests is cleared, vegetation,

destroyed and burned. Crops are grown as long as the soil is productive,

after which the cultivation is abandoned, and a cultivations move on to

fresh patch of land.

The abandoned land is allowed to lay as such for long periods during

which regret of vegetation took place and natural ecosystem was restored,

shifting cultivations thus worked in harmony with nature. The soil is


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unable to regain its fertility before it is put to use again. This causes

degradation of soil and failure of crops after crops. As crops fail more and

more land is cleared of forests to be put to similar over exploitation. The

overall result is that green forests are being gradually replaced by barrenwaste land.

(3) Fire Wood Collection:

Majority of rural populations as well as larger number of people living in

small towns and cities of developing countries, the only fuel is wood,

which's burned to cook food and provide heat in chilly winters. Fire wood

collection contributes much to the depletion of tree cover. Denser forests

usually produced a lot of combustible material in the form of dead twigs,

leaves etc.

There is hardly any need of cutting down live trees in densely wooded

localities. However in case of lightly wooded forests, where the pressure

demands is usually higher, a slow thinning of wood lands occurs due to

regular foraging of villagers. However, the dead woods is actually

manufactured, trees are axed their barks girdled and live trees became

personal head loads to find their way to local markets.

(4) Timber Harvesting:

Timber resource is an important asset for the prosperity of county.

Commercial wood is found ready in national as well as international

markets. According to natural forests are being exploited logging or

felling of forest trees for obtaining timber is an important cause of

deforestation.


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Live trees with thick and straight trunks are filled and transported to

commercial establishments elsewhere to consumers. In this process large

stretches of forests are damaged. The profits from timber trade are more

enjoyed by Governments, large companies or affluent contractors, localpeople get a tiny share in the benefits while axing their own resource

base.

(5) Extension of Cultivation on Hill Slopes :

Though agriculture has always been concentrated on planes and floors of

valleys farming on narrow flat steps cut one after another across the slope

or terrace farming is an age old practice. The ever rushing human

numbers and their necessities have forced many to go up the mountains

slopes for cultivation. More and more slopes are cleared of plants, steps

carved out and against many ads cultivation is attempted. After a few

crops the productivity declines

Conclusion

Sustainability of forest ecosystem is an essential component of the

environmental conservation efforts and any degradation of forests will

have an adverse impact on various systems such as water resources,

agriculture, biodiversity, environment, climate and human health, besides,

the subsistence living of tribals and other communities living in and aro

und forest areas. Therefore, the functions with respect to conservation of

soil, water and biodiversity are vital for the welfare of present and future

generations.


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Having about 2.5% of the world's geographic area, India at present is

supporting 16% of the planet's planets human population and 18% of the

cattle population. About 41% of forest cover of the country has already

been degraded and dense forests are losing their crown density and

productivity continuously.

A large number of India's livestock population graze in forests causing

serious damage to regeneration and productivity. The use of forests

beyond its carrying capacity and encroachments are the main cause of

continuous degradation of forests. At present, 70% of the forests have no

natural regeneration and 55% of them are prone to fires.

To reverse the process of degradation and for sustainable development of

forests, the Government of India has prepared the National Forestry

Action Programme, a comprehensive strategic plan to address the issue

underlying the major problems of the forestry sector.

The objective is to enhance the contribution of Forestry and Tree

Resources to ecological stability and people centered development through

qualitative and quantitative improvements in the forest resources. The

exercise has been finIndia is a very big country and it houses different types of

forests and woodlands. These forests include protected forests or reserved forests.

Prior to the independence of the country, the forests of the country were protected

under the Indian Forest Act, 1927.

ancially supported by the UNDP project IND/93/021.

India is a very big country and it houses different types of forests and woodlands.

These forests include protected forests or reserved forests. Prior to the independence


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of the country, the forests of the country were protected under the Indian Forest Act,

1927.

Following the freedom of the country, the Indian Government has preserved the

status of the prevailing protected and reserved forests of the country. The protected

forests of India can be broadly categorized into two types - undemarcated protected

forests and demarcated protected forests and this categorization has been made on

whether the boundaries of the forest have been delineated by an official declaration.

The abundant and varied flora and fauna of India are housed in 13 biosphere

reserves, 89 national parks, and more than 400 wildlife sanctuaries located

throughout the nation..

References

.www.ask.com/forests

.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/forests in india

.ces.iis.ernet.in/hpg / cesmg/Indianbio

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