FREE online courses on Financial Ratio Analysis - Forest Management In India
- Role of Forests for maintaining ecosystem
This includes:
(i)
Protection of fauna and flora;
(ii)
Carbon cycle;
(iii)
Protection of endangered/threatened species;
(iv)
Wildlife conservation;
(v)
Preservation of National Parks/Sanctuaries;
(vi)
Tourism;
(vii)
Control of soil erosion;
(viii)
Reclamation of eroded land;
(ix)
Irrigation and control of water runoff.
This includes use/consumption of:
(i)
Fuelwood;
(ii)
Grazing of livestock;
(iii)
Fruits and herbs;
(iv)
Household uses like sheds, furniture, poles etc.;
(v)
Weaving material like ropes and baskets;
(vi)
Food products like honey.
(i)
Pulp wood for various purposes like newsprints, paper,
packaging;
(ii)
Poles;
(iii)
Sawlogs;
(iv)
Gums, resins, oils etc.;
(v)
Particle boards, fiber boards;
(vi)
Veneer logs for plywood, furniture.
Methods for managing forests and forest resources are well
developed in the countries of North. Most of the industrialized countries are
aware of the need for developing efficient system with well defined management
objectives based upon above three categories of activities.
While reviewing above activities in respect of developing
countries one led to the conclusion that these activities have led to serious
deforestation and forest depletion. The management techniques would therefore,
involve understanding the causes of deforestation and forest depletion in these
countries. Though mention has been made about the causes of deforestation and
degradation in the earlier part of this chapter, it must be reiterated that the
most important is the clearing of forests lands for permanent agriculture. The
other causes are rapid population growth and poverty forcing the landless people
to clear and cultivate forest land and to cut trees for fuel wood, and of
course, the exploitation and denuding of forests for industrial use. It is clear
that the issue of deforestation cannot be discussed in isolation; it is very
much linked with other developmental issues. The management efforts will have to
come from outside the forest sector. These are:
(i)
Land reform programmes that could provide landless people with
alternatives rather than let them encroach forests. Intensify agriculture
outside the forest lands.
(ii)
Efforts have to be made to enable the forest dwellers and other
dependent population to produce their own fuel wood and fodder or use
alternative source of energy;
(iii)
Promote rural development programmes for people living near
forest in adopting such farming that would take off pressue on forests;
(iv)
Efforts from other departments like animal husbandry for taking
pressue off from forest grazing.
