Forest and wildlife resources - X

 Flora and Fauna in India

Biodiversity includes wildlife, cultivated species and different types of life found on earth.They are linked in a system through multiple network of interdependence.
For example : e.g. eagle depends on snake, snake on frog, frog on butterfly, butterfly on flowers of plants and plants on sun. We humans are also dependent on the system for our existence. e.g. we depends on trees for fresh oxygen, we depends on river for drinking water, we depend on soil that produces our food.
The forest and tree cover in the country is 23.81 % of the total geographical area out of which dense forests covers 12.24%, open forests covers 8.99% and mangrove forests covers 0.14%.

Forest Type	Covers (Percentage)
Dense forest	12.24 % [increased by 10,098 sq km since 1997]
Open forest	8.99 %
Mangrove	0.14 %

 

Classification of Existing plants and animal species – 

1.Normal Species –  These are the Species whose population levels are considered to be   normal for their survival. E.g – cattle, pine, rodents, etc.

 2.Endangered Species – These are the Species which are in danger of death. E.g – crocodile, Indian tiger, and sangai.

 3.Vulnerable Species –  These are the Species whose population has declined to levels from where it is likely to move into the endangered category. E.g – blue sheep, Asiatic elephant, Gangetic dolphin, etc.

 4.Rare Species – These are the Species with small population and are under threat to move into the endangered category. E.g – Himalayan brown bear, desert fox and hornbill, etc.

 5.Endemic Species – These are the Species which are only found in some particular areas usually isolated by natural or geographical barriers. E.g – the Andaman teal  Nicobar pigeon, Andaman wild pig, mithun in Arunachal Pradesh.

 6.Extinct Species – Species which are not found after searching in the known areas where they may occur. E.g – pink head duck, the Asiatic cheetah

Reason for depletion of Flora and Fauna :

1. Industrial Economy
2. Consumption of Resources
3. Humans
4. Development of Transport
5. Agricultural expansion
6. Deforestation
7. Large-scale development projects
8. Mining
9. Grazing by animals
10. Overconsumption
11. Overpopulation

Results of depletion:

1. Many forest dependent communities which depends on forest and wildlife have no importance and are becoming poor due to destruction of forests and wildlife.
2. Example : There is no electricity and gas for cooking in rural areas ,so people make use of firewood for generating fire. As forests are getting destroyed there is less availability of fuelwood. Timber and other woods are used by communities for the construction of houses and for arts and crafts,as forests are getting destroyed there is also less availability of timber which in turn also affects communities income generation.
3. Affecting Human Being
4. Degradation
5. Depletion of the Himalayan Yew (various species of trees)
6. Conservation of Forest and Wildlife in India

 Need of Conservation :

1.Conservation preserves water, soil, air, and the ecological diversity.

2.Preserve Genetic Diversity

3.Network of Inter-dependency  

The Indian Wildlife (Protection) program Act :

• In the 1960s and 1970s, conservationists demanded a national wildlife protection programme.
• In 1972 the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act was implemented.The aim was to protect the endangered species by banning hunting, giving legal protection to their habitats, and restricting trade in wildlife.
• Central and many state governments established national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.The central government announced several projects for protecting specific animals like the tiger, the one horned rhinoceros, the Kashmir stag or hangul, three types of crocodiles – freshwater crocodile, saltwater crocodile and the Gharial, the Asiatic lion, and others.
• Protection against hunting and trade throughout India was given to animals like the Indian elephant, black buck (chinkara), the great Indian bustard (godawan) and the snow leopard, etc.
• Under Wildlife Act of 1980 and 1986, several hundred butterflies, moths, beetles, and dragonfly have been added to the list of protected species.
• In 1991,plants were also added to the list of protected species.

 Project Tiger

Reasons for the extinction (death) of tigers are :

a.Poaching for trade – Poaching it is the process of  illegal hunting, killing or capturing of Tigers for their skins, bones, and tooth  People poach because animal products, such as hide, ivory, horn, teeth and bone, are sold to dealers who make clothes, jewelry and other materials from them.

b.Shrinking habitat – Forests are destroyed to meet the  need the growing population , they are destroyed to make houses and roads , tiger depends on forest for shelters, and covers. As there is no forest then their is no tigers

c.Depletion of prey base species, : Tigers depends on deer and deer depends on grass for its survival . natural vegetation is destroyed for the expansion  agriculture because of agriculture there is no food for deer to survive . As their is no prey for tigers to survive, they also die.

d.Trade of tiger body parts : tigers are killed for the trade of their body parts, e.g. tail is used to cure skin diseases, tiger skin is use to cure mental illness and can be used for decoration, Tiger’s bones are used for making medicines. all these are the reasons for the death of tigers

 Preventive measures :

To protect the tigers from death in 1973, project tiger  a tiger protection program was started because of which a tiger population went up to 4002 in 1985 and, it was 4334 in 1989 .

1. In 1973 ,“Project Tiger”, one of the well publicised wildlife campaigns in the world, was launched.In 1985 the tiger population went up to 4,002 and in 1989 it was 4,334.But in 1993, the population of the tiger had dropped to 3,600.

Tiger reserves of India :

India, has, 39 tiger, reserves, covering, an area, of 32137.14, sq km. Some of them are,

1.Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand,

2.Sundarbans National Park in West Bengal,

3.Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh,

4.Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan,

5.Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam,

&

6.Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala.

Types and Distribution of Forest and Wildlife Resources :

1.Reserved Forests

2.Protected Forests

3.Unclassed Forests

Community and Conservation

Forests are the home to wild animal and some other communities. In India, government and communities are struggling together to conserve forests and wildlife resources.

E.g. In Rajasthan at Sariska tiger reserves, Villagers have fought against mining.

(Stop mining it is against wildlife protection act). In many areas, villagers themselves are protecting forests and wildlife.

Chipco Movement:

The famous Chipko movement in the Himalayas successfully resisted deforestation in several areas and also implemented the community afforestation.

Beej Bachao Andolan:

Conservation methods or new methods of ecological farming are in practice. Farmers and citizen’s groups like the Beej Bachao Andolan in Tehri and Navdanya have shown that crop production without the use of synthetic chemicals are possible and economically viable.

Joint forest management:

It is the institution managed by forest department that works for management and restoration of degraded forest land. There is need to accept only those economic activities, that are people centric, environment-friendly and economically satisfying.