Speech on forest under british rule
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About one-fifth of India is covered by forests. Large parts of this green cover are under threat from invasive species that not only interfere with the well-being and diversity of native plant and animal life, but also end up colonising non-forest areas. As far back as 2003, a Ministry of Environment and Forests report had noted that “close to 40 per cent of the species in the Indian flora are alien, of which 25 per cent are invasive”. Alongside invasive species, several native plants, too, have colonised new areas and altered the ecology.
Nearly three lakh hectares in Himachal Pradesh were found to contain lantana, ageratum, parthenium and other invasive species in areas where these were never seen before, according to a study by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE). “In ten years these could even be the dominant species in some areas,” warns ICFRE deputy director (research), GS Goraya.
Lantana, a prickly shrub with tiny, colourful flowers was introduced in Calcutta Botanical Gardens in 1809. It has succeeded in taking over forest areas all the way from subtropical zones in the south to the lower reaches of the Himalayas. “Lantana, which was restricted to 1,000 m, is now seen in forests at heights of 1,500 m,” says Goraya. In the degraded parts of the Himalayan forest, where native species have been cut down, lantana has spread almost unchecked.
Striking a different note, naturalist and author Peter Smetacek says lantana has ensured at least some green cover in these areas, as otherwise “the land would have been barren… the plant has come up on what was degraded land, and its flowers and seeds are a good habitat for certain insects and birds”.
In grassland ecosystems, however, lantana has been a disaster. In the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) tiger reserve in Karnataka, a 2005 study by Ankila J Hiremath and Bharath Sundaram found that nearly 80 per cent of forest plots had been colonised within 11 years, at the cost of native species.
The dense shrubs formed thickets 3-4 m tall and also climbed up to tree crowns. The native Soliga tribals earlier used localised ground fires to manage the forest, but stopped the practice after the area became a notified reserve.
In plots dense with lantana, forest fires were found to be uncontrollable. These fires completely destroyed native shrub species in a vicious cycle. A rapid re-growth of lantana, in turn, fuelled further fires. A follow-up study in 2013 found that lantana growth along forest paths hampered wood collection and the reduced visibility led to frequent encounters with dangerous animals. Forest produce that the Soligas are dependent on — chiefly edible tubers, soapnut and gooseberry — were less available.
“Since there is very little grass and bamboo left in BRT, many animals are in an unhealthy condition and resort to crop-raiding to augment their diet,” the team wrote.
The lantana thickets are too dense to be burnt now, as they will burn down most of the forest with them. “The Soliga tribals believe that it is not possible to return to the fire-controlled forest after so many years of unchecked growth,” says Sundaram.
The hardy eucalyptus is another alien species blamed for drastic changes in ecology. One only needs to look at the miles of plantation lining both sides of our national highways to gauge how successful multiple state governments have been in propagating this species since the 1960s. The sturdy tree can re-grow even if cut at ground level. A research paper documented eucalyptus roots burrowing into the earth at a rate of 2.5 m per year, about the same as the height to which the tree grows above ground. On marshy land and in low-lying areas close to riverbeds and lakebeds, eucalyptus was planted to dry out the land. In Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, the white eucalyptus trees stand proud in low-lying land even today. The area under eucalyptus has increased, as farmers turn to low-risk investment in agro-forestry by cultivating eucalyptus or poplar.
“We are giving farmers good quality clones for agro-forestry, and they have been planting them, especially in areas with excess water, like lakebeds,” says Vishwajeet Khanna, Financial Commissioner (Forests), Punjab. Native to Australia, the eucalyptus thrives equally in dry soil or wetland, can withstand floods and freezing weather, and its seeds quickly take root after forest fires.
s From the rocky ridgelines, pine has spread to valleys, and villages in the upper reaches have a depleted water table. Removal of invasive species will, however, take a lot of effort.
“Forestry has evolved over the years… from revenue forestry to welfare forestry, as per the National Forest Policy, 1988,” says Dr Savita, director of the Forest Research Institute.
Now, there is a push to propagate species that benefit the local economy with small timber, fuel and fodder.
Nearly three lakh hectares in Himachal Pradesh were found to contain lantana, ageratum, parthenium and other invasive species in areas where these were never seen before, according to a study by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE). “In ten years these could even be the dominant species in some areas,” warns ICFRE deputy director (research), GS Goraya.
Lantana, a prickly shrub with tiny, colourful flowers was introduced in Calcutta Botanical Gardens in 1809. It has succeeded in taking over forest areas all the way from subtropical zones in the south to the lower reaches of the Himalayas. “Lantana, which was restricted to 1,000 m, is now seen in forests at heights of 1,500 m,” says Goraya. In the degraded parts of the Himalayan forest, where native species have been cut down, lantana has spread almost unchecked.
Striking a different note, naturalist and author Peter Smetacek says lantana has ensured at least some green cover in these areas, as otherwise “the land would have been barren… the plant has come up on what was degraded land, and its flowers and seeds are a good habitat for certain insects and birds”.
In grassland ecosystems, however, lantana has been a disaster. In the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) tiger reserve in Karnataka, a 2005 study by Ankila J Hiremath and Bharath Sundaram found that nearly 80 per cent of forest plots had been colonised within 11 years, at the cost of native species.
The dense shrubs formed thickets 3-4 m tall and also climbed up to tree crowns. The native Soliga tribals earlier used localised ground fires to manage the forest, but stopped the practice after the area became a notified reserve.
In plots dense with lantana, forest fires were found to be uncontrollable. These fires completely destroyed native shrub species in a vicious cycle. A rapid re-growth of lantana, in turn, fuelled further fires. A follow-up study in 2013 found that lantana growth along forest paths hampered wood collection and the reduced visibility led to frequent encounters with dangerous animals. Forest produce that the Soligas are dependent on — chiefly edible tubers, soapnut and gooseberry — were less available.
“Since there is very little grass and bamboo left in BRT, many animals are in an unhealthy condition and resort to crop-raiding to augment their diet,” the team wrote.
The lantana thickets are too dense to be burnt now, as they will burn down most of the forest with them. “The Soliga tribals believe that it is not possible to return to the fire-controlled forest after so many years of unchecked growth,” says Sundaram.
The hardy eucalyptus is another alien species blamed for drastic changes in ecology. One only needs to look at the miles of plantation lining both sides of our national highways to gauge how successful multiple state governments have been in propagating this species since the 1960s. The sturdy tree can re-grow even if cut at ground level. A research paper documented eucalyptus roots burrowing into the earth at a rate of 2.5 m per year, about the same as the height to which the tree grows above ground. On marshy land and in low-lying areas close to riverbeds and lakebeds, eucalyptus was planted to dry out the land. In Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, the white eucalyptus trees stand proud in low-lying land even today. The area under eucalyptus has increased, as farmers turn to low-risk investment in agro-forestry by cultivating eucalyptus or poplar.
“We are giving farmers good quality clones for agro-forestry, and they have been planting them, especially in areas with excess water, like lakebeds,” says Vishwajeet Khanna, Financial Commissioner (Forests), Punjab. Native to Australia, the eucalyptus thrives equally in dry soil or wetland, can withstand floods and freezing weather, and its seeds quickly take root after forest fires.
s From the rocky ridgelines, pine has spread to valleys, and villages in the upper reaches have a depleted water table. Removal of invasive species will, however, take a lot of effort.
“Forestry has evolved over the years… from revenue forestry to welfare forestry, as per the National Forest Policy, 1988,” says Dr Savita, director of the Forest Research Institute.
Now, there is a push to propagate species that benefit the local economy with small timber, fuel and fodder.
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