Soil Erosion and Desertification
- Human activities such as over-cultivation, deforestation, grazing, and poor irrigation practices lead to soil erosion, resulting in arid patches of land and desertification.
- Increased urbanization also contributes to desertification.
Water Logging and Soil Salinity
- These are problems associated with the Green Revolution. Irrigation without proper drainage of water leads to water logging in the soil.
- This draws salt to the surface of the soil, where it is deposited on the land surface or collects at plant roots, damaging agriculture.
Deforestation
- Deforestation is the conversion of forested areas to non-forested ones. Almost 40% of forests have been lost in the tropics, compared to only 1% in the temperate region.
- The National Forest Policy (1988) of India recommends 33% forest cover for the plains and 67% for the hills, but India currently has only 19.4% forest cover, down from about 30% at the beginning of the 20th century.
Reasons for Deforestation
- Conversion of forest to agricultural land.
- For timber, firewood, cattle ranching, etc.
- Slash and burn agriculture (Jhum cultivation) in the north-eastern states of India. In this practice, forest trees are cut down, and the plant remains are burned. The ash is used as a fertilizer, and the land is used for farming or grazing. After cultivation, the area is left for several years to recover. In earlier days, sufficient time was given for recovery, but overpopulation and repeated cultivation have reduced the recovery phase, resulting in deforestation.
Consequences of Deforestation
- Increased atmospheric CO2 because trees that could hold significant amounts of carbon in their biomass are lost.
- Loss of biodiversity due to habitat destruction.
- Disturbance of the hydrologic cycle.
- Soil erosion and desertification.
Reforestation
Reforestation is the process of restoring a forest that once existed. It may occur naturally in a deforested area, but we can speed it up by planting trees.
People’s Participation in Conservation of Forests
Bishnoi Movement
- In 1731, the king of Jodhpur in Rajasthan ordered wood to be arranged for constructing a new palace. The minister and workers went to a forest near a village inhabited by Bishnois. The Bishnois prevented them from cutting down trees. A Bishnoi woman, Amrita Devi, hugged a tree to protect it. The king’s men cut down the tree along with Amrita Devi, her three daughters, and hundreds of other Bishnois.
- The Government of India has instituted the Amrita Devi Bishnoi Wildlife Protection Award for individuals or communities from rural areas who show extraordinary courage and dedication in protecting wildlife.
Chipko Movement of Garhwal Himalayas
In 1974, local women participated in protecting trees from the axes of contractors by hugging them.
Joint Forest Management (JFM)
In the 1980s, the Government of India introduced the concept of Joint Forest Management (JFM) to work closely with local communities for protecting and managing forests. In return for their services, communities benefit from forest products such as fruits, gum, rubber, and medicine.