Sustainable Management of Natural Resources | Class 10 CBSE | Web Notes | Part 2: Forests & Wildlife
FORESTS AND WILDLIFE
Forests are biodiversity hotspots. Biodiversity of an area is measured based on the number of species and the range of different life forms.
Stakeholders
Stakeholders of forests include:
Local people living in or around forests.
The Forest Department of the Government which owns the land and controls resources from forests.
Industrialists who use various forest produce. E.g., bidi makers use tendu leaves, laborers in paper mills.
Wildlife & nature enthusiasts who want to conserve nature in its pristine form.
Local people depend on forest produce such as:
Firewood, small timber, and thatch.
Bamboo to make slats (for huts) and baskets.
Wood to make implements for agriculture, fishing, and hunting. Forests are also sites for fishing and hunting.
Fruits, nuts, and medicines.
Cattle graze in forests or feed on fodder from forests.
Before the British came, people in forests used resources in a sustainable manner. After British control, forests were overexploited, and local people were forced to depend on much smaller areas.
After independence, the Forest Department took over control, but local knowledge and needs were ignored. Huge forest areas were cleared for monocultures of pine, teak, or eucalyptus, causing loss of biodiversity.
Industries such as timber, paper, lac, and sports equipment are based on forest produce. Industries view forests as a source of raw material, often lobbying for low rates. They are less interested in sustainability, as they can source materials from other areas if local resources are depleted.
Nature & wildlife enthusiasts are conservationists but not dependent on forests. Initially focused on large animals like lions, tigers, elephants, and rhinoceros, they now recognize the need to preserve biodiversity as a whole.
Local people traditionally work for conservation. E.g., the Bishnoi community in western Rajasthan conserves flora and fauna, believing all living things have a right to survive and share resources.
The Government of India instituted the Amrita Devi Bishnoi National Award for Wildlife Conservation in memory of Amrita Devi Bishnoi, who, in 1731, sacrificed her life along with 363 others to protect khejri trees in Khejrali village, Rajasthan.
The prejudice against traditional forest use has no basis. E.g., in the Great Himalayan National Park, alpine meadows were grazed by sheep in summer. When grazing was banned after the park’s formation, tall grass fell over, preventing fresh growth.
Management of protected areas without local people is unsuccessful. Deforestation is also caused by industries, development, and tourism, not just local people.
Use of forest resources should be environmentally and developmentally sound, with benefits of controlled exploitation going to local people. Decentralized economic growth and ecological conservation should go hand in hand.
The environment is not just a pristine collection of plants and animals but offers a range of natural resources that must be used carefully for economic and social growth and to meet material aspirations.
Management of Forest
Forest resources are available to industries at very low rates but are often denied to local people.
The Chipko Andolan (‘Hug the Trees Movement’) was an effort to end the alienation of people from their forests. Originating in the early 1970s in Reni village, Garhwal, it involved village women clasping tree trunks to prevent logging, forcing the contractor to withdraw.
Destruction of forests reduces forest products, soil quality, and water sources. Participation of local people can efficiently manage forests. E.g., in 1972, the West Bengal Forest Department failed to revive degraded Sal forests. In the Arabari forest range, Midnapore district, forest officer A.K. Banerjee involved villagers to protect 1,272 hectares of degraded Sal forest. In return, villagers received employment in silviculture and harvesting, 25% of the final harvest, and were allowed fuelwood and fodder collection for a small payment. This led to the recovery of the Sal forests.
