Chapter 2 : Forest and Wildlife Resources

We share this planet with millions of other living beings — from micro-organisms and bacteria, lichens to banyan trees, elephants and blue whales. This entire habitat has immense biodiversity. Humans, along with all living organisms, form a complex web of ecological systems in which we are only a part and very much dependent upon for our own existence.

Plants, animals and micro-organisms re-create the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil that produces our food — without which we cannot survive. Forests play a key role in the ecological system as they are the primary producers on which all other living beings depend.

Flora and Fauna in India

India is one of the world’s richest countries in terms of its vast array of biological diversity. The number of species yet to be discovered is possibly two or three times the number already known. These diverse flora and fauna are so well integrated in our daily life that we take them for granted, but they are now under great stress mainly due to insensitivity to the environment.

Conservation in the background of rapid decline in wildlife population and forestry has become essential. Conservation:

• Preserves ecological diversity and life support systems — water, air and soil.
• Preserves the genetic diversity of plants and animals for better growth of species and breeding.
• In agriculture, we are still dependent on traditional crop varieties.
• Fisheries too are heavily dependent on the maintenance of aquatic biodiversity.

In the 1960s and 1970s, conservationists demanded a national wildlife protection programme. The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act was implemented in 1972, with various provisions for protecting habitats. An all-India list of protected species was also published.

Key Provisions and Actions

• Banning hunting of specified species
• Giving legal protection to their habitats
• Restricting trade in wildlife
• Establishment of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries by central and state governments

Species Given Protection

Tiger is one of the key wildlife species in the faunal web. In 1973, authorities realised that the tiger population had dwindled to 1,827 from an estimated 55,000 at the turn of the century.

Threats to Tiger Population

• Poaching for trade (skins, bones used in traditional medicines in Asian countries)
• Shrinking habitat
• Depletion of prey base species
• Growing human population

“Project Tiger”, one of the well-publicised wildlife campaigns in the world, was launched in 1973. Tiger conservation has been viewed not only as an effort to save an endangered species, but with equal importance as a means of preserving biotypes of sizeable magnitude.

Major Tiger Reserves in India

Fig. 2.2: Rhino and deer in Kaziranga National Park (NCERT)

In India, much of forest and wildlife resources are either owned or managed by the government through the Forest Department or other government departments. These are classified into three categories:

“Gharial on the Brink” – Critically Endangered species; “Bird deaths blamed on dirty Yamuna” (NCERT Fig. insert, Chapter 2)

The gharial population has been at its lowest since the 1970s. The Girwa River in Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the only three wild breeding sites left in the world for the gharial. The gharial is listed as Critically Endangered.

The newspaper clipping on bird deaths at Okhla Bird Sanctuary (Delhi) highlights how polluted Yamuna water and contaminated fish — not bird flu — caused the deaths. Industrial poisons added to water to kill fish were reportedly responsible.

Conservation strategies are not new in India. Forests in India are also home to traditional communities. Local communities are struggling to conserve habitats alongside government officials, recognising that this will secure their own long-term livelihood.

Key Community Conservation Examples

Joint Forest Management (JFM)

JFM provides a good example of involving local communities in management and restoration of degraded forests.

Nature worship is an age-old tribal belief based on the premise that all creations of nature have to be protected. Such beliefs have preserved several virgin forests in pristine form called Sacred Groves (the forests of God and Goddesses). These patches of forest have been left untouched by local people and any interference is banned.

Examples of Sacred Trees / Practices

MCQ Answer

Q. Which conservation strategy does NOT directly involve community participation?
Answer: (d) Demarcation of Wildlife Sanctuaries — this is a government-driven administrative/legal process, not community-driven.

Match the Following (Corrected)

Short Answer – Biodiversity (30 words)

Biodiversity is the immense variety of life forms — wildlife and cultivated species — closely integrated through multiple interdependencies. It is vital as it sustains our air, water, soil, food and genetic resources for agriculture and medicine.

Human Activities Causing Depletion of Flora and Fauna

• Large-scale deforestation for agriculture, industry and settlements
• Poaching and illegal wildlife trade
• Environmental pollution (air, water, soil)
• Introduction of alien/invasive species
• Over-exploitation of forest produce
• Mining — leaves deep scars, destroys habitats
• Growing human population pressures on forests