Chapter Notes

Our Planet's Ecological System

We live on a planet teeming with life, from the smallest bacteria to the largest blue whales. This incredible variety of life is called Biodiversity. All living organisms, including humans, are part of a complex web, an ecological system where everyone depends on everyone else. We are not separate from this system; we are a part of it and rely on it completely for our survival.

Think about the basic things we need to live:

• Clean air: Plants and micro-organisms constantly recreate the quality of the air we breathe.
• Fresh water: The ecological system purifies the water we drink.
• Food: The soil, enriched by living organisms, produces the food we eat.

Forests are especially important in this system. They are the primary producers, meaning they create the energy (food) that almost all other living beings depend on.

Flora and Fauna in India

India is one of the world's richest countries when it comes to biodiversity. We have a vast and unique array of plants (flora) and animals (fauna). Many of these species are so common in our daily lives that we often take them for granted. However, this rich diversity is currently under great stress, mainly because of human insensitivity towards the environment.

Conservation of Forest and Wildlife in India

As wildlife populations and forest areas decline rapidly, conservation has become essential. But why is it so important to conserve them?

• Preserving Ecological Diversity: Conservation protects the complex web of life, ensuring the stability of our ecosystems.
• Maintaining Life Support Systems: It safeguards the quality of our water, air, and soil, which are fundamental for human survival.
• Protecting Genetic Diversity: Conservation preserves the variety of genes within plants and animals. This is crucial for the better growth of species and for breeding new varieties.

The Government's Role in Conservation

In the 1960s and 1970s, conservationists called for a national program to protect wildlife. This led to the implementation of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act in 1972.

This act included several important provisions:

• An all-India list of protected species was published.
• It banned the hunting of endangered species.
• It provided legal protection to the habitats of these species.
• It restricted the trade of wildlife products.

Following this, the central and state governments established national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. The central government also launched several projects to protect specific, gravely threatened animals, including:

• The tiger
• The one-horned rhinoceros
• The Kashmir stag (hangul)
• Three types of crocodiles (freshwater, saltwater, and the Gharial)
• The Asiatic lion
• The Indian elephant
• The black buck (chinkara)
• The great Indian bustard (godawan)
• The snow leopard

More recently, conservation efforts have expanded. The Wildlife Act was updated in 1980 and 1986 to add hundreds of butterflies, moths, beetles, and even one dragonfly to the protected list. In 1991, for the first time, plants were also added, starting with six species.

Project Tiger

The tiger is a key species in the food web. In 1973, authorities realized that the tiger population had plummeted to just 1,827 from an estimated 55,000 at the beginning of the century.

Major threats to the tiger population include:

• Poaching for trade: Tiger skins and bones (used in traditional medicines) are in high demand, especially in Asian countries.
• Shrinking habitat: Forests are being cleared for development and agriculture.
• Depletion of prey: The animals that tigers hunt are also decreasing in number.
• Growing human population: This increases pressure on forest resources.

Because India and Nepal are home to about two-thirds of the world's surviving tigers, they became prime targets for poaching and illegal trade.

To combat this, "Project Tiger" was launched in 1973. It is one of the most well-known wildlife campaigns in the world. This project is not just about saving an endangered species; it's also about preserving large areas of forest ecosystems (biotypes).

Types and Distribution of Forest and Wildlife Resources

In India, most forests and wildlife resources are owned or managed by the government through the Forest Department. They are classified into three main categories.

Reserved Forests

• These make up more than half of India's total forest land.
• They are considered the most valuable for the conservation of forests and wildlife.

Protected Forests

• These constitute almost one-third of the total forest area.
• The Forest Department has declared that these forest lands are protected from any further depletion.

Unclassed Forests

• These are other forests and wastelands that belong to both the government and private individuals or communities.

Distribution:

• States with a high percentage of reserved forests include Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Maharashtra.
• States with a bulk of their forests under protected forests include Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan.
• All North-eastern states and parts of Gujarat have a high percentage of unclassed forests, which are often managed by local communities.

Community and Conservation

Conservation is not a new concept in India. Forests are home to many traditional communities that have long played a role in protecting their environment.

Local Communities Leading the Way

• In Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, villagers fought against mining by using the Wildlife Protection Act to protect their local habitat.
• In the Alwar district of Rajasthan, inhabitants of five villages declared 1,200 hectares of forest as the Bhairodev Dakav 'Sonchuri'. They created their own rules to protect wildlife from hunting and outside encroachments, without government involvement.
• The famous Chipko movement in the Himalayas successfully resisted deforestation and showed that community-led tree planting (afforestation) with native species can be very successful.
• Groups like the Beej Bachao Andolan in Tehri and Navdanya have demonstrated that it's possible to grow a diverse range of crops without synthetic chemicals, in a way that is both sustainable and economically viable.

Sacred Groves - A Traditional Form of Conservation

Nature worship is an ancient tribal belief that all creations of nature must be protected. This belief has helped preserve many forests in their original, untouched form. These are known as Sacred Groves, or the forests of Gods and Goddesses.

• Local people leave these patches of forest untouched, and any interference is banned.
• The Mundas and the Santhal of the Chota Nagpur region worship the mahua and kadamba trees.
• Tribals in Odisha and Bihar worship the tamarind and mango trees during weddings.
• In and around Bishnoi villages in Rajasthan, blackbuck (chinkara), nilgai, and peacocks are seen as an integral part of the community, and no one harms them.

Joint Forest Management (JFM)

The Joint Forest Management (JFM) programme is a formal system for involving local communities in managing and restoring degraded forests.

1. The programme officially began in 1988 when Odisha passed the first resolution for JFM.
2. Local village institutions are formed to undertake protection activities on degraded forest land managed by the forest department.
3. In return for their work, community members are entitled to benefits like non-timber forest products and a share in the timber that is harvested after successful protection.