🌳 Forest Resources and Policies

This lesson builds core elective concepts in BSc Agriculture with practical applications and exam-oriented clarity.

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Forest Resources and Policies

Forest Cover in India

According to the State of Forest Report (SFR) 2023 by the Forest Survey of India (FSI):

• Total forest cover: 7,13,789 sq km = 21.71% of geographical area
• Tree cover (trees outside forests): 95,748 sq km
• Total forest + tree cover: 8,09,537 sq km = 24.62% of geographical area
• Target: National Forest Policy 1988 mandates 33% of land under forest/tree cover
• Net change (2021–2023): Increase of 1,445 sq km in forest cover

Forest density classification:

• Very Dense Forest (VDF): Canopy > 70% — 99,779 sq km
• Moderately Dense Forest (MDF): Canopy 40–70% — 3,06,890 sq km
• Open Forest (OF): Canopy 10–40% — 3,07,120 sq km
• Scrub: Canopy < 10% — not counted in forest cover

Types of Indian Forests: Champion and Seth Classification

H.G. Champion and S.K. Seth (1968) classified Indian forests into 16 major types based on climate, rainfall, altitude, and species composition:

Type	Annual Rainfall	Distribution	Characteristic Species
Tropical Wet Evergreen	> 2,500 mm	Western Ghats, NE India, Andaman	Dipterocarpus, Hopea, Calophyllum
Tropical Semi-Evergreen	1,500–2,500 mm	WG foothills, NE, Orissa coast	Terminalia, Lagerstroemia
Tropical Moist Deciduous	1,000–2,000 mm	MP, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Assam	Teak (Tectona grandis), Sal (Shorea robusta)
Tropical Dry Deciduous	750–1,000 mm	UP, MP, Bihar, Rajasthan, AP	Teak, Axlewood (Anogeissus), Flame of forest
Tropical Thorn Forest	< 750 mm	Rajasthan, Gujarat, MP, UP	Acacia, Euphorbia, Ziziphus
Tropical Dry Evergreen	900–1,200 mm	Tamil Nadu coast	Manilkara, Diospyros
Littoral and Swamp	Coastal/riverine	Sundarbans, Andaman, Kerala	Mangroves (Rhizophora, Avicennia)
Sub-tropical Broad-leaved Hill	1,500–2,500 mm	NE hills, WG	Engelhardtia, Castanopsis
Sub-tropical Pine	1,000–1,800 mm	Himalayan foothills (1,000–2,000 m)	Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii)
Sub-tropical Dry Evergreen	< 500 mm	Western Himalaya (Punjab, HP)	Wild olive, Pistacia
Montane Wet Temperate	> 1,500 mm	NE India, Nilgiris, WG (> 1,500 m)	Rhododendron, Acer, Quercus
Himalayan Moist Temperate	1,000–2,500 mm	HP, Uttarakhand (1,500–3,300 m)	Deodar (Cedrus deodara), Blue pine, Silver fir
Himalayan Dry Temperate	< 1,000 mm	Ladakh, Lahaul-Spiti	Chilgoza pine, Juniper
Sub-Alpine	500–1,500 mm	Himalaya (3,000–4,000 m)	Birch (Betula), Rhododendron
Moist Alpine Scrub	High altitude	Himalaya (> 4,000 m)	Juniperus, Seabuckthorn
Dry Alpine Scrub	High altitude, arid	Ladakh	Artemisia, Ephedra

Most widespread types: Tropical Moist Deciduous and Tropical Dry Deciduous forests together cover > 40% of India's total forest area.

Functions of Forests

Ecological Functions

• Carbon sequestration: India's forests sequester ~7.1 billion tonnes CO₂ equivalent (carbon stock)
• Watershed protection: Regulate water cycle, reduce peak floods, maintain perennial stream flow
• Soil conservation: Root systems bind soil, leaf litter improves organic matter
• Climate regulation: Transpiration maintains local/regional rainfall patterns
• Biodiversity conservation: Provide habitat for ~45,000 plant species and 81,000 animal species
• Microclimate moderation: Reduce temperature extremes, increase humidity

Economic Functions

• Timber: Hard wood (teak, sal) and softwood (pine) for construction and furniture
• Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP): Bamboo, tendu leaves (beedi), lac, honey, medicinal plants, resins, gums — critical for tribal livelihoods (30–50 Mha tribal population dependent)
• Fuelwood: ~200 million tonnes used annually (especially rural areas)
• Employment: Forest-based industries employ millions

National Forest Policy 1988

The National Forest Policy 1988 replaced the 1952 policy and is the cornerstone of Indian forest management:

Key objectives:

1. Maintenance of environmental stability through preservation of natural heritage
2. 33% of India's land under forest/tree cover
3. Checking soil erosion and denudation of watershed areas
4. Checking extension of sand dunes in arid/semi-arid areas
5. Increase productivity of forests to meet national needs
6. Encouraging tribal rights and needs for fuelwood, fodder, NTFP
7. Creating a massive people's movement for forest conservation

Priority order of forest use: Environmental stability > national needs > local needs (reversal from 1952 policy which prioritised commercial use)

Forest Conservation Act 1980

• Objective: Prevent indiscriminate diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes
• Requires prior approval of Central Government (MoEF&CC) for any diversion of forest land
• "Forest land" includes all areas recorded as forest in any government record
• Applies even to private forests
• Amendments: Forest Conservation (Amendment) Act 2023 — significant changes to definition of "forests" and exemptions for strategic projects along borders

Forest Rights Act 2006 (Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act)

• Recognises rights of forest-dwelling communities over forest land and resources
• Individual forest rights: Right to cultivate forest land occupied prior to 13 Dec 2005
• Community forest rights: Rights over community forest resources (NTFP collection, grazing, water bodies)
• Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights: Right to protect, conserve, and manage community forest resources
• Implements through Gram Sabha (village assembly)

Social Forestry

Social forestry aims to involve local communities in tree planting and management to meet local needs for fuelwood, fodder, timber, and to restock degraded lands.

Categories

Category	Description	Who Plants
Farm forestry	Trees on private agricultural land; own consumption + sale	Individual farmer
Extension forestry	Trees along roadsides, canal banks, railway lines, village lands	Government/local bodies
Agroforestry	Trees integrated with crops/livestock on farmland	Individual farmer
Community forestry	Village communities manage forest on community land	Village community
Urban forestry	Green belts, parks in urban areas	Municipal bodies

Agroforestry Systems in India

• Taungya system: Crops grown between newly planted forest trees during establishment
• Silvi-pastoral: Trees + pasture + livestock
• Horti-pastoral: Fruit trees + pasture
• Agri-silvi system: Crops between trees in permanent combination
• Boundary planting: Trees on field borders (Eucalyptus, Poplar in Punjab/UP)

Joint Forest Management (JFM)

JFM is a partnership between forest departments and local communities for protection and management of degraded forest lands, with benefit-sharing arrangements.

Origin: Started in West Bengal (Arabari experiment, 1971) → National JFM Resolution 1990 → revised 2000.

Structure

• Van Samrakshan Samiti (VSS) / Forest Protection Committee (FPC): Village-level body of forest users; manages local forest area
• All adult village members are members; women's representation mandatory (50% in many states)
• Forest department provides technical support; community provides labour and protection

Benefit Sharing

• Community gets 25–50% of final harvest proceeds (varies by state)
• Full rights to NTFP collection
• Priority in forest-related employment

Achievements

• ~1,17,000 JFM committees managing ~23 Mha of forest land
• Significant forest cover improvement in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Gujarat

Limitations

• Weak legal status (not under any Act until FRA 2006)
• Unequal power between forest dept and community
• Poor benefit sharing in practice; elite capture

Deforestation: Causes, Rate, Consequences

Causes:

• Agricultural expansion (subsistence and commercial)
• Illegal logging and timber extraction
• Fuelwood collection
• Mining and infrastructure projects
• Shifting cultivation (jhum) with short rotation
• Forest fires

Consequences:

• Loss of biodiversity (habitat destruction)
• Accelerated soil erosion and watershed degradation
• Disruption of hydrological cycle (reduced rainfall in some regions)
• Release of stored carbon → climate change
• Loss of livelihoods for tribal communities

Afforestation and Restoration Programmes

Programme	Key Features
National Afforestation Programme (NAP)	Afforestation on degraded forest land through JFM; Forest Development Agencies
CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund)	Funds from diversion of forest land paid by project proponents; ~₹54,000 crore corpus; used for afforestation and forest management
Green India Mission	One of 8 NAPCC missions; target — 5 Mha degraded forest land restored; increase forest cover by 5 Mha
Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam	2024 campaign — plant trees in mother's name; massive public participation
Van Mahotsav	Annual week-long tree-planting festival (July); started 1950 by K.M. Munshi

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Summary Cheat Sheet

Topic	Key takeaway
Main focus	Types of Indian forests, Champion & Seth classification, National Forest Policy 1988, social forestry, JFM, and afforestation programmes for ELEC 13.
Section context	Revise this lesson with the rest of Forest and Biodiversity for stronger conceptual continuity.