India boasts rich biodiversity, with about 81,000 animal species and 47,000 plant species, though many are threatened. Conservation efforts, such as the Indian Wildlife Act and Project Tiger, aim to protect endangered species and their habitats. Community involvement plays a crucial role in conservation, with local initiatives helping to safeguard forests and wildlife.

1. Forest and Wildlife
Resources
By:- Oakridge International School Newton Campus

2. Biodiversity
Biodiversity or Biological Diversity is
immensely rich in wildlife and cultivated
species, diverse in form and function but
closely integrated in a system through
multiple network of interdependencies.

4. Flora and Fauna in India
• India is very rich in biological diversity. There are variety of plants
and animals found in our country.
• India has nearly 8% of the total number of species found in the
world.
• About 81,000 species of fauna (animals) and 47,000 species of
flora (plants) are found in India.
• India is famous for rhino, elephant, tiger, lion, monkey, snakes,
peacock etc.

5. Some estimates suggest that at least 10 per cent of India’s recorded
wild flora and 20 per cent of its mammals are on the threatened
list. Many of these would now be categorised as ‘critical’, that is on
the verge of extinction like the cheetah, pink-headed duck,
mountain quail, forest spotted owlet, and plants like madhuca
insignis (a wild 2015-16 variety of mahua) and hubbardia
heptaneuron, (a species of grass). In fact, no one can say how many
species may have already been lost.

7. Vanishing Forests
The dimensions of deforestation in India is unsteady.
The forest and tree cover in the country is estimated at 78.92
million hectare, which is 24.01 per cent of the total geographical
area (dense forest 12.24 per cent; open forest 8.99 per cent; and
mangrove 0.14 per cent). According to the State of Forest Report
(2013), the dense forest cover has increased by 10,098 square km
since 1997.
However, this apparent increase in the forest cover is due to
plantation by different agencies.

9. Asiatic cheetah: Where did they go?
• The world’s fastest land mammal, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubantus), is a
unique and specialised member of the cat family and can move at the
speed of 112 km/hour.
• The cheetah is often mistaken for a leopard. Its distinguishing marks are
the long teardrop shaped lines on each side of the nose from the corner
of its eyes to its mouth.
• Prior to the 20th century, cheetahs were widely distributed throughout
Africa and Asia.
• Today, the Asian cheetah is nearly extinct due to a decline of available
habitat and prey. The species was declared extinct in India long back in
1952.

11. What are the negative factors that cause such
fearful depletion of the flora and fauna?
• We have transformed nature into a resource obtaining directly and indirectly
from the forests and wildlife
• The greatest damage inflicted on Indian forests was during the colonial period
• Even after independence, agricultural expansion continues to be one of the
major causes of depletion of forests
• According to the forest survey of India over 26,200 sq.km. of forest area was
converted into agricultural land
• Substantial parts of the tribal belts have been deforested or degraded by sifting
cultivation
• Jhum which is a type of slash and burn agriculture
•

12. Are colonial forest policies to be blamed?
• Colonial forestry caused irreparable environmental damage,
jeopardized the livelihood of communities who subsisted on
forests, and became the role model of India’s post-independence
forest management, thus ensuring its insidious continuity.
• The expansion of railways reduced teak and sal forests of
peninsular India to such an extent that deodar forests of north
India were required to be tapped.
• Trees which were commercially profitable were replaced by other
species. This is known as enrichment plantation.

13. The Himalayan Yew in trouble
• The Himalayan Yew is a medicinal plant that is found in Himachal Pradesh and
Arunachal Pradesh. From the bark, needles, twigs and roots of this tree, a
chemical compound called ‘taxol’ is extracted.
• the Himalayan Yew is a species of the Yew trees that grows in the temperate
regions of the world. The name is most prominently given to any of various
coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus Taxus. It is important because:
• the bark of the tree provides Taxol, an effective medicine to fight cancer.
The needles and the bark is also used as a sedative and a remedy for respiratory
illness in the Unani medicine.
often butter tea is produced from the bark of the tree.
people of the Himalayan belt believe that gods and goddesses have their abode
in this tree.
. The species is under great threat due to over-exploitation. In the last one
decade, thousands of yew trees have dried up in various parts of Himachal
Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh

15. Conservation of Forest and Wildlife in India
• Conservation in the background of rapid decline in wildlife population and forestry
has become essential.
• Conservation preserves the ecological diversity and our life support systems
• The Indian wildlife act was implemented in 1972
• An all India list of protected species was also published
• The reason of this program was towards protecting the remaining population of
certain endangered species
• Central and state governments established national parks and wildlife sanctuaries
• It also announced several projects for protecting specific animals, which were
gravely threatened
• Many animals have been given full or partial legal protection against hunting and
trade throughout India

17. Project Tiger
Project Tiger is a conservation programme launched in 1973 by the
Government of India during Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's tenure.
From 9 tiger reserves since its formative years, the Project Tiger coverage
has increased to 47 at present, spread out in 18 of our tiger range states.
This amounts to around 2.08% of the geographical area of our country.
From 9 tiger reserves since its formative years, the Project Tiger coverage
has increased to 47 at present, spread out in 18 of our tiger range states.
This amounts to around 2.08% of the geographical area of our country. The
NTCA / Project Tiger also conducts the country level assessment of the
status of tiger, prey and habitat once in four years, using the refined
methodology, as approved by the Tiger Task Force.

18. Special thrust on tiger protection and anti-poaching operations:
• The illegal demand for body parts and derivatives of tiger outside the country continues to be
a serious threat to wild tigers. Therefore, protection is accorded topmost priority in Project
Tiger / NTCA. The States are engaged in an ongoing manner through the NTCA Headquarters as
well as its Regional Offices, while issuing alerts, besides closely working with the CBI, Wildlife
Crime Control Bureau and the Police Departments. The following actions are taken in this
context:
• Alerting the States as and when required
• Transmitting backward / forward linkages of information relating to poachers
• Advising the States for combing forest floor to check traps
• Performing supervisory field visits through the National Tiger Conservation Authority and its
regional offices
• Providing assistance to States for anti-poaching operations

19. Due to concerted efforts under Project Tiger, at present India has
the distinction of having the maximum number of tigers in the world
(1706) as per 2010 assessment, when compared to other tiger range
countries. The 2010 country level tiger assessment has also shown a
20% increase of tigers in the country (from 1411 in 2006 to 1706 in
2010). However, there is a decline in tiger occupancy (12.6%) in
other areas of tiger States

20. Types of Forests in India
• Reserved Forests: These forests are earmarked only for production
of timber. Grazing of animals and cultivation of crops are not
allowed in these forests. About 54% forests are grouped under
reserved forests. They are also known as permanent forest
estates.
• Protected Forests: These forests are protected from further
depletion. Right of grazing and cultivation is allowed with certain
restriction. About 29% forests come under protected forests.
• Unclassed Forests: There is no restriction in these forests. These
forests belong to government and private individuals. About 16%
forests are unclassed forests.

21. Role of Community in Conserving Forest and
Wildlife
Community or local people are very helpful in conserving biodiversity i.e. plants and
animals. Many communities live in the forest. Forest is home of many traditional
people.
a) In Rajasthan, local people came forward to stop mining activities to protect
Sariska Tiger Reserve.
b) People of Alwar District of Rajasthan have declared 1200 hectares of land as
‘Bhairodev Dakav Sonchuri’ in which they don’t allow hunting.
c) In Jharkhand, Munda tribe worship Mahua and Kadamb trees and they protect
them from cutting.
d) Famous Chipko Movement in Himalaya was started by local community only. Beej
Bachao Andolan and Navdanya movements have also been started in Himalaya.
e) Joint Forest Management (JFM) stated in India is good method of involving local
community in forest conservation.

22. Sacred groves- A wealth of diverse and rare
species.
• 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 or parts of large forests have been left
untouched by the local people and any interference with them is
banned.
• Certain societies revere a particular tree which they have preserved
from time immemorial. The Mundas and the Santhal of Chota Nagpur
region worship mahua and kadamba trees, and the tribals of Odisha and
Bihar worship the tamarind and mango trees during weddings.

23. • Indian society comprises several cultures, each with its own set of
traditional methods of conserving nature and its creations.
• Sacred qualities are often ascribed to springs, mountain peaks,
plants and animals which are closely protected.
• In and around Bishnoi villages in Rajasthan, herds of blackbuck,
nilgai and peacocks can be seen as an integral part of the
community and nobody harms them.

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