Attitudes Towards Biodiversity Conservation of Forests Dwellers and Encroachers: A Case Study of Assam in Northeast India

By enacting the Forest Rights Act 2006, the Government of India aimed to protect the rights of the forest dwellers; at the same time, it sought to involve the forest dwellers in protecting the forests. But the forest dwellers are critical of this Act, on the ground that it does not consider tribal customary laws, which are essential to protect both the forests and the rights of the forest dwellers. This paper examines the perceptions and attitudes of the dwellers of village forest and encroachers towards biodiversity conservation under the rights enshrined in the Forest Rights Act 2006. A survey was conducted in190 households in four village forests and two encroached villages under reserved forests of Sonitpur and Golaghat districts of Assam in Northeast India. The majority of the respondents were found to have positive attitudes towards environmental issues in general and protection of biodiversity loss in particular. Village-type, residents’ occupation, caste, source of fuel for cooking, educational qualifications and size of land holding were found to be significantly associated with attitudes towards biodiversity conservation. It is concluded that conducting an environmental education program and rights-holders’ monitoring system on the impact of their use of forest resources will support conservation of biodiversity.     

Community Forestry in the State of Uttarakhand,India: Not Meeting the Needs of the Villagers

This community forestry case study examines village forest councils (van panchayat) in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand. We describe forest stocking levels of 20 community forests and address the question of whether these forests are in a position to provide commodity resources, such as fuelwood and fodder, on a sustainable basis. In addition, we report on the perceptions of the villagers on whether their respective community forest is meeting their fuelwood and fodder needs. At the biophysical level, none of the community forests were in a position to provide fuelwood and fodder on a sustainable basis. Most forests did not have adequate overstory stocking, and there was no evidence of deliberate management to improve the situation. Interviews with 400 villagers (20 in each village) supported the field findings. Villagers unanimously reported that their respective community forest was inadequate in supplying commodity needs. Furthermore, they wished the Forest Department would provide more technical and financial assistance to guide them with forest management needs. Women are a critical part of community forestry as they are the primary gatherers of fuelwood and fodder. Although the perceptions of women toward forest management issues are important, our interviews with female villagers indicate they play a passive role in decision-making. Decentralization in natural resources management sounds good at the theoretical level as it provides villagers with some authority and autonomy, but it cannot be effectively implemented without professional guidance coupled with resources. The villagers are ready and willing to improve the situation, but they do not have the resources to make change unilaterally—they need professional and financial support from the Forest Department.     

经营强度对蜀南竹海楠竹保护的影响

竹林区竹类种质保育需要建立避免人为干扰的竹类自然生态系统,但现有的竹林粗放遍及各处的经营策略则直接威胁到竹类种质栖息地的保护。通过对蜀南竹海人工经营和未经营下楠竹林群落环境与种群结构的对比分析,认为保护区内楠竹林经营强度改变了植物群落结构,导致植物物种多样性的丧失,地表灌木、草本和凋落物的盖度降低,生物量减少;考虑天然楠竹林结构演替,楠竹的人工经营(纯林经营)是维持楠竹林生产力和楠竹林的必然途径。基于现代林业理论,提出了县域楠竹林适度经营与保护的空间分工性、集约化策略,以期获得保护区长期的生态经济社会效益与生态安全屏障的优化格局。     

Utilization of non-timber forest products in humid tropics: Implications for management and livelihood

Community dependence on forest resources for diverse needs has high implications for long term management of forests. Sustainable extraction of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) is considered best feasible strategy for forest conservation in biodiversity rich areas. This paper examines the heterogeneity of NTFPs use by tribal communities in northeast India, a global hot spot by examining diversity of NTFPs at-large, its consumption pattern, and contribution to rural income and forest revenue. A total of 343 NTFPs recorded used for diverse purposes by tribal communities. When species choice grouped as per use category, utilization for medicinal (163 species), edible fruits (75 species) and vegetables (65 species) purposes was reasonably high. Community dependence on forest resources was 100% for firewood and house construction material. 76 plant species were sold in three major local markets while an additional 22 species traded at commercial scale mainly outside the state. NTFPs contributed 19-32% of total household income for different tribal communities, which was significant. Illicium griffithii, Rubia cordifolia, Oroxylum indicum, Swertia chirayita, Litsea sebifera, Taxus wallichiana, Valeriana jatamansii, Thalictrum foliolosum, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Everniastrum cirrhatum, Cordyceps sinensis, Aconitum fletcherianum, Nardostachys jatamansi, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Gymnadenia orchidis, Calamus, Quercus and Pinus roxbughii were important commercial species. NTFPs also generated substantial revenue to the State government, though it is falling year after year, which is alarming. To meet community livelihoods, income and forest revenue from NTFPs, it desires a thorough management plan and policy guidelines for these resources from all line departments. The knowledge on diversity, its consumption pattern, and contribution to rural income and forest revenue may enable planners to accurately plan sustainable management of NTFP resources and community development in near future.     

Competing Visions: Domestic Forests, Politics and Forest Policy in the Central Western Ghats of South India

Rural people in developing countries including India continue to access a number of types of ‘forests’ to meet specific needs such as fuelwood, fodder, food, non-timber forest produce and timber for both subsistence and income generation. While a plethora of terms exist to describe the types of forests that rural people use—such as farm forests, social forests, community forests and small-scale forests—the expression domestic forest has recently been proposed. Domestic forest is a term aimed at capturing the diversity of forests transformed and managed by rural communities and a way to introduce a new scientific domain that recognises that production and conservation can be reconciled and that local communities can be effective managers. This paper argues in the context of the central Western Ghats of south India that while the domestic forest concept is a useful umbrella term to capture the diversity of forests used by rural people, these domestic forests are often not autonomous local forests but sites of contestation between local actors and the state forest bureaucracy. Hence, a paradigm shift within the forest bureaucracy will only occur if the scientific forestry community questions its own normative views on forest management and sees forest policy as a means to recognise local claims and support existing practices of forest dependent communities.     

Economic contribution of wild edible mushrooms to a forest fringe ethnic community in some eastern lateritic parts of India

Dry deciduous forests of the eastern lateritic part of India are a typical case where forest valuation is yet to be integrated with the non-timber forest products like wild edible mushrooms (WEMs), which have a wide use in subsistence and cash income. A detailed accounting of the production and utilization of WEMs harvested from that region was made to highlight the economic worth of WEMs to the Santal community of this region. The WEMs production in the forest was in a polynomial pattern during the monsoon period. The net present value of revenues from WEMs was estimated to be contributing 9.83 and 10.29 % of total annual income of a Santal family of the Choupahari and Gonpur forests, respectively. The ecological footprint of the Santal communities on WEMs was higher in the forest area which was closer to the local markets than did the distant ones. Forest areas of the eastern lateritic part of India have a strong potentiality to produce WEMs that may be helpful for socio-economic upliftment of local tribal communities through the development of entrepreneurship and policy making.     

Development and evaluation of local communities incentive programs for improving the traditional forest management: A case study of Northern Zagros forests,Iran

We examined the local community incentive programs to improve traditional forest management in three forested villages in Baneh city, Kurdistan province in the northern Zagros forests of western Iran. Zagros forests cover 6.07 million ha and support rich plant and animal diversity. Changes in local community social and economic sys-tems and the inefficiency of traditional forest management led to a criti-cal situation in the stability of forest regeneration in recent decades. Due to a shortage of productive and arable lands and resulting unemployment and poverty, people overexploited the Zagros forests. Outside interven-tion in traditional forest management creates conflicts between local peoples and forest management organizations. To achieve sustainable forest management, including forest resources conservation and im-provement of natural resource based livelihoods of communities, it is desirable to implement Forestry Incentive Programs （FIP） based on the important functions of forests. Detailed information on the so-cio-economics of communities, the effect of forests on local livelihoods, and lists of products extracted from the forest were obtained from a sur-vey of local communities though questionnaire, interview and observa-tion. We studied 276 households in three villages and completed 76 ques-tionnaires by householders in the quantitative analysis. Sampling was performed by simple random sampling （SRS）. The needs of rural com-munities, such as livestock husbandry, mainly arise from the characteris-tics and environmental features of villages. We identified the driving forces, pressures, status, impacts and responses （DPSIR） to design incen-tive programs, by DPSIR analysis and interaction analysis. Evaluation of local community benefits from forests showed that in order to improve forest management, 319 dollars per year would be needed by each family as an incentive in 2010 to prevent lopping and firewood collecting, the main causes of forest degradation.     

Comanaged Forests in West Bengal

Abstract

The forests of West Bengal have recently come under a comanagement initiative called Joint Forest Management. This paper will examine changing forestry regimes in southern West Bengal since the 1930s to suggest that the redefinition of forest management in the region since the mid 1980s cannot adequately be explained in terms of property rights. The nature of village community, overlapping jurisdictions of different agencies and groups in forest management, and the nature of expertise qualifying the scope of jurisdictions-that of foresters and villagers-are intersecting issues that have to be analyzed to understand the institutional politics of comanaging natural resources worldwide.     

高黎贡山生物多样性保护与社区林业发展的研究

高黎贡山自然保护区森林资源丰富,动植物种类繁多,其物种多样性的丰富程度为国内外罕见。由于周边社区集体森林破坏严重,使保护区受到周围村社的"蚕食",给高黎贡山的森林资源管理和生物多样性保护工作带来了巨大的压力。在对村社集体林地的管理与高黎贡山生物多样性保护相关性论述的基础上,提出加强对乡村集体森林的管理,发展社区林业,实行"以林养林",即以发展集体林来保护国有林、保护区,使社区林业的发展既为当地农户提供日常生产、生活和经济发展所需要的非木材林产品、薪材及木材,又为保护区构筑一道以集体林为主的绿色屏障,以实现自然保护区森林资源管理、生物多样性保护和周围农村经济的协调发展。     

Private native forest policies in New South Wales,Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania

Private native forests in Australia perform a dual production and conservation role, providing an important source of timber, and complementing formal conservation reserves. A comparison of policies for private native forests in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania illustrates the scope for timber harvesting, the provision for environmental values, and initiatives for responsible and sustainable forest management. The sustainable management of Australia’s forests requires initiatives by both government and landowners to accommodate changes in community attitudes, new management strategies, integrated catchment management principles and both commercial and non-commercial opportunities for forest use. Of all of the Australian states, New South Wales has the most restrictive laws in terms of forest management and harvesting. Queensland and Victorian legislation have a more commercial focus, while Tasmania has a balance of both environmental and commercial objectives. The duty of care for private native forests is a responsibility that falls to the landholder, and while this should be enforced by legislation, the private provision of community benefits requires both recognition and reward. The presence or absence of incentives potentially determines the effectiveness of forest codes of practice.     

Anthropogenic disturbances and status of forest and wildlife in the dry deciduous forests of Chhattisgarh state in India

The advent of modern forces and the changes in socioeconomic patterns of forest dwellers have increased the pressures on the forests. In order to mitigate such pressures and also to protect the forests and wildlife the model of protected areas networks has shifted and enhanced such pressures in the unprotected natural forests due to several reasons. Being a low profile category of protected status and continuous human settlements, the present study highlights the case of dry deciduous forests of Sarguja district of Chhattisgarh state of India. The major objectives of this study were to quantify the status of forests and wildlife and also to determine the extent of anthropogenic disturbances faced by the dry deciduous forests of central India. Transect and silent drive count methods were used for sampling wildlife and quadrat method was used for sampling vegetation. Besides, the local uses of various forest produces were also studied in view of understanding the people dependency on forests. The forest vegetation, in the study area, was pre-dominated by Shorea robusta, which had Madhuca indica, Diospyrus melanoxylon and Buchnania lanzan as the major companion species. The forest had either the high girth class mature tree species or the saplings. The low vegetation cover and density were due to the high anthropogenic pressures mainly in the form of heavy livestock grazing and collection of ethnobotanically important species. The study though reveals that the area is not rich in wildlife and the forest is fragmented, the area still supports some important species, which include many rare and endangered plants and animals. The findings of this study have been discussed in view of the management and conservation of the forest and wildlife in the dry deciduous forests.     

封山育林类型划分标准的探讨——密云县古北口镇潮关西沟示范区封山育林类型划分

针对我国传统封山育林工作粗放经营的现状,提出因林制宜、综合培育的现代封山育林理念及封山育林类型划分的必要性。通过对中德技术合作—密云县古北口镇潮关西沟示范区立地条件、树种结构、社会经济状况的调查、分析,制定了该示范区封育类型划分的因子及量化指标,将该示范区的32个小班划分为3种封山育林类型。本研究旨在将传统封山育林事业推向有计划、有目标、有营林措施的新阶段,推进首都郊县水源涵养和绿化地区的封山育林进程并提供生产依据。     

秦岭主要森林类型近自然度评价

选择秦岭火地塘林区7个森林类型,在样地调查的基础上,基于敏感性分析,选择17个反映森林类型特征的指标,运用层次分析法建立秦岭主要森林类型近自然度评价指标体系,应用综合指数法建立评价数学模型.根据等间距法,将森林类型近自然度评价综合指数划分为5个等级.评价结果表明:秦岭7个主要森林类型即铁杉天然次生林、锐齿栎天然次生林、华山松天然次生林、红桦天然次生林、华山松人工林、油松人工林、华北落叶松人工林的近自然度评价综合指数分别为0.98,0.90,0.78,0.56,0.39,0.35,0.01,近自然度等级分别为1,1,2,3,4,4,5,铁杉和锐齿栎天然次生林处于近自然状态,其他林分分别处于半自然、远天然、近人工和人工状态,近自然度顺序表现为顶极群落森林>演替过渡群落森林>先锋群落森林>乡土树种人工林>外来树种人工林.评价结果与该区森林天然性程度相吻合,证明评价指标体系和模型的适用性.针对不同森林类型的近自然度,提出相应的经营措施.     

From Forests to Food Security: Pathways in Nepal’s Community Forestry

There is an increasing recognition of the contribution of forests to food security of poor and marginalized people. However, empirical findings remain limited on how forests contribute to food security. Drawing on four case studies of community forestry in Nepal, this paper discusses pathways through which forests are contributing to food security needs of local communities. The evidence presented here was gathered through 4 years of action research and draws insights from the past 40 years of Nepal’s community forestry practice, which is often regarded as a successful case of conservation and development. It is shown that there are four distinct pathways through which community forests contribute to food security as a source of: (1) income and employment; (2) inputs to increase food production; (3) directly for food; and (4) renewable energy for cooking. Despite emerging pathways linking forest management to food systems at the local level, forestry policies and institutions have neither explicitly recognized nor strengthened the linkage between forest and food security. The paper highlights that there is a need for a fundamental shift in thinking from the conventional notion of ‘forests for soil conservation’ to ‘sustainable forest management for food security’.     

Role of traditional beliefs of Baima Tibetans in biodiversity conservation in China

Baima Tibetans, a unique ethnic group inhabiting the hilly regions of the southern tip of Gansu Province, possess ancient religious beliefs and rich traditional knowledge. Baima Tibetans have developed their culture, traditional beliefs, knowledge, customs and resource use systems through their productive activities and living practices over many generations. These have played a critical role in conserving local biodiversity, including the giant panda, and preserving the livelihoods of local inhabitants. People in the local Baima community have a great sense of self-identity that is related to their traditional beliefs and knowledge. They possess a strong recognition of the role that traditional beliefs play in protecting their villages and conserving the wealth of biodiversity. Consequently, Baima peoples respect their traditional ways and the customary regulations of the village that relate to the conservation and use of natural resources. Biodiversity conservation and community development have faced challenges in Baima Tibetan communities in recent times, which are largely due to the imposition by external actors of a powerful development model based on modern scientific knowledge and technologies, a model that usually neglects the role that traditional religious beliefs, production practices, and local governance systems play in biodiversity conservation and community development. In this paper we analyze of these issues on how the Baima Tibetan people's traditional knowledge, practices, and local institutions may be better utilized to meet biodiversity conservation and community development needs in the future.     

Participatory forest conservation in Southwest lowland rainforests of Sri Lanka

Natural forest in Sri Lanka has been decreased significantly in the last few decades. The remaining natural forests especially in floristic region seven have undergone less conservation efforts in the past. Considering the capacity of the government and dependence on forest resources by local villagers, the only way for conservation of these forests in the Southwest lowland is forest management through local participation. Management plans for community-based resource management have been completed. However promotion of such management requires integrated measures, which are beyond jurisdiction of Forest Department. A holistic approach with political commitment concerning buffer zone villages and economic incentives with income generation opportunities supported by external inputs are expected to be implemented as a matter of urgency.     

Saproxylic beetle assemblages in the Mediterranean region: Impact of forest management on richness and structure

Forests cover almost 30% of the Mediterranean region today, yet forest management activities have influenced structure and composition of both natural and planted forests. To date no study has been conducted to evaluate the impact of forest management on saproxylic beetle assemblages, although it is known that the Mediterranean is a biodiversity hotspot with a long-lasting human pressure on natural habitats. We provide an overview of saproxylic beetle assemblages of three forest types (mature Pinus halepensis forests, mature Pinus brutia forests, young Quercus calliprinos forests) in the East Mediterranean region using a one-year sample from 12 forest plots located in the north of Israel.     

Conservation and restoration of degraded ecosystems in arid and semi-arid areas of northwest China

In “West Development” of China, one of the most important activities is the Natural Forest Protection Program, designed to swiftly convert the focus of management and utilization of the natural forests from a timber orientation towards forest conservation, sustainable management and environmental protection. The project covered almost all the arid and semi-arid regions in Northwest region. Accompanying this great campaign this paper studied the conservation and restoration model of degraded ecosystems in arid and semi-arid lands in Northwest China. The past practices have resulted in considerably natural forest degradation and loss through land conversion (primarily for agriculture), over-harvesting, inadequate reforestation and lack of protection. The consequences have been the loss of soil and water resources, diminished timber production capacity on a sustainable basis, and environmental losses. This paper applied Aronson’s restoration model and proposed the conservation, restoration, re-allocation and preservation program for the implementation of environmental improvement and natural forest conservation.