GRADE X

BIOLOGY PORTFOLIO

2023-24
Haniya Gihas
XB
FORESTS AND WILDLIFE
HANIYA GIHAS
INTRODUCTION
Forests are ‘biodiversity
hotspots’. One measure of the
biodiversity of an area is the
number of species found there.
However, the range of different
life forms (bacteria, fungi, ferns,
flowering plants, nematodes,
insects, birds, reptiles and so
on) found, is also important.
WHY SOULD WE
CONSERVE THEM ?
• Forests are home to over 80% of terrestrial
biodiversity, including 80% of amphibians, 75%
of birds and 68% of mammals.
• Unfortunately, human beings have transformed
nature and wildlife into a resource.
• As a result of this, our natural resources are at
a constant risk of depletion.
• The conservation of forest and wildlife is
necessary to keep the population of different
animal and bird species in check.

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.

STAKEHOLDERS
The dependency we have on forests vary from
person to person. When we look into the
conservation of forests we must consider who
the stakeholders are :
i. The people who live in or around forests are
dependent on forest produce for various
aspects of their life.
ii. The Forest Department of the Government
which owns the land and controls the
resources from forests.
iii. The industrialists – from those who use
‘tendu’ leaves to make bidis to the ones with
paper mills – who use various forest produce,
but are not dependent on the forests in any
one area.
iv. The wildlife and nature enthusiasts who want
to conserve nature in its pristine form.
 How are forests useful to
some of these people?
▪ The local people need large
quantities of firewood, small timber This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND.

and thatch.
▪ People gather fruits, nuts and
medicines from the forests
▪ Their cattle also graze in forest
areas or feed on the fodder which is
collected from forests.
▪ Tribals and villagers clear a small
portion of the forests for cultivation.
 But the depletion of these resources only started after
the British came and took over most of our
forest areas.

They took control and exploited the forests ruthlessly

for their own purposes while these people were forced
HOW DID THESE to depend on much smaller areas and forest resources
RESOURCES started becoming over-exploited to some extent.
The Forest Department in independent India took over
BECOME from the British but local knowledge and local needs
DEPLETED? continued to be ignored in the management practices.

This destroys a large amount of biodiversity in the

area and the varied needs of the locals can no longer
be met from such forests.
Role of Industrialists
• Industries would consider the forest
as merely a source of raw material
for its factories.
• Huge interest-groups lobby the
government for access to these raw
materials at artificially low rates.
• Since these industries have a greater
reach than the local people, they are
not interested in the sustainability of
the forest in one particular area.
• For example, after cutting down all
the teak trees in one area, they will
get their teak from a forest farther
away. They do not have any stake in
ensuring that one particular area
should yield an optimal amount of
some produce for all generations to
come.
People’s
Intervention in
Forests

Human intervention is a Resources must be

necessity in the utilised to ensure
management of forest development while
resources and preserving the
landscapes. environment.

Benefits must go to the

Examples: Bishnoi
local people to ensure
community in Rajasthan
economic growth and
for saving Khejri trees
conservation takes
in Jodhpur Rajasthan.
place simultaneously.
 SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
Sustainable development needs
all stakeholders of forest
resources to be satisfied.

West Bengal’s Arabari forests

are well-known for being
protected areas.
This forest gained notoriety as a
result of the participation of
locals who established a
community and worked with
village police and forest officials
to ensure that there was no
significant deforestation, land
poaching, or illegal wildlife
hunting there.
Chipko Movement
• The Chipko Andolan (‘Hug the Trees Movement’) is one such case of conflict between the
industrialist and local dwellers in the 1970s
•
• Originated in Reni Garhwal, high up in the Himalayas.
• The conflict between local villagers and logging contractor → Women of the village
stopped felling trees by hugging them → Contractor had to reverse the action.
•
• The movement quickly gained popularity and media attention and forced the government to
rethink the management of forest resources.
•
• The involvement of local people is equally important in the management of forest
resources.

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC.

THANK YOU