VISAKHAPATNAM: As the world celebrates the International Day of Forests on March 21, it is essential to focus on the vital role of forests in sustaining life on our planet. With deforestation, climate change and forest degradation posing significant threats, there has never been a more critical time to prioritise forest conservation and restoration efforts.
This year, with ‘Forests and Health’ being the theme of the International Day of Forests, Venkatesh Sambangi, Deputy Conservator and Vizianagaram District Forest Officer, shared a few insights about Andhra Pradesh’s forest cover, human-wildlife conflicts, and challenges faced by forest officers in managing and conserving forest areas with TNIE.
According to the standards set by the Government of India, a minimum of 33% of the total land area of a State should be under forest cover. As the forest cover in Andhra Pradesh is 24.06%, it falls short of the required minimum.
Venkatesh said, “There is a need to increase the forest cover as we are nowhere close to 33%. However, according to statistics, the State has recorded an increase of 647 sq km of forest cover. The main reasons for this increase are that the public is more sensitised and aware of the importance of trees, plantations and cultivation outside forests, and recognise the rights of tribals in the forest who have been living there for ages. These factors are helping them to take up cultivation and farming, thus increasing the forest cover.”
“There are various reasons why there is more stress on forest cover than tree cover, although both are equally important. Every animal or bird has specific habitat requirements that certain trees, plants or shrubs fulfil. Each organism requires a specific mix of plants to survive, from microorganisms to the top carnivore. Therefore, it is important to have contiguous patches of forests with various plant, animal, soil, and mineral species to support the entire biodiversity. In India, 256 kinds of forests are classified based on geographical conditions, and each differs. The misconception that forests are just large bunches of tall trees should be dispelled, as even a small shrub can be considered a forest,” he said.
Labelling human intolerance as the main reason for human-wildlife conflicts, Venkatesh stated that people must be more sympathetic towards wildlife since there are not enough departments dedicated to their protection compared to the resources available for human welfare.
“In the past, humans and wildlife coexisted peacefully without needing forest officers. People have become increasingly intolerant in recent years, encroaching on wildlife habitats and disturbing them with photography and teasing, frequently leading to conflict. Human behaviour is to blame for the recent elephant-human and other encounters. When humans do not approach these animals, they are not dangerous,” he explained.
Describing the challenges faced by the officers in protecting the forests, he said, “Our primary goal is to protect, conserve and develop forests. This involves safeguarding against threats such as encroachments and smugglers, preserving the habitat, soil, trees and natural biodiversity, and growing by planting new trees.”
Disclosing the initiatives taken by them to fight to keep the forests safe and healthy and to mitigate climate change, he said, “We are taking up the plantation of trees that can sustain themselves for 50 to 100 years and store carbon stock. Unlike in the past, with the invention of satellites, the forest department now releases forest cover data every two years, which reveals whether the cover has decreased or increased. On the ground, the forest department verifies the data in the satellite imagery by inspecting the area. We conduct wildlife surveys to determine the encounter rates of different animals, count plants based on 0.1 hectares and carbon stock available in that area.”
Forest cover
It is a large area covered by trees, shrubs and other plants, forming a forest ecosystem with animals and soil
Tree cover
It refers to the area covered by trees, whether or not it constitutes a forest
256 kinds of forests are classified in India, based on geographical conditions, and each differs