Flora and Fauna in India

Flora and Fauna in India
India is one of the world’s richest countries in terms of its vast array of biological
diversity. Different varieties of forest and wildlife resources are found in India.
Based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources (IUCN), we can classify different categories of existing plants and
animal species as follows:
 Normal Species: Species whose population levels are considered to be
normal for their survival, such as cattle, sal, pine, rodents, etc.
 Endangered Species: These species are in danger of extinction. For
examples, species are black buck, crocodile, Indian wild ass, Indian rhino,
lion tailed macaque, sangai (brow anter deer in Manipur), etc.
 Vulnerable Species: These are species whose population has declined to
levels that it is likely to move into the endangered category in the near
future if it continues to decline in the same manner. Eg: Blue sheep, Asiatic
elephant, Gangetic dolphin, etc.
 Rare Species: Species with a small population may move into the
endangered or vulnerable category if the negative factors affecting them
continue to operate. The examples of such species are the Himalayan
brown bear, wild Asiatic buffalo, desert fox and hornbill, etc.
 Endemic Species: These are species which are only found in some particular
areas usually isolated by natural or geographical barriers. Examples of such
species are the Andaman teal, Nicobar pigeon, Andaman wild pig, Mithun
in Arunachal Pradesh.
 Extinct Species: These species may be extinct from a local area, region,
country, continent or the entire earth. Eg: Asiatic cheetah, pink head duck.
What are the negative factors that cause such fearful depletion of the flora and
fauna?
 Excessive consumption of natural resources for fulfilling human needs such
as wood, barks, leaves, rubber, medicines, dyes, food, fuel, fodder, manure,
etc.
 The expansion of the railways, agriculture, commercial and scientific
forestry and mining activities.
 Large-scale development of projects and mining activities.
 Unequal access, inequitable consumption of resources and differential
sharing of responsibility for environmental well-being.
 Conservation of Forest and Wildlife in India
 Conservation preserves the ecological diversity and preserves the genetic
diversity of plants and animals.The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act was
implemented in 1972, for protecting habitats and an all India list of
protected species was published.
 The central government also announced several projects for protecting
specific animals. Under the Wildlife Act of 1980 and 1986, several hundred
butterflies, moths, beetles, and one dragonfly have been added to the list
of protected species.
 In 1991, for the first time plants were also added to the list, starting with six
species.
Types and Distribution of Forest and Wildlife Resources
In India, forest and wildlife resources are owned and managed by the government
through the Forest Department or other government departments. These are
classified under the following categories.
 Reserved Forests: More than half of the total forest land in India has been
declared reserved forests.
 Protected Forests: Forest Department has declared one-third of the total
forest area as protected forest.
 Unclassed Forests: These are the forests and wastelands which belong to
both government and private individuals and communities. North-eastern
states and parts of Gujarat have a very high percentage of their forests as
unclassed forests.
 Reserved and protected forests are also referred to as permanent forests,
which are maintained for the purpose of producing timber and other forest
produce, and for protective reasons. Madhya Pradesh has the largest area
under permanent forests.
Community and Conservation

 Conservation of the forest and wildlife resources is very important. Here
are a few steps were taken by common people:
 In Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, villagers have fought against mining by
citing the Wildlife Protection Act.
 The inhabitants of five villages in the Alwar district of Rajasthan have
declared 1,200 hectares of forest as the Bhairodev Dakav ‘Sonchuri’.
Villages came up with their own set of rules and regulations which do not
allow hunting. They are also protecting the wildlife against any outside
encroachments.
 The famous Chipko movement in the Himalayas was one successful attempt
to resist deforestation in several areas. The movement has also resulted in
community afforestation.
 Farmers and citizen’s groups like the Beej Bachao Andolan in Tehri and
Navdanya have shown that adequate levels of diversified crop production
without the use of synthetic chemicals are possible and economically
viable.
 India joint forest management (JFM) programme furnishes a good example
for involving local communities in the management and restoration of
degraded forests.

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Community and Conservation

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