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Conservation of biodiversity

FOREST LANDSCAPES OF THE SOUTHERN WESTERN GHATS, INDIA: B. R. Ramesh, Rajan Gurukkal — Editors; French Institute of Pondicherry, 11, St. Louis Street, P.O.Box 33, Puducherry-605001.

To many observers of natural spaces in India, it is a matter of great wonder that so many wild animals and the forests that shelter them have survived centuries of destructive exploitation. The forests continue to face the threat of being wiped out to facilitate expansion of commerce and to meet the growing resource needs of a peaking population. Can something be done to conserve the remnants of biodiversity?

Research scientists B. R. Ramesh and Rajan Gurukkal have applied that macro theme to two small areas of the species-rich Western Ghats, proximate to the Anamalais region, extending west into Kerala. Their compilation of papers tries to make the important distinction between conservation plans that are based on territorial boundaries and those that can arguably achieve a lot more if they are based on landscapes.

There is an informed discussion in this book about various possibilities and the impediments towards evolving a conservation paradigm that takes into account the human ecology — the prospects of tribal people and non-tribal people, who have traditionally depended on the forests. At the same time, they record the evidence on the ground where it presents cautionary signals about poorly thought-out conservation plans actually doing harm.

Thus, the fortunes of key species of plants, animals and of the forest dwelling communities in the Western Ghats in Landscape Units 13 and 16, which comprise three Protected Areas (Pas)—Parambikulam, Chimmony and Thattekad — and four non-PAs — part of Nemmara, Chalakudy, Vazhachal and Malayattoor — form the core theme.

The publication is important for the baseline information about the two landscape units that it compiles and the possibility of doing similar work in other areas. It uses satellite data and GIS data derived from various sources to map elevation, land use and land cover; meteorological data give an idea about rainfall. All these are undoubtedly valuable in the realm of research. Environmental activists relying on solid data will also find them useful to strengthen their arguments against hydroelectric projects in these sensitive areas.

Of interest to a wider section of nature lovers is the detail on flora and fauna. There is a discussion, for instance, on the harmful impact of domestic cattle grazing in forests on biodiversity; they remove many endemic plants and introduce seeds of those that do not belong, in their dung. Wildlife wardens interested in drafting a meaningful management plan for sanctuaries will find the data on individual species useful. The Great Indian hornbill, a seriously endangered bird species, is recorded mainly in forests of the non-PAs in this study. Such insight should help form conservation partnerships involving the government, the communities and even the private sector.

The editors and the researchers of the volume have assessed various issues in biodiversity conservation. They are keen to incorporate the interests of all stakeholders. But problems in conservation arise when trying to reconcile the interests of those who depend on extraction of forest produce with the needs of wild animals. There are many complexities involved in participatory forest management by forest dwellers; unsustainable tourist influx in wild areas may sharply boost demand for forest produce.

There is no clear answer to the question of how much human intervention a landscape can sustain, if non-wood forest produce were to be actively cultivated by communities and removed from a designated forest area. A sample statistic on non-wood forest produce in the study area indicates that 235.6 tonnes of biomass were removed during 2004-05, valued at over Rs.6.1 million. Would more area be brought under such regulated farming? The converse of that question would be whether Forest Department officers, who have been in-charge for a long time, have succeeded in preserving the integrity of forests in PAs.

Ramesh and Rajan Gurukkal have edited a volume that deals with these questions and with better Participatory Forest Management (PFM). They do find aberrations in the implementation of the Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980 such as prohibition on planting inside forests for PFM activity; lack of expertise in wildlife divisions despite high expenditures; removal of natural growth in the name of social forestry; removal of stones from slopes for soil and water conservation, which aggravates erosion.

The overall emphasis of the book is technical and there is a compact disc with mapping information supplied. It is not intended to be a romantic exploration of this section of the Ghats. It is clearly a good record that adds to the knowledge on India’s forests.

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