Climate change, interventions have led to change in forest types

The Pioneer , Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Correspondent : Jotirmay Thapliyal
With increasing climate change and interventions by men on forests, record changes in forest types in the country are expected as the forest mapping exercise comes to a conclusion by the year end.

Vegetation, climate and the eco-system have been the basis for classification of forest types and each of these factors have undergone a sea change in the past few decades.

Champion and Seth did this way back in 1968 classifying the country's forests into six major groups based on moisture conditions. They had divided these groups further into 16 sub-groups and finally it ended with 200 forest types in the country based on location, specific climate factors and vegetation formation. These types certainly met within a given locality depending on climate, soil and the past treatment.

While the climatic factors included temperature, rainfall and wind, the topographical factors like altitude and slope also had their influence.

But whether the Champion and Seth Classification still holds true today particularly when climate change and man interventions like felling of forests coupled with large new plantation are realities is the million dollar question.

The Forest Survey of India officials in Dehradun admit that changes in forest types have occurred in a particular zone. "Increase and decrease in the number of forest types in a particular zone has definitely emerged in the new mapping," confirms an FSI official. A zone that earlier had 15 types may now have as many as 17 types.

Similarly, there have been reductions in certain zones. These will be from within the 200 types.

"Forest types are also linked to altitude. Like pine, alpine deodar grow at above certain altitude but with climate change and global warming involving more heat exchange at a higher level, the trees will have a tendency to shift upwards. Thus strengthening the possibility of changes in forest type at a particular geographical area," opines MN Jha, a former Senior Scientist at Forest Research Institute and a consultant to FSI on the exercise.

"Carbon dioxide flux too has changed all these years which definitely has a relationship with forest types," he adds.

There has been an increase in human activity vis-à-vis forests. When Champion and Seth got into the work of classification, the population of the country stood at 54 crore and the present population has surpassed that figure by leaps and bounds. While a particular forest type may have undergone a change due to indiscriminate felling of a particular tree species, new plantations may have been a new addition.

Crop rotation factor does bring changes in the types. For example eucalyptus completes one generation after 8 years and a strategic felling could lead to subtraction of one type from a particular district. The same is the case with other types. There is also shifting cultivation in the North-East which with the FSI now having access to satellite imagery and other data, more exact pictures of the forest type are bound to be revealed.

Then as far as mixed forests are concerned, the percentage of each type could also vary this time than what existed in 1968. Percentage of density of each type is also in for a change. Director General Forest Survey of India D Pandey said the forest type mapping that would conclude by December end would render the present day picture of the forest type in the country and reveal changes if any.

Joint Director FSI S Ashutosh and the principal investigator of the project said that by using remote sensing and GIS technologies, FSI will provide such electronic databases in which the given location; the forest density, the forest type, and the photographs of the forests at the given location would be available at the click of a mouse.

"This information would be highly useful in biodiversity studies, forest and wildlife management, in forest land evaluation, and for forest productivity studies", he added.

There is no denial that Champion and Seth did monumental work but revision certainly looks to be the need of the hour as it would help in drawing better forest work plans and wild life management. The outcome of this three-year exercise is expected by 2008-end.

 
SOURCE : The Pioneer, Wednesday, 14 May 2008
 


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