Part of Slide deck for Environmental Studies for Under graduate studies.

1. Forest Ecosystem - 1
Sesion-12:
Environmental Studies & Disaster
Management
Prof. Ajay Mohan Goel
ajay.goel@bmu.edu.in

2. What is a Forest?
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3. Definition of Forests – Criterion to view it:
1. value for timber
2. value for carbon storage
3. improving livelihoods of forest- dependent people
4. whether forests are natural or planted
5. whether forests are pre-existing or newly established
6. whether forest are continuous or fragmented
7. whether forests are composed of native or non-native species
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Forest definitions reflect forest management objectives

4. Definition of Forests – Evolving based on Focus
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5. Definition of Forests
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Timber
Management
Timber Forest lands should be managed primarily to sustain
timber production.
Conservation
Intact forests should be protected to conserve biological diversity.
Forest management should minimize ecological impact and
maximize ecosystem functions and species interactions.
Climate change
mitigation
Forest conservation, reforestation, and afforestation can reduce
global warming through reducing carbon emissions sources and
increasing carbon sinks.
Earth
stewardship
Forests are complex adaptive systems whose resilience is
intimately linked with society. Ecosystem services of forests are
important for poverty alleviation and sustainable development.

6. Forest Defintions
• Timber Management: Land bearing vegetative associations dominated by trees of
any size (FAQ 1953).Temporarily unstacked areas and plantations are considered
forest. In 1990 this definition changed to land with tree crown cover (or equivalent
stocking level) >10 % and area of >0.5 ha with trees > 5 mt maturity.
• Conservation: A dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism
communities and their abiotic environment interacting as a functional unit, where
trees are a key component of the system.
• Climate change mitigation: A minimum area of land of 0.05 - 1.0 hectares with tree
crown cover (or equivalent stocking level) of more than 10 - 30 per cent with trees
with the potential to reach a minimum height of 2 - 5 meters at maturity in situ.
• Earth stewardship: A complex system composed of heterogeneous assemblages of
individual agents (e.g., trees, animals, humans), closely interacting through flows
involving markets, goods and various other ecosystem services
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7. Forest Definitions
• United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO; 2000) Land with tree crown cover (or equivalent stocking level) of more than
10 % and area of more than 0.5 ha.The trees should be able to reach a minimum height of 5 m at maturity in situ. May consist either of
closed forest formations where trees of various storeys and undergrowth cover a high proportion of the ground; or open forest
formations with a continuous vegetation cover in which tree crown cover exceeds 10 %.Young natural stands and all plantations
established for forestry purposes which have yet to reach a crown density of 10 % or tree height of 5 m are included under forest, as
are areas normally forming part of the forest area which are temporarily unstocked as a result of human intervention or natural causes
but which are expected to revert to forest
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC; 2002) A minimum area of land of 0.05–1.0 ha with tree crown
cover (or equivalent stocking level) of more than 10–30 % with trees with the potential to reach a minimum height of 2–5 m at maturity
in situ. A forest may consist either of closed forest formations where trees of various storeys and undergrowth cover a high proportion
of the ground or open forest.Young natural stands and all plantations which have yet to reach a crown cover of 10–30 % or tree height
of 2–5 m are included under forest, as are areas normally forming part of the forest area which are temporarily unstocked as a result of
human intervention such as harvesting or natural causes but which are expected to revert to forest
• United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UN-CBD; 2010) A land area of more than 0.5 ha, with a tree canopy cover of more
than 10 %, which is not primarily under agriculture or other specific non-forest land use. In the case of young forest or regions where
tree growth is climatically suppressed, the trees should be capable of reaching a height of 5 m in situ, and of meeting the canopy cover
requirement
• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UN-CCD; 2000) Dense canopy with multi-layered structure including large
trees in the upper story;
• International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO; 2002) A land area with a minimum 10 % tree crown coverage (or
equivalent stocking level), or formerly having such tree cover and that is being naturally or artificially regenerated or that is being
afforested
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8. What is the Definition of Forest, as per Indian Laws?
• The Indian Forest Act of 1927 does not define forests, though forest areas have
been legally notified under it as reserve forest, protected forest or village
forest.
• On December 12, 1996, the Supreme Court in a landmark Godavarman
judgment said:
“The word ‘forest’ must be understood according to its dictionary meaning.This description
covers all statutorily recognised forests, whether designated as reserved, protected or otherwise
for the purpose of Section 2(i) of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.The term ‘forest land’,
occurring in Section 2, will not only include ‘forest’ as understood in the dictionary sense, but
also any area recorded as forest in the government record irrespective of the ownership.”
• The freedom to define land, not already classified as forests by the Centre or
state records, as forest has been the prerogative of the States since 1996.
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10. Why do Forests Matter
• Millions of people around the world depend on forests for hunting, gathering and medicine,
forest products such as rubber and rattan, and small-scale agriculture.
• Deforestation can disrupt the lives of local communities, sometimes with devastating
consequences.
• Provide a vast array of resources to all of us, including food, wood, medicine, fresh water,
and the air we breathe.
• Without the trees, species can disappear, the natural water balance can become disrupted
and the ecosystem that supports the human population can fall apart.
• Ecological functions such as carbon storage, nutrient cycling, water and air purification, and
maintenance of wildlife habitat
• Reduces the risk of natural disasters, including floods, droughts, landslides and other
extreme events.
• Social and cultural benefits such as recreation, traditional resource uses and spirituality
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11. Trees help to attenuate landslides in areas with steep terrain
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12. Threats to Forests
• Illegal Logging
• Fires
• Fuelwood harvesting
• Conversion to Agriculture
• Urbanisation
• Mining
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13. Forest Ecosystem
What is it?
• The community of plants, animals, microbes and all other organisms in interaction
with the chemical and physical features of their environment. Specifically, a
terrestrial environment dominated by trees growing in a closed canopy — a forest.
• The collective living inhabitants that co-exist together in symbiosis to create a
unique ecology.
• A system that supports interacting units including trees, soil, insects, animals, and
man.
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14. Forest Ecosystem
Three types of organisms
• Producers
• Made up of organisms that can manufacture their own energy from this solar input.
• Consumers
• Primary: can’t manufacture their own energy and instead obtain it by eating green plants.
• Secondary: feed on primary consumers
• Decomposers
• Break down dead plants and animals, returning the nutrients to the soil to be made usable
by the producers.
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15. Simplified Food Web
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16. Foundations of Forest Ecology
• Interdependence and Symbiosis:The organisms of this ecosystem are interdependent on
each other for survival.
• Highly integrated, complex, generally resilient, multivalue biophysical system
• Has thresholds of tolerance for disturbance
• Beyond which its resilience and certain values and environmental services are changed, and
often reduced.
• Azteca ants and cecropia trees
• Ants thrive in the hollow stems of the trees, depend on the special juice produced by the
trees for food. In exchange, the ants chase away the insects that may harm the ceropias
and kill the climbing vines that might choke these trees.This sort of close, interactive
relationship between two organisms is an example of symbiosis.
• Ants and caterpillars
• Ants feed on sweet juices produced by spots on the caterpillars’ back.
• Ants protect the caterpillars from attack.
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17. Legislative perspectives - India
• The Indian Forest Act, 1927 (IFA)
• “Forest” is included in the Concurrent List (List III) under the Indian Constitution
• The Fundamental Duties: Mention that it is the fundamental duty of every citizen to
protect and pre- serve forests, lakes and rivers and to have compassion for every
living being. (Article 51 A (g))
• Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
• ScheduledTribes and OtherTraditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest
Rights) Act, 2006
• Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2016
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18. Legislative perspectives - India
• Preservation of trees
• No central legislation
• Karnataka Preservation ofTrees Act, 1976,
• Delhi Preservation ofTrees Act, 1994
• Goa, Daman and Diu Preservation ofTrees Act, 1984.
• India’s environmental laws require prior approval from the competent authority
before a regulated activity/project can take place. Including for preservation of trees.
However, applications for felling permissions are usually filed after project
investments and contracts materialise and third-party rights get created.
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19. Forest Land (in hectares) Recommended for Diversion in 2019 (January-June);
by Project Category (India)
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20. Wildlife Habitat in Forest Land Recommended for Diversion in 2019 (Jan-
June) (India)
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23. LIMESTONE MINING IN FORESTS OF MEGHALAYA
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27. Forest andTree Cover in India: 2019
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30. Areas under
different
ForestType
Groups in
India - 2019
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31. Workflow of near real time forest fire monitoring - India
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32. Thank you
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Prof. Ajay Mohan Goel
ajay.goel@bmu.edu.in