From many years, Nalagarh Forest Division in Himachal Pradesh was initially growing only 5-10 species in its nurseries. They were doing100 to 200 hectares of plantation every year. This anomaly led Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF), Nalagarh Forest division, Mr Yashu Deep Singh to think about conservation of native tree species.
This is why he started a native tree conservation exercise in his forest division in May last year. The forest department signed an MoU with the Himalayan Forest Research Institute, Shimla for this exercise.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the initiative is to ecologically restore the forest by planting native tree species whose number is steeply decreasing, so that they do not go extinct due to climate change or other factors.
The scientists of Himalayan Forest Research Institute started the biodiversity studies and surveyed around 60-70 forests.
Speaking with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Singh said that an MoU has been signed with the forest institute with the aim to study the forest and further identify the native tree species which are found in these forests. This will help the forest department to increase the biodiversity. They would also find out which species have a declining trend because of climate change or are being not planted by the forest department in plantation drives.
He said that to prevent native tree species from extinction, they are being raised in the forest department nurseries.
NEW SPECIES FOUND
Mr. Singh informed Indian Masterminds that somewhere around 100 tree species were identified in the study which was undertaken in past one year by five scientists from HFRI, Shimla in these forests. Out of these around 5-10 species were reported for the first time in Himachal Pradesh.
“From 10 tree species which were generally being raised in the nurseries, we have now reached around 35 native tree species in one nursery and we are targeting to raise 50 native tree species in the nurseries by 31st march this year,” he said.
REPORT
A full-fledged report will soon be published by the forest department with the detail of those native tree species and the nursery technique of how to raise those native plants in the nurseries. Mr. Singh said that with the report, it will be also helpful for the forest department officials to know those native tree species which were earlier difficult to identify and further help in conserving them.
Geo tagging of them would also help the forest department in conserving them in near future as well as by doing the tree plantation activity which is done every year by the department.
