A reserved forest (also called a reserve forest) and protected forest in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

are

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s accorded a certain degree of protection. The concept was introduced in the Indian Forest Act of 1927 during the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

to refer to forests granted protection under the British crown in British India, but not associated suzerainties. After Indian independence, the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

retained the status of the reserved and protected forests, and extended protection to other forests. Many forests that came under the jurisdiction of the Government of India during the

political integration of India After the Indian independence in 1947, the dominion of India was divided into two sets of territories, one under direct British rule, and the other under the suzerainty of the British Crown, with control over their internal affairs remainin ...

were initially granted such protection. Unlike

National Parks A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individua ...

wildlife sanctuaries A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

, reserved forests and protected forests are declared by the respective

state governments A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, ...

. At present, reserved forests and protected forests differ in one important way: Activities including hunting, grazing, etc. in ''reserved forests'' are banned unless specific orders are issued otherwise. In ''protected forests'', such activities are sometimes allowed for communities living on the fringes of the forest, who sustain their livelihood partially or wholly from forest resources or products.

Reserved Forests

These are the forests, which enjoy judicial fortification based on legitimate systems. These are the protected forests with the natural habitat exhibiting a high degree of protection from any kind of poaching and hunting. These may also be utilized for the small and short contexts in various countries. The examples are Attappadi reserve forest in Kerala and Palani Hills forest conservation area in Tamil Nadu.

Protected Forests

Protected forests are either demarcated or undemarcated, based on whether the limits of the forest have been specified by a formal notification. A protected forest is land notified under the provisions of the Indian Forest Act or the State Forests Act. In protected forests, all activities are permitted unless they are expressly prohibited. A protected forest is land that is a reserved forest, and over which the government has property rights, as declared by a state government under section 29 of the Indian forest act 1927. Protected forests are often upgraded to

, which in turn may be upgraded to the status of

national parks A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individua ...

, with each category receiving a higher degree of protection and government funding. For example,

Sariska National Park Sariska Tiger Reserve is a tiger reserve in Alwar district, Rajasthan, India. It stretches over an area of comprising scrub-thorn arid forests, dry deciduous forests, grasslands, and rocky hills. This area was a hunting preserve of the Alwa ...

was declared a reserved forest in 1955, a wildlife sanctuary in 1958, and a Tiger Reserve in 1978, before becoming a national park in 1992.

Effect of Tribal Population Growth on Forest Flora and Fauna

Due to faster population growth in forest and tribal areas, naturally available forest resources (

NTFP Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are useful foods, substances, materials and/or commodities obtained from forests other than timber. Harvest ranges from wild collection to farming. They typically include game animals, fur-bearers, nuts, see ...

) are becoming inadequate to provide a basic livelihood to the increased population. Many tribal people are giving up their traditional livelihoods in favor of farming and cattle ranching in the forest areas. Once former protectors of forests, they are gradually becoming threats to the forests and their wildlife. Tribal people have deep understanding of forest flora and fauna that can be productively utilized if they can support their families while doing so.{{Opinion, date=October 2022

References

External links

“Legislations on Environment, Forests, and Wildlife” from the Official website of: Government of India, Ministry of Environment & Forests

* [http://www.envfor.nic.in/legis/legis.html#R Wildlife Legislations, including - “The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act” from the Official website of: Government of India, Ministry of Environment & Forests]
Official website of: Government of India, Ministry of Environment & ForestsCorresponding
entry for the terms on the Government of Andhra Pradesh's Department of Forest website

Reserved Forests

Protected Forests

Effect of Tribal Population Growth on Forest Flora and Fauna

See also

References

External links