What’s in today’s article?
- Why in News?
- Trends in Forest and Tree Cover Growth
- Forests within forest
- Forest Balance Sheet: Insights from ISFR-2023
- Implications of Forest Cover Trends
Why in News?
The 18th biennial State of Forest Report (ISFR-2023) highlights a marginal gain of 156 sq km in forest cover and a significant increase of 1,289 sq km in tree cover since 2021.
For the first time, India’s green cover has surpassed the 25% threshold, with 8,27,357 sq km (25.17%) of the country under forest (21.76%) and tree (3.41%) cover. Dense forests constitute 4,10,175 sq km of the total.
Trends in Forest and Tree Cover Growth
- Calculation
- Since 2001, tree patches smaller than 1 hectare have been measured separately as tree cover.
- Trend
- The latest ISFR-2023 report shows the sharpest growth in tree cover, rising from 2.91% in 2021 to 3.41% in 2023, marking a 0.5 percentage point increase in two years.
- In contrast, forest cover growth has slowed, increasing by only 0.05 percentage points since 2021.
- Implication
- This aligns with the diminishing growth trend since forest cover surpassed the 20% threshold in the early 2000s.
- Between 2003 and 2013, forest cover grew by 0.61 percentage points (from 20.62% to 21.23%).
- On the other hand, the next decade saw only a 0.53 percentage point increase to 21.76%.
Forests within forest
- Classification of Forest Types in India
- In India, tree patches measuring 1 hectare or more with a minimum canopy cover of 10% are classified as forests, irrespective of land use or ownership.
- Forests are categorized based on canopy density:
- Very Dense Forests (VDF): Canopy density ≥ 70% (classified since 2003).
- Dense Forests: Canopy density ≥ 40%.
- Open Forests (OF): Canopy density between 10-40%.
- Non-Forest (NF): Areas with < 10% canopy density, including shrubs.
- Dynamic Changes in Forest Density
- Forests undergo transitions across density categories due to factors like climate and biotic pressure. For example:
- A VDF may thin to a Moderately Dense Forest (MDF).
- An OF may improve to an MDF.
- Forests may degrade to NF or shrub areas, indicating deforestation.
- Forests undergo transitions across density categories due to factors like climate and biotic pressure. For example:
- Limitations of Aggregated Data
- While aggregated data reflects the quantum of different forest types, it fails to capture the dynamic transformation of forests, where natural forests degrade, disappear, or are replaced by plantations.
- Plantations often grow faster but do not replicate the ecological richness of natural forests.
- Tracking Forest Change
- Since 2003, ISFR reports include a “change matrix”, detailing forest transitions across categories.
- This data highlights broad trends over two decades, reflecting the dynamic nature of forest ecosystems.
Forest Balance Sheet: Insights from ISFR-2023
- Dense Forest Losses (2003-2023)
- India has lost 24,651 sq km (6.3%) of its dense forests since 2003, equivalent to nearly half the size of Punjab.
- Key trends:
- 2021-2023: 3,913 sq km lost (larger than Goa).
- 2013-2023: 17,500 sq km lost.
- 2003-2013: 7,151 sq km lost.
- Plantation Gains Offset Dense Forest Losses
- Rapid transformation of 15,530 sq km of non-forested or scantly forested land to dense forests over the past two decades has offset these losses.
- Experts suggest these gains are predominantly plantations, as natural forests do not grow this quickly.
- 2021-2023: 1,420 sq km of plantations became dense forests.
- Management and Density Improvements
- Better management practices have allowed Open Forests (OFs) to improve into Moderately Dense Forests (MDFs) over the last decade.
- Combined with plantation gains, this has kept the dense forest cover largely stable.
- The “change matrix” records a net increase of 1,370 sq km of dense forest between 2003-2023.
- 716 sq km of gains were recorded in the 2021-2023 cycle alone.
- Data Revisions and Paper Gains
- India’s dense forest cover officially grew by 21,601 sq km (6%) between 2003-2023.
- However, this figure includes 20,232 sq km of revisions made in previous ISFR reports (2005, 2009, 2015, and 2021), raising questions about the accuracy of these gains.
- Key Observation
- While plantations and management practices stabilize dense forest cover on paper, the ongoing disappearance of natural dense forests highlights the need for improved conservation measures.
Implications of Forest Cover Trends
- Criticism of Plantation-Based Forest Growth
- The apparent growth in forest cover through the replacement of natural dense forests with plantations has drawn criticism from experts.
- Key issues include:
- Uniformity and Vulnerability: Plantations typically consist of trees of the same age and species, making them susceptible to fire, pests, and epidemics.
- Barrier to Natural Regeneration: Plantations hinder the regrowth of biodiverse natural forests, which provide a broader range of ecological benefits.
- Ecological Superiority of Natural Forests
- Natural forests outperform plantations in several ways:
- Biodiversity: Natural forests support more species and complex ecosystems.
- Carbon Stock: They store significantly more carbon, both in trees and soil, compared to plantations.
- Natural forests outperform plantations in several ways:
- Climate Challenges of Plantation Forests
- Rapid Growth Assumption: In 2018, the UNFCCC flagged India’s assumption that plantations reach the carbon stock level of natural forests in just eight years, which is unrealistic.
- Short-Term Gains, Long-Term Risks: Plantations grow quickly and are promoted to meet carbon targets. However, they are often harvested prematurely, undermining long-term climate goals.
- Conclusion
- While plantations may stabilize forest cover on paper and provide short-term carbon benefits, they fail to replicate the ecological and climate advantages of old natural forests, emphasizing the need for better conservation strategies.
Q.1. Why is the growth in India’s green cover concerning despite the increase?
The rise in green cover largely comes from plantations, which lack the biodiversity and carbon-storing capacity of natural forests. This trend poses ecological risks and undermines long-term climate goals.
Q.2. What are the ecological disadvantages of plantations replacing natural forests?
Plantations are often uniform, vulnerable to pests and fires, and hinder natural forest regeneration. They store less carbon than natural forests and fail to support diverse ecosystems.
News: Why growth of India’s overall green cover is not all good news | Times of India
Last updated on Dec 26, 2024
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