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

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

is a

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

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 Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

to refer to forests granted protection under the

British crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

in British India, but not associated

suzerain A suzerain (, from Old French "above" + "supreme, chief") is a person, state (polity)">state or polity who has supremacy and dominant influence over the foreign policy and economic relations of another subordinate party or polity, but allows i ...

ties. After Indian independence, the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

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 Before it gained independence in 1947, India (also called the Indian Empire) was divided into two sets of territories, one under direct British rule (British India), and the other consisting of princely states under the suzerainty of the Briti ...

were initially granted such protection. Unlike

National Parks A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

or wildlife sanctuaries, reserved forests and protected forests are declared by the respective

state governments State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

. 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 Poaching is the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights. Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set against the huntin ...

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 and Reserved Forests can sometimes be made part of wildlife sanctuaries, which in turn may be upgraded to the status of

national parks A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

, with each category receiving a higher degree of protection and government funding. For example, Sariska National Park 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. Wildlife Sanctuaries, National Parks and other wildlife areas enjoying legal protection under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 are sometimes referred to with a generic name, “Protected Areas,” and this is not the same as Protected Forests.

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) 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