A Study of the Different Types of Intervention and their Contribution to Land Use Planning in the Tropical Moist forests in India

The trcpical moist forests in India, occupying roughly 30 million ha or 40% of the total forest area in the country and lying in a densely populated, region, are subjected to many interventions by man. Most of these like grazing, fire, shifting cultivation are destructive. There is also a gradual reduction in the forest area due to clearfellings for various purposes. Forest management, wild life management and recreation forestry, as deliberate modes of intervention, are creating a better environment and a sound resource base leading to the concept of multiple forest use. Soil differences also play a vital role in the type of use to which a forest area is put, particularly on account of its vulnerability to erosion, laterization, weterlogging and drought.In this paper, the above problems are discussed and a land capability classification for a possible planned use of these forest areas bas been suggested. The proposed four land use classes are Protective forests, Productive forests, Social forests and Aesthetic forests, each with its own assigned role and functions, more or less in water tight compartments.