An Account of Preservation Plots in Central India

Identification of representative areas of Chief Forest Type to be maintained as preservation plots was started after the recommendation of the IIIrd All India Silvicultural Conference,1929. The process continued and by 1991,309 preservation plots were laid in India covering an area of about 8500 ha. However, there is a lot of variation in the area under preservation plots. In Himachal Pradesh the smallest preservation plot covering 0.01 ha has been marked while it is as large as 4000 ha in Assam. The paper discusses view points of various workers in this regard. The status of preservation plots in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Orissa states has been explained. While recommendations for laying preservation plots in different forest types were made at various occasions. Dot much could be achieved and at present not more than 1/6th of the total number of forest types have been covered. Laying preservation plot in every forest types for providing grounds for scientific studies especially in view of the global recognisation of conservation of environment and biodiversity has been emphasised.