Ecological Aspects of Tropical Forest Management (The Case of India)

We are at an epoch making period in the Forest History of our country; either we make it a turning point or continue to move towards an ecological disaster. All that was genuinely believed to be good Forest Management, has turned out to be ruinous, in light of the new knowledge and new understanding. Even at present, Tropical Forests are inadequately understood at best and misunderstood at worst. Few are aware that there are Friendly Trees, Enemy Trees and Neutral Trees in Nature. Clear Cutting is unsuitable; man-made forests of one or two species have proved to be destructive of ecology. A large number of tree species is endangered, and a larger number has become rare, not to speak of numerous shrubs, herbs and grasses. The country is faced with a situation in which quality seeds of quite a few non-commercial species are difficult to come by. The composition of the forest and, the architecture and alignment of different species within an ecosystem, have been radically altered. The result is the undermining of the Protective, Productive, Human, Cultural and Environmental functions. The Paper describes how and why did all this happen. The ecological implications of the vegetational changes on Soil, Water, Wildlife and Vegetation have been described. In absence of Base-Line Surveys and adequate Research, only observations of the author have been indicated qualitatively. It is hoped that this document will stimulate Research and generate debates and discussions for a better to-morrow. Participation by all concerned, particularly experts from related disciplines, is imperative.