The state has taken many initiatives in improving quality of planting
stock used in afforestation programmes and in conserving germplasm with
wide genetic diversity that exists in the forests of our state.
The current productivity of natural forests is estimated at 0.3 cum/ha/years,
as against the potential productivity estimated at 1.32 cum/ha/year. The
increased biomass produced from plantations with improved planting stock
would consequently reduce the pressure on natural forests and preserve
the biodiversity. The state has initiated many steps in this direction
by exploring genetic variability that exists in the wild population leading
to selection of superior phenotypes of timber, firewood and NTFP species.
The preservation of biodiversity with the long term objective through
in situ and ex situ conservation by establishing Gene Resource Conservation
Areas (GRCA) has been taken up in the state by identifying natural forests
with varied species diversity and species index. For example about 20
Medicinal Plant conservation Areas (MPCA) of 200 to 300 ha each are being
established in the natural forests which are viewed as Sanctuaries for
conserving the wild population of the medicinal plants of the State. Further,
the cultivation of the medicinal plants in the forests by involving the
local communities is also being operationalised on a large scale.
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Some of the important indigenous tree species have become rare and
are getting endangered in our forests. Hence a strategy has been
adopted to build up the germplasm of such tree species by collecting
the seeds from their complete natural range of distribution and
establishing the strands in the field research stations. Similar
strategy is being implemented in case of such endemic species. Since
there is no scope for selecting candidate trees due to shrinkage
of their population in nature, these plots not only will act as
ex situ conservation areas but also helps in assessing their suitability
for growing them in different edaphic and climatic conditions. They
will also serve as seed strands in future. |
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To inculcate love for trees among public especially students and children, to create awareness, to recreate and to promote the propagation of rare and endemic tree species, a chain of arboretums is being established across the state in all the districts.
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