0210-B4

Role of Emerging Technologies for Dry Deciduous Forest (Gir Forest) Management of Gujarat, India

B R Pandit ¹

ABSTRACT

The Gir Forest, famous as the abode of Asiatic lions is situated in the Saurashtra region of Peninsular Gujarat (20 ⁰ 41' N and 21 ⁰ 50' N, 70 ⁰ 50' E and 71 ⁰ 50' E). The total forest area is 1412 km ² . The area is hilly terrain elevation varies from 152 to 531 M above msl.

The climate is very hot and dry. The rains are highly erratic, both in intensity and frequency; with average annual rainfall is 700 mm. The climate is supporting typically dry deciduous ecosystem. The forest is enriched with a faunal diversity including 31 species of mammals and comprising the floral diversity of 431 species of plants.

The Ecological Survey was undertaken through extensive field survey. The field study constitutes the composition and structure of the forest. The phytosociological study confirmed forest associations out of which five were eastern and two were is western Gir forest. The study also reveals five characteristic (dominant) species of the area.

Tectona, Terminalia, Anogeissus, and thorny species are dominant in dry deciduous forest requires constant management for ecological reasons, for the conservation of the only home of Asiatic Lions (only 235) and other biodiversity of the area. Frontier areas of technology, i.e. IT, GIS, Remote Sensing, Biotechnology, Energy etc are some of the disciplines that have important roles in the forest management. Secondly, concept of in-situ and ex-situ presentation of species is important for habitat restoration and biodiversity conservation. Finally management of forest will first need very clear objectives which will not change during the next century

Thus forest measurement is also developing into more eco-friendly directions in which old-field survey methods are replaced by the frontier areas of technology.

Introduction

The present study deals with the classification of the forest communities in the Gir forest. The Gir forest is situated in Kathiawar peninsula of Gujarat (between 20 ⁰ 41' N to 21 ⁰ 50' N latitude and 70 ⁰ 50' E to 71 ⁰ 15' E longitude). It is a valuable timber forest of Gujarat state, yet nothing has been done on the ecology of Gir forest. Indeed, this forest attracted the attention of the Government of India for its valuable wild life. Anthropogenic factors have nevertheless continued and the forest has gradually been deprived of the vegetation. The purpose of the present study is, therefore to make an ecological survey of the Gir forest with an aim to find out ways and means for the maintenance of the food chain for wild life via aforestation.

Soil

The total area of the forest is 1412 13 sq. Kms. The area is hilly with elevation varying from 152 to 531 meter above MSL. The underlying rock was Basalt (Deccan Trap). Limestone was of common occurrence. The soil was generally black but at few places, red, yellowish and sandy loam soil was found.

Climate

The irregular rainfall very form 210 mm to 1 730 mm annually i.e. average rainfall 800 mm. The maximum temperature in summer is 44 ⁰ C and minimum temperature in winter is 10 ⁰ C. the climate on the whole can be said to be warm and dry for most of year.

Materials and Methods

The analytic and synthetic characters (Braun Blanquette-1932, Oosting - 1958 and Pandeya et al.- 1967) were used to work out classification of the vegetation. The whole area was divided into Eastern and Western divisions. The Gir forest, in the present study was surveyed by species-area curve. The size of the quadrat worked out to 5 sq. meters in the area. The Eastern and Wastern divisions were again divided into six localities; each locality is having nearly 12 Blocks. All the Blocks were surveyed on the foot.

Analytic characters were taken by quadrat (Belt transect method). The following analytic characters were studied in each sample. Listing of species, Frequency (%), Density, Basal area (c ² /4Л, where; c=girth), Height of the tree (as abney level)

First of all the data have been grouped separately for each locality. For every species in all the quadrat studied arithmetic mean (m) and Standard deviation (SD) for density and for the besal cover were worked out. Form mean and Standard deviation of density, Coefficient of Variation (CV=SD/m) was calculated. The relative growth index {RGI=M ² /SD for density x M ² /SD for basal area x Average height (Mt)} was also calculated for all the species. CV indicates homogeneity. As the CV is less, the population of the area is more regularly disturbed. Thus, CV values of all the species in the area were worked out. Then species were divided into three classes for knowing the characteristic species. Based on the CV values and RGI values, a community was arrived at in the Gir forest area under study. The associations have been grouped to gather in the Table-1.

Results and Discussion

The following associations have been worked out in the various localities.

Eastern Gir Forest

Total five associations have been arrived at as per the method discussed earlier (table-1). Out of 5 associations, Tectona grandis and Acacia chundra were found at two places( Jamvala and Chhodavadi). At Jasadhar, Acacia chundra was dominant with Terminalia ceneulata and at Tulsishyam, Acacia chundra was dominant with Acacia nilotica, whereas at Timbarva, Anogeissus latifolia dominant with Acacia nilotica and at Sarasiya, Terminalia crenulata was dominant with Butea monosperma as associate.

The eastern division has a mix forest with thorny species dominant in the area and having Teak dominant only in Jamvala and Chhodavadi.

Terminalia crenulata, Acacia chundra and Tectona grandis were the most important and characteristic species in the forest (table-2)

Maximum growth of the forest as calculated by the RGI was observed highest in Terminalia crenulata, Anogeisus latifolia and Tectona grandis followed by Acacia chundra. According to total mean density, Terminalia crenulata, Acacia chundra Tectona grandis followed Anogeisus latifolia showed maximum density. (Table - 2).

Western Gir Forest

In the western Gir forest all the six localities of western Gir forest had Tectona grandis as dominant species. Other species with 40 % frequency were co-dominant and forming an association. The phytosociological study reveals that only teak had density value more than 1.00. Acacia catechu and Zizyphus mauratiana were the only species with density more than 0.2. looking to the average height Acacia senegal had maximum height 12.2 m followed by Tectona grandis (10.10 m height), Diospyros melanoxylon (9.26 m height) and Acacia catechu (8.46 m height). The rest of the Plant species were less than 7.0 m in height. Tectona grandis found as the only dominant species in the area with other species as co-dominant species. Acacia catechu, Zizyphus mauratina, and Wrightia tomentosa are the co-dominant species, in the area due to their wide ecological amplitude and strong competitive capacity. Many species with low densities also had low frequencies, but some had high frequency because of uniform distribution. The dominant species may have wide ecological tolerance and occur in several associations (Kershaw, 1973). In our study most of the species were uniformly distributed showing considerable ecological tolerance.

By the above method following association was worked out in the Western Gir forest Region.

Tectona grandis, Acacia catechu- association. The other dominant associates were Zizyphus mauratiana, Wrightia tomentosa, Acacia senegal and Diospyros melanoxylon.

Role of Technology

A prime reason for damage to the Gir biodiversity may be considered unwise and unsustainable utilization of natural resources. The ecological degradation on a significant level may be due to indiscriminate industrialization resulting into environmental problems. Secondly, the root cause of the over exploitation of forest resources is human settlement and their life styles at this level the implementation of the conservation not only requires decisive action but also requires modern technologies. In order to find out total solution at the management level proper assessment and identification of issue are essential.

The frontier areas of technology have important roles to play for the conservation of natural resources are...

Information Technology (IT):

In tropical dry deciduous forest major problems are forest fires, grazing, poaching illegal cutting, vehicular traffic and cyclone etc. The data & information about the above mentioned biotic factors can be stored in computer -CD. The mobile phone and computer revolution will help the forest guards & officers to become effective very quickly and get enough time to set things in correct way.

Geographical Information System (GIS):

The total Gir forest area is 1412 km ² . The forest survey, sampling, localities of forest and interrelationships requires manual work. Manual Database Management System (DBMS) are ruled out because of many reasons. The emerging technology of GIS offers an efficient, quick, accurate and feasible techniques to workout huge areas.

Remote Sensing (RS):

It will be very potant tool in the study of forest. Already Remote sensing is being used in forest and resource management, prediction of hazards and disaster. Disease and forest fires can also be protected.

Biotechnology:

The emerging technologies of tissue culture, genetic engineering, DNA fingerprinting, clonal propagation, cryogenic preservation, bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides etc. are now used to solve the eco-degradation problems.

Technology related to Energy:

In under developed countries forest provides basic energy needs to the society. Efforts are now on to tap solar, wind and tidal energy. The ultimate aim is to conserve our forest resources.

Conclusion

Forest management is also developing into more eco-friendly directions in which old-field survey methods are replaced by the frontier areas of technology which are playing a leading role. The non-wood forest products are also important from many aspects. These instantaneous forceful emerging technologies will be highly effective for sustainable forest ecosystem ultimately contribute to the cause of biodiversity conservation. The note worthy aspect is that it has been accepted by all that it is a need of the day for conservation of biodiversity.

References

Braun Blanquette J, 1932. Plant Sociology Trans B D Fuller and H S Conard. Mc.Graaw Hill Book Co. Inc. New York.

Kershaw K A, 1973. Quantitative and dynemic plant ecology (2 ^nd ed,). The ELBS and Edward Arnold Pub. Ltd. London.

Oosting H J, 1958. The Study of Plant Communities. W H Freeman and Company, San Francisco, USA.

Pandeya S C, Pandya S M, Murthy M S and Kuruvilla K , 1967. Forest Ecosystem- Classification of forest Vegetation, with reference to forest in the river Narmada catchment area. J India Bot. Soc. 46: 412-427.

¹ Department of Life Sciences
Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar- 364 002