2. Status of forest genetic resources in India

India is one of the 12 centres of biological diversity in the world and the origin of several cultivated plants. It is estimated that about 45 000 species of plants occur in India, of which flowering plants account for 15 000 species. About 5000 of the flowering plants are endemic. The wild relatives of crop plants, together with other economically important species (about 150 species) are rich sources of many important and desirable characters and constitute a gene pool of potential use. The term FGR is used variedly and encloses a range of components from intraspecific diversity to inter-specific genetic diversity among a set of taxonomically and/or ecologically related species, to the entire range of forest species that are economically important and/or potentially useful (Young et al. 1999). It has been reported that in India there are about 6270 economically important species (Table 1).

Table 1. Economically important plant diversity in India as identified in the
IV International Congress of Ethnobiology, Lucknow, India, 1994 (ICE 1994)

N.B. It is likely that some of the species are being used for more than one purpose.

The rich traditions of modern scientific forest management began in 1864 under the British administration with the establishment of the Indian Forest Department. Since then, new forest policies have been issued in 1894, 1952, and 1988.

In India the protection and improvement of the environment and the safeguarding of forest and wildlife is ensured under the directive of state policy Articles 48 A and 51 A (g), Part IV of the Constitution. The Constitution directs citizens to protect nature and also provides for forests and wildlife as concurrent subjects under Schedule 8, List III, and Entry 17-A and 17-B.

A large segment of India’s population depends on forests for energy, housing materials, timber and fodder. The demand for forest products and services in the country is increasing with the rapid economic growth and increase in population whereas the forested area in the country is declining (Myers et al. 2000). According to the projections of United Nations, India is expected to be the most populous country in the world by 2020. Both urban and rural population will continue to grow, this factor will be important from the point of view of forestry and genetic conservation. India has 2% of the world’s land area, 1% of its forests and 0.5% of its rangelands but supports 16% of the human population and 15% of world’s cattle population (Ahmed 1997). The increased demand for forest products, along with population growth and poverty is putting great pressure on all resources, including forests.

In the economic sphere, India is undergoing a profound change. It has moved from a slow-growing to a very dynamic economy. By 2020, the per capita income in South Asia is expected to rise from US$350 in 1995 to US$830. This will greatly change the demand for all products, including forest products and services. India is short of forest resources and the current roundwood supply shortfall of 26 million m³ annually is expected to remain in the foreseeable future (Ganguli 2000).

According to Ahmed (1997), the total annual value of India’s forest products is estimated to be Rs 300 000 million (about US$ 6662 million) compared to the meagre investments of Rs 8000 million (US$ 176 million) in this sector. Indian forests contribute significantly to meet the demand for fuelwood, fodder, and non-wood forest products and the major portion of all wood harvested (92%) is for fuelwood for cooking.

The non-timber forest products (NTFPs) play a very important role in the country’s economy. They form the basic raw material for phytopharmaceuticals and various other industries. Herbal medicines in use today are derived from nearly 8200 species of medicinal plants. In the developing countries, more than 80% of the population depends on traditional plant-based medicines, and even in the USA, 25% of the prescription drugs are still based on phytochemicals. NTFPs offer an excellent potential for international trade. Ahmed (1997) reported eight categories of NTFPs some are important for tribal indigenous groups. For example, in West Bengal tribal groups collect 27 plants for commercial products, 39 plants for food, and 47 for medicines. NTFPs account for 70% of India’s forest product exports and the demand for phytochemicals is expected to increase in the future. NTFPs could become a new frontier for trade and sustainable commercialization of biological resources at the international level if intellectual property rights are secured.