Rural Jharkhand Forestry Resources: Socio-Economic Perspectives
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International Journal of Research in Economics and Social Sciences(IJRESS) Available online at: http://euroasiapub.org Vol. 9 Issue 6, June - 2019 ISSN(o): 2249-7382 | Impact Factor: 6.939 | Rural Jharkhand Forestry Resources: Socio-economic Perspectives Dr. Bidyanand Choudhary Assistant Professor Dept. of Economics J.N.College Dhurwa, Jharkhand, India Abstract: Due to its origin, various physiographical and climatic conditions, Jharkhand is one of India's rich biodiversity countries. Its indigenous populations, mineral resources and extensive forest resources are well-known. Forest resources are seen as highly valued commodities throughout the state because most local people depend mainly on food and fuelwood for their daily subsistence needs. In economic, cultural and social life, forests play an important role and support rural livelihoods and food security in Jharkhand. The tropical humid, lagoon and tropical dry lagoon forests of Jharkhand and the predominant plant types such as Shorearobusta, Diospyrasmelanoxylon, Pterocarpusmarsupium, Buteamonosperma, Madhucalongivolia, etc. Timber, wood for fuel, forest and a variety of non-wood forest products (NTFPs) are commonly extracted, including fruits, nuts, edible fungi, vegetables, fish, foodstuffs, animals and medical plants, resins, essences as well as a range of barks and fibres such as bamboo, rattan, palm and grass. Surplus exploitation of useful plants, lack of knowledge and awareness of the present population status of plants, changes in habitats and specificities, a narrow distribution range and overgrazing constitute some of the serious threats to current populations. Furthermore, the abundance of rare plant species in a given area can be substantially restricted by natural enemies such as pathogens, herbivores and seed predators. For different experimental purposes, the collection of plant materials, especially from rare and endangered species of natural habitats, poses a threat to their wild natural populations. Attempts should be made to grow and multiply on a large scale in order to respond to the increasing demand and to long-term sustainability, to the continuing depletion of these valuable resources. Detailed research on geographical distribution patterns, habitat use patterns, ecological feeding and effects on important plant populations is urgently necessary. Keywords: Forest resources, Rural people, Challenges, Jharkhand, Life hood. Introduction: Forests occupy 1/3 of the land area of the earth and offer human societies a variety of advantages. These benefits are often described in terms of resources for heating, cooking and industrial fuel and watersheds to provide the ability to generate hydroelectricity, food security and improve livelihoods, sequestration for carbon, improving the climate of soil and water conservation, recreation, etc. Furthermore, forests have an essential role in maintaining the quality of water, clean air, and helping climate regulation and providing various regulatory services in flooding, pollination, biological control of diseases, etc. After agriculture, forests are International Journal of Research in Economics and Social Science (IJRESS) 181 Email:- [email protected], http://www.euroasiapub.org (An open access scholarly, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, monthly, and fully refereed journal.) International Journal of Research in Economics and Social Sciences(IJRESS) Available online at: http://euroasiapub.org Vol. 9 Issue 6, June - 2019 ISSN(o): 2249-7382 | Impact Factor: 6.939 | the second largest agricultural uses in India, covering 21.05% of the country's total geographical area. The ecological parameters determined by the dominant environmental and antipogénic variants are the forest's composition, structure, and diversity patterns. Forests play an important role in protecting ecological goods and services and their constituent species support human life [2]. By stabilising soils and the climate, and controlling water flows, they assist sustainable agriculture and human well-being. In Jharkhand, 57,6% of the population depend on fuelwood for cooking following Chattishgarh, Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland, Odisha and Manipur (49% of the population). The over-use of forest resources for both fuelwood and house building has led to deforestation of over 30% since the 1990s. Forest destruction causes the loss of biodiversity, pressure on the fragile ecosystem which ultimately leads to loss of soil fertility and erosion, and excessive river flow into the lowlands. The global net loss of forests is estimated at 3.3 million hectares a year, and agriculture is responsible for 80 percent destruction. About 85 percent of India's rural population uses the food supplement, livelihood, social uplift and treatment of different disorders with wild plants and their different parks. Forestry is the key to the socio-cultural and economic lives of tribes and provides a place for a large Indian tribal population. As traded goods to create a cash income under the conditions of the market and as raw materials in a variety of processed products, tribe communities depend on forests for sustenance and livelihood needs [9]. Tribal people live in harmony with nature and are closely connected with the environment. They love nature. Although mines in the State of Jharkhand have been rapidly developing, the bulk of rural and tribal populations' survival depends on the woods because many NTFPs are provided [3]. A very large part of the population is directly or indirectly reliant on Jharkhand as they are responsible for their daily household necessities. Physiographically, the Chhotanagpur plateau contains four main plateaus divided by narrow, steep sloping slopes. The variety of forests that included dry peninsular salt forests, north dry mixed deciduous woods, wet peninsular sal woods, dry caducious scrubland and a dry bamboo brake was blessed to Jharkhand. The main woods in the state include dry peninsular sal woods (45.03%), dry mixed deciduous woodlands (41.21%). The forests cover most of the forest area and include some of the finest forests. The entire forest carbon stock in the state is 222, 82 million tonnes, representing 3,15 percent of total forest carbon in the country (817,23 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent). Table 1 mentions the major types of forest in Jharkhand. India's overall forest cover is 7,08,273 km2 (21,54%) with a forest area of 98,158 km2 (2,99%) and moderately dense forests of 9,38% with 3,01,7797 km2 open forest (9.18 percent ). In contrast, the forest area recorded in Jharkhand amounts to 23,605 km2 (29.61%) that is more than the country's forest cover percentage. The reserved, protected, and not classified forests are respectively 18,58%, 81,28% and 0,14%. The total forest and tree cover represents around 33,21 percent of the state's overall geographical area, the required 33 percent mark according to the 1998 National Forestry Policy. The state has lost some of its irreplaceable forest cover since it was founded. However, since 2005, forest cover increased significantly from 28.34% in 2005 to 29.61% in 2017. This is due to substantial proportion of the demand for wood and fuelwood from the tree outside the forests from industry and the rural people. International Journal of Research in Economics and Social Science (IJRESS) 182 Email:- [email protected], http://www.euroasiapub.org (An open access scholarly, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, monthly, and fully refereed journal.) International Journal of Research in Economics and Social Sciences(IJRESS) Available online at: http://euroasiapub.org Vol. 9 Issue 6, June - 2019 ISSN(o): 2249-7382 | Impact Factor: 6.939 | Forest type Area ( km2) Percentage (%) 3C/2e (II) Moist peninsular 621.08 2.65 low-level Sal forest 5B/C1c Dry peninsular Sal 10,502.81 45.04 forest 5B/C2 Northern dry mixed 9610.49 41.22 deciduous forest 5/DS1 Dry deciduous scrub 701.36 3.01 5/E9 Dry bamboo brake 934.17 4.01 Plantation/TOF 954.09 4.09 Total 23,324.00 100 Table 1: Major types of forest in Jharkhand Forest Resources Jharkhand's Economic Prospects: One of the aspects of sustainable forest management is the role of the forest sector in national economies, and progress to this end needs to be monitored. The forest-based industries of forests are timber, lake and medicinal plants. S. Strong, RoxbarboreaGmelina. Oh, former Sm., M. The major timber species of the state include longifolia, pseudo-sissooMiq., schleicheraoleosa, etc. In comparison to the availability of natural resources, the plywood and paper industry are less important in the state. In raw silk production, Bihar and Jharkhand were jointly involved, making up 50% of total national production, with a total area of 2325 km2 covering tasar food plants, 90% of which is S. Terminaliaarjuna (Roxb.) are robusta and the rest are Wight &Arn& T. Heyne formerly Roth. The kuchai silk and jharkhand is world-renowned. In the forests of Jharkhand are found a large number of medicinal plants of commercial importance [8]. The cocoon crops (silkworm), which is one of their main sources of income, are cultivated by the ethnic communities in Kolhan, Kharsawaan and Saraikela in western Singhbhum. Jharkhand State has 26.3 percent tribal inhabitants with 32 tribal communities in total. Tribal populations are highly suspected of their livelihood by NTFPs and other forest resources. It is estimated from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment that up to 96% of forest value is derived from NTFPs or MMPs and services. The NTFPs, including medications