FIELD MANUAL ON ASSESSMENT OF TREES OUTSIDE FOREST (URBAN) (TOF-U) FOREST SURVEY OF INDIA Ministry of Environment and Forests Kaulagarh Road, P. O: IPE DEHRADUN INDIA FOREST SURVEY OF INDIA DEHRADUN THE MANUAL OF INSTRUCTIONS FOR ASSESSMENT OF TREES OUTSIDE FORESTS (URBAN) INDEX S.No. Chapter No. Particulars Page No. CHAPTER 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.3 Objectives of the field inventory 1 1.4 Executive arrangement for assessment of trees 2 outside forests (urban) 1.4.1 Allotment of jeeps, tents, field kits etc. 2 1.4.2 General instructions to the crew leader 3 1.5 How to decide the area to be surveyed 3 1.6 Maps to be used during survey 3 1.7 Precision and accuracy of survey 3 1.8 Survey design 3 1.9 Definition of trees outside forest (urban) area 4 1.10 Field work to be carried out per day 5 1.11 Organisation of field work for urban TOF 5 1.12 Data collection 6 CHAPTER 2 INSTRUCTIONS TO FILL UP VARIOUS FIELD FORMS 2.1 TOFU-1: UFS Block Approach Form 8 2.2 TOFU –2: UFS Block Trees Enumeration Form 10 2.3 TOFU – 3: District UFS Block Information Form 13 FIELD FORMS 1. TOFU – 1: UFS Block Approach Form 14 2. TOFU –2: UFS Block Trees Enumeration Form 15 3. TOFU – 3: District UFS Block Information Form 16 ANNEXURES ANNEXURE I Code of different states and Union Territories in 17 each zone. ANNEXURE II Code of Districts and Forest Divisions in each state 18 ANNEXURE III List of Tree Species & codes 34 TREES OUTSIDE FOREST (TOF) URBAN For official use only Forest Survey of India Dehradun The Manual of Instructions for assessment of TOF (Urban) CHAPTER I 1.1 INTRODUCTION: An accurate assessment of forest and tree resources in the country is essential for formulating sound strategy for forestry sector. Precise data and latest information on forest cover and volume of growing stock of forests/trees and trends of changes therein are basic ingredients for policy and planning purposes. Generally, extensive tree wealth exists outside continuous forested areas in every country. Termed as ‘Trees Outside Forests” (TOF), these are in the form of small woodlots and block plantations, trees along linear features, such as roads, canals bunds, etc. and scattered trees on farmlands, homesteads, community lands and urban areas. Traditionally, these were not inventoried and little quantitative information existed about TOF. However, lately a lot of interest has been generated worldwide on TOF. Besides providing support to rural economy, these trees are now a source of substantial forest produce in every country. Forest Survey of India (FSI), an organization under Ministry of Environment & Forests (Government of India), is one of the few organizations in Asia that has been carrying out TOF assessments since the early 1990s. Assessment of Trees outside Forest for urban areas was taken up from 2002 in 15 districts of the country spread throughout the country. 1.2 The present manual of instructions has been prepared by analyzing the data collected during the pilot study conducted in 15 districts in 2002 and the methodology has been standardized accordingly. This manual of instructions is primarily meant for the guidance of personnel concerned with field inventory like, JTAs, STAs, Draftsmen, Supervisory staff and data processing officers at the headquarters. The manual takes into account almost all aspects involved in the inventory right from the start of the survey to the stage of final dispatch of data to the Zonal Head Quarters for data entry. 1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE FIELD INVENTORY: The main objectives of the field inventory is to collect qualitative and quantitative information about the trees outside forest resources within precision limits in preparing reports to serve data needs of development planning. 1 1.4 EXECUTIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR CONDUCTING ASSESSMENT OF TREES OUTSIDE FOREST (URBAN) : The field duties of personnel engaged in the field work for each zone are as follows: Sl. Designation No. Nature of duties No. 1. Group Officer 1 Over all supervision and organisation of (Dy. Director) fieldwork. Supply of copies of manual to parties and explaining it to them, supply of stores to staff, planning of base camps & field camps, control over field accounts, checking and compilation of data and forwarding data to Data Entry Section (DES). 2. Asstt. Group Officer 1 Assist Dy.Director in execution of field work (Asstt. Director/STA) 3. STAs/JTAs each assisted 1 (1) Random checking of field work by Dy.Ranger/ 1 (2) Management of base camp, wherever Fieldman applicable Khalasi 1 Labourers 1 (3) Checking of field forms (Or as decided by the RD) (4) Assisting Dy.Director & Asstt. Director in Field work 4. Crew leaders (JTA/Dy. 1 (1) Study of manual Ranger/ Fieldman each assisted by (2) Collection of data from sample blocks Skilled person 1 for field inventory as per the instructions Unskilled person 1 contained in the field manual (3) Maintenance of account and cash book of field work (4) Checking and supply of data for submission to the Zonal Headquarters. (5) Safe custody of UFS maps and equipment 1.4.1 The allotment of jeeps, drivers, tents field kit, consumable stores, medicine, blank forms, field instructions etc. be decided by the Dy.Director depending upon the availability of staff. The assignment of duties to various ranks is also left at the discretion of the Group Officers as the entire work is based on teamwork and defining precise duties for the staff is not feasible. The members of the crew have to be assigned works by the Crew Leaders considering their experience, knowledge and capacity to work. These assignments may vary from time to time. 2 1.4.2 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CREW LEADERS: The Group Officer will distribute the work of TOF(U) inventory to the crews. The Crew Leaders should select their camping sites in such a manner that maximum number of sample blocks can be covered from a camp in the minimum traverse of distance. They should see that the day-to-day programme is so chalked out that they are not required to make wasteful journeys and will submit their programme to the camp officer/base camp incharge. The Crew Leaders should see that they and their party are fully equipped with stores, camp and survey equipment, ration, medicine etc. before commencement of the fieldwork. They should also see that adequate field forms are carried in field, each member has understood the field manual thoroughly and the work to be done and all doubts regarding field work are fully cleared. The Crew Leaders should see that they carry minimum required equipment and kit with them in field as well as in camps so that there is no problem of transport of voluminous luggage. As a general routine, Crew Leaders should keep good liasion with the local staff of the State Departments and see that the tent camps are properly, neatly and systematically arranged and the staff maintains decorum and proper discipline in the camps. The restricted maps and photographs and confidential documents in the camp should on no account be passed or shown to any other outsider. Such documents should be kept in personal custody of Crew Leader. Loss or damage to any such map alongwith the place of loss should be reported immediately to the Regional Director of the Zone. 1.5 HOW TO DECIDE THE AREA TO BE SURVEYED: In the cycle of two years 60 districts are to be taken up for forest inventory, TOF (R) and TOF (U). These districts will be selected by the Headquarter. The urban area corresponding to the selected district is the area of interest for this survey. The urban centers notified by office of RG of India is being taken as urban area of the districts concerned. 1.6 MAPS TO BE USED DURING SURVEY: Only the latest UFS maps taken from NSSO will be used during survey. 1.7 PRECISIONS AND ACCURACY OF SURVEY: The results of the survey would be with 15% permissible error at 95% probability level at district level. This accuracy will however be obtained for the entire physiographic zone which will be approximately 10%. 1.8 SURVEY DESIGN: The study area for this survey is considered as urban centers defined in district census Book. For any survey, a sampling frame is required. Sampling frame for urban areas has been prepared by an agency called National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Government of India. This organization conducts surveys by the name of Urban Frame Survey (UFS). They divide the whole urban centers of a district in blocks called UFS blocks. These blocks are having clear- cut well defined natural boundaries. These blocks are formed on the basis of 600-800 population or 120-160 households and cover the whole area within the geographical boundary of town including vacant lands. 3 The sampling technique to be used is stratified random sampling. The district is divided into five categories of town as defined under Para 1.9, as strata. Urban Frame Survey Blocks are the sampling units. Frame of such blocks for each district can be obtained from the National Sample Survey Organisation. The number of sample blocks to be surveyed in the district is to be decided by the following method. a) In the district 10 % of total blocks will be selected and proportionately distributed in five class of town when available UFS blocks in the districts are less than 500. Minimum number of blocks should not be less than twenty in a district.