FIELD FORESTER V OICES FROM THE FIELD volume 2 ● issue 2 DECEMBER 2016 FIELD FORESTER | DECEMBER 2016 Patron: Dr. S.S. Negi Director General of Forests Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Government of India Editorial Advisory Board Chief Advisor: Member Secretary: Dr. Anil Kumar Shri R.P. Singh Additional Director General Director Forest Education of Forests (FC) Directorate of Forest Education Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Forests & Climate Change Government of India Government of India Advisor: Advisor: Dr. Suneesh Buxy Shri Deepak Mishra Deputy Inspector General of Additional Professor Forests (RT) Indira Gandhi National Forest Ministry of Environment, Academy Forests and Climate Change Dehradun Government of India Members: ● Principal, Central Academy for State Forest Service, Dehradun ● Principal, Central Academy for State Forest Service, Coimbatore ● Principal, Central Academy for State Forest Service, Burnihat ● Principal, Eastern Forest Rangers College, Kurseong ● Director, Telangana State Forest Academy, Dulapally, Hyderabad, Telangana ● Director, Uttarakhand Forestry Training Academy, Haldwani, Uttarakhand ● Director, Forest Training Institute & Rangers College, Sunder Nagar, Himachal Pradesh ● Director, Tamil Nadu State Forest Academy, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu ● Director, Forest Training Institute, Gungargatti, Dharwad, Karnataka ● Director, Kundal Academy of Development, Administration & Management, Kundal, Maharashtra CONTENTS ii FIELD FORESTER | DECEMBER 2016 Editorial Board Chief Editor: Shri R.P. Singh, IFS Director Forest Education Directorate of Forest Education Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change Government of India Editors: Ms. Meera Iyer, IFS Mr. Pradeep Chandra Principal Wahule, IFS Central Academy for State Lecturer Forest Service, Dehradun Central Academy for State Forest Service, Dehradun Ms. Sarita Kumari, IFS Dr. B. Balaji, IFS Lecturer Associate Professor Central Academy for State Indira Gandhi National Forest Service, Dehradun Forest Academy, Dehradun Mr. Abhilash Damodaran, IFS Lecturer Central Academy for State Forest Service, Dehradun CONTENTS iii FIELD FORESTER | DECEMBER 2016 Contents From the Chief Editor’s Desk ............................................................................... vi Producing quality seedlings in Mizoram ................................................................ 1 Lalthafamkima Biodiversity conservation through 'Sanskritik Vans' ............................................. 5 Patel SK, Verma YL Man-crocodile conflict in Vadodara ..................................................................... 20 Patel Rahulkumar Keshavlal Forest fires and the way forward .......................................................................... 26 Shivendra Anti-poaching operations in Maharashtra's Sholapur district ............................. 27 VR Shinde Solving a panther kill case ................................................................................... 29 Vishwas B Bhadale Analysis of habitat management practices in Parambikulam Tiger Reserve ....... 31 Mito Rumi Eco-friendly tribal development in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary ........................... 37 Rohit Chaudhari Imparting new life to Deoriatal ........................................................................... 41 Neethulakshmi M. Conservation of Sangai, a success story ............................................................... 46 Mahamuda Begum Socio-economic status of Kani tribe in Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary ........... 49 Mukta V. Tekale CONTENTS iv FIELD FORESTER | DECEMBER 2016 Living jewels of Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary ................................................... 55 Priya R. Mhaiskar Forestry and contemporary challenges ................................................................ 59 Rameshwari Bongale Usage of indigenous edible fruit and plants in Mokokchung district of Nagaland ........................................................................................................ 62 Alemwapang Imchen Use of biotechnological tools in conservation of medicinal plants ....................... 69 Ganesh N Patole CONTENTS v FIELD FORESTER | DECEMBER 2016 From the Chief Editor’s Desk Forestry, in a holistic view, is an integration of various disciplines relying on scientific principles and traditional wisdom. Managing the forests not only includes management of trees and stands, but also other flora and fauna in varied ecosystems and human beings either living inside the forest ecosystem or on forest fringe areas. Thus a multi-pronged approach is inevitable in the integrated management of forest ecosystem. The December 2016 issue of Field Forester, like previous volumes, is a window that offers an excellent view of various approaches towards achieving the objectives of forest and wildlife conservation in India. The mission of greening India is impossible without production of planting materials of the highest quality. Article regarding methods adopted in Mizoram for quality seedling production makes a good reading and enhances the knowledge especially for those readers who are entrusted with nursery management in the field. Articles on Wildlife management include man-crocodile conflict management, anti-poaching initiatives, habitat management and success story regarding conservation of the endangered Sangai in Manipur. The smaller sized fauna also play an important role in maintaining the ecosystem processes as much as the larger wild animals. An article on the butterflies of Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan has rightly named the butterflies as “Living Jewels.” An exclusive narration on reviving degraded grassland surrounding a lake called Deoriatal in Kedarnath Wildlife Division exemplifies the need to manage anthropogenic pressures to revive the sensitive high altitude lake and grassland ecosystem. In India, conservation has its roots in its culture and traditions. The article on “Sanskritik Van” reflects this unique feature of Indian culture. People and Biodiversity are inseparable from one another. Socio-economic status of the Kanikkar Tribe of Southern India - one of ethnobotanicall rich tribes - is very informative and interesting while eco-friendly approach for tribal development in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala presents innovative ideas in implementing eco-development programmes. Lesser known indigenous edible fruits and plants of Nagaland have been discussed in details in one of the articles while another article throws light on different biotechnological opportunities available for propagation and conservation of medicinal plants. The present issue of Field Forester is a good mix of various topics encompassed by forest and biodiversity conservation as practiced across length and breadth of the country. These articles reflect practices and experiences from Western Himalayas, Eastern Himalayas, Western India and Aravallis and the Western Ghats. I am sure that readers will enjoy the articles in this issue of Field Forester and also think of adopting the best practices as narrated in the articles. (R.P. Singh, IFS) vi FIELD FORESTER | DECEMBER 2016 Producing quality seedlings in Mizoram Use of traditional techniques and benefit of staff experience has enabled the nursery in Leitan Kawnchung to successfully grow rare trees Lalthafamkima around 40,000 seedlings. Despite being established recently, the nursery has s per satellite imaging, grown tremendously because of the Mizoram has a large forest dedication of the staff. Acover—this data includes green herb and shrubs. But, in reality, Input Management the actual tree cover is not as much. So, Water the Department of Environment and Water is taken from the nearby river Forest planned to plant trees in different with the help of an electric pump. The parts of the State. For this, nurseries water is stored in a water tank on the have been set up in different parts of top of the hill, from where water is the State. Nursery is a pre-requisite for distributed to different parts of the producing quality seedlings with lesser nursery. As there is no water sprinkler, input and nursery management is a water is given to the plants by a plastic potential tool to successfully execute pipe. For newly sown seeds, water the activity. This study is an attempt is given regularly, but for the older to narrate nursery management and its germinated seeds, it is given once every techniques which lead to their success. two days. In rainy season, rainwater is This nursery is located at Leitan collected and stored in the tank; this Kawnchung in the northern part of saves power and money. Darlawn town (5 km from main town). This Hi-tech Nursery, established Bed in 2014, is a centralised nursery in As Mizoram receives enough rainfall, public sector under NBM. Its area is all nursery beds are level beds. The bed around 2 ha. Since it is located in a is well ploughed before sowing seeds. hilly area, standard bed size could not Bricks are placed at the edge to prevent be maintained throughout. In some the beds from crumbling in dry season. places, the bed is longer than standard As mentioned earlier, the beds cannot size while in some places it is shorter. have a standard size due to topography. The size of the bed is adjusted as Before sowing, dry leaves are burnt on per the topography. There are more the bed to control weed. There is open than 300 beds in the nursery and the and shade bed according to the need approximate annual production is