AP to experience adverse climate changes, says report

Hyderabad, May 2: The AP Forest Inventory Report 2010 has revealed that the state forest growing stock has decreased by 60 million cubic metres. As a direct result of the depleting growing stock, experts say the state will experience adverse climate changes and increasing temperatures.

The survey report states that of the 63,814 square kilometres of recorded forest area in the state, the total growing stock is estimated at 232 million cubic metres. In 1975 this was 291.3 million cubic metres.

Forest cover with good growing stock is now restricted only to the northern strip of the state bordering Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Orissa which are now heavily infested with naxals. The scientific study that took four years to complete also found that seedling regeneration was inadequate in 30,440 sq km and absent in 5650 sq km of forest area in the state.

Illegal felling by villagers for firewood and by smugglers — particularly of trees like teak — for profit is the main reason for the decrease in growing stock.

Growing stock (different from forest cover) is the volume of all living trees in a given area of forest or wooded land that has more than a certain diameter at breast height. It includes the stem from ground level or stump height up to a given top diameter, and may also include branches above a certain diameter.

The principal chief conservator of forests, Mr C. Madhukar Raj, says, “There is a continuous harvesting and degeneration of forest area due to various reasons which may have lead to the decrease in growing stock. This is the first time in the country that a forest department has brought out a forest inventory.”

The former director general of Forest Survey of India, Dr D. Pandey says, “Growing stock is the most important indicator of health and productive capacity of forests. In the recent past, forest inventory has gained further importance due to its role in the estimation of forest biomass and carbon needed for climate change studies. It is now a well known fact that forests have the potential to be major carbon sinks.”

According to the report, the Khammam circle with 12 per cent of total forest area contributes to 19 per cent of the growing stock of the state.

The Vizag circle with 10 per cent of forest area contributes to 16 per cent of the growing stock and ranks second. Adilabad district with 11 per cent of forest area contributes to 14 per cent of the growing stock and ranks third.

Hyderabad circle has the lowest percentage of growing stock per hectare, only 7.8 cubic meters.

Of the 63 lakh hectares of forest area in the state, around 3.5 lakh is under encroachment. Around 3 lakh hectares of this was distributed to tribals who cultivate them under the recent Scheduled Tribes and Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act.

Mr P.K. Sharma, the additional principal chief conservator of forests (IT) who headed the inventory study says, “There are species like teakwood and gum tree which are heavily exploited. Harvesting of trees and illegal felling is also resulting in this. We have determined the health of the forests in the state with which we can work out strategies to improve the green cover and growing stock.”

The health of forests is observed in terms of its regeneration status, incidence of fire, illicit felling, grazing, grasses, weeds and pests.

The report states that forest fires, rampant cattle grazing and bamboo forests are the three major threats to the forest cover of the state.

There are several factors which make artificial regeneration unsuitable in the state. Very shallow soil, large tracts of stony areas and low humus content, all make artificial regeneration very tough. As per the India State of Forest report 2009 done by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), the extent of growing stock in forests of the state is 242 million cubic metres. This shows that there has been a decrease in 10 million cubic metres in the past one year. The FSI report say that there is a loss of 129 square kilometres of forest cover (green leaf cover) in the state in the span of three years which is second highest in the country next to Nagaland. The only district where there has been a positive growth is Prakasam. Adilabad, Karimnagar, Khammam and Warangal have shown a drastic decrease due to various reasons including encroachments, local disturbances, clear felling of mature eucalyptus plantation raised by the department.

Species of trees in AP by volume

Scientific name Telugu name Trade name

Anogeissus latifolia Chiru Manu Axle wood
Xylia xylocarpa Konde tangeda Iron wood
Terminalia tomentosa Inna Maddi -------
Lannea coromandelica Gumpena Thingam
Tectona grandis Teku Indian Oak Teak
Madhuca indica Ippa Mahua tree
Dalbergia paniculata Sopera --------
Hardwickia binata Yepi Anjan
Pterocarpus marsupium Yerra Yegisa Kino Tree
Boswellia serrata Anduga White Dammar
Mangifera indica Mamidi Mango
Cleisthanthus collinus Garari
Diospyros melanoxylon Thellagada Ebony
Lagerstroemia parviflora Chennangi Nandi
Tamarindus indica Chinta Tamarind tree

Source : Deccanchronicle