Interdiscipli
nary project
By Srishti Munjal
History
Societies Introduction to Forest Society & Colonialism
Significance of Forests in Traditional :
• Forests were central to the lives of • Colonial Interest in Forests: British • Colonial View of Forests: Saw
many indigenous communities Industrial Needs: Forests provided forests as raw materials for
(Adivasi's, tribes).Provided food timber essential for railway economic exploitation. Tribal
(fruits, roots, tubers), medicine, sleepers, shipbuilding, and practices like shifting cultivation
fuel, shelter materials, and hunting infrastructure. Clearing forests for and hunting were considered
grounds. Practice of shifting tea, coffee, and rubber plantations wasteful by the colonial
cultivation (also known as slash to boost trade and profit for the government, as it reduced timber
and burn) by many tribes for British economy. availability.
growing crops.
Slash and
burn Railway Timber
Forest conservation acts
Indian Forest Act of 1865: Allowed the colonial government to
declare forests as state property and manage their use. This
was the first attempt to regulate forests.
Indian Forest Act of 1878: This law divided forests into three
categories: Reserved Forests: Most stringent restrictions. Local
communities had no rights to access or use resources here.
Protected Forests: Some community rights allowed but still
under government control. Village Forests: Forests managed
and used by villages, with fewer restrictions.
Impact on Forest Communities Displacement and Loss of
Livelihood:
Other movements: Tribes in different regions, such as the
Forest dwellers resisted colonial policies in various Santhal and Munda rebellions, fought against the
The banning of shifting cultivation, hunting, and forest ways:Bastar Rebellion (1910): A revolt in Bastar, colonial intrusion into their forested homelands. Forest
resource gathering severely impacted the livelihoods of Chhattisgarh, triggered by the exploitation of forest Laws and Penalization: People caught breaking forest
forest communities. resources and restrictions on the local communities. laws (e.g., cutting trees or hunting) faced heavy fines or
imprisonment. The new laws criminalized traditional
practices that had been part of the culture for centuries.
Forest Transformations Post-Independence
Post-Independence
After independence, forest management remained a
priority. However, the focus shifted slightly toward
conservation, with the government taking over the
control of forests. National policies still focused on
restricting access to forests for local communities while
promoting afforestation.
Introduction to Natural Vegetation
Climate: Temperature,
precipitation, and sunlight affect
plant types.
Soil: Different soils support
different vegetation (e.g., sandy
soil for cacti, alluvial soil for
forests).
Factors Affecting Natural
Relief: Topography influences the
Vegetation:
type of vegetation (plains,
mountains, plateaus).
Types of Vegetation in India: India
has diverse vegetation due to
varied climate and geography.
Types of vegetation in India
Montane Forests vary by
Tropical Evergreen Forests Tropical Deciduous Forests
Thorn Forests and Scrubs altitude, including Tropical Mangrove Forests grow in
are found in areas with over (Monsoon Forests) occur in
thrive in less than 70 cm of Montane forests with coastal saline areas,
200 cm of rainfall, featuring regions with 200 to 70 cm of
rainfall, with xerophytic chestnut and oak, and featuring trees with aerial
dense canopies and trees like rainfall, shedding leaves in
plants such as acacia and Temperate Montane forests roots, primarily in the
ebony and mahogany, dry seasons and containing
cactus, commonly seen in with pine and fir, along with Sundarbans and Andaman
primarily in the Western trees like sal and teak,
Rajasthan and Gujarat. alpine vegetation above the Islands.
Ghats and Andaman Islands. mainly in central India.
treeline.
Wildlife and conservation in India
Diverse Wildlife : India hosts a wide range of species: tigers, elephants, snakes, birds. Ecosystems: forests, grasslands, wetlands support
specific wildlife.
Endangered Species :Key species: Bengal tiger, Indian rhino, Asiatic lion. Threats: deforestation, poaching, urbanization.
National Parks: Jim Corbett, Kaziranga.
Wildlife Sanctuaries: Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.
Biosphere Reserves: Sundarbans, Nilgiri.
Project Tiger (1973): Protects Bengal tigers.
Project Elephant (1992): Conserves elephants and habitats.
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