Sustainable Management of Natural Resources Blog 2

Sustainable management of Natural Resources 

• Keep your text book open for reference.
• All the intext exercises as well as exercise given at the end of the chapter have to be done.
• Utilize your second period in completing the previous work.

Learning Outcomes :

• critically analyse the importance of forests and the need for its conservation
• critically analyse the importance of wildlife and the need for its conservation
• interpret the significance of natural resources management 

Forests and wildlife

• Forests are termed as biodiversity hotspots.
• Biodiversity is the variety and range of plant and animal life in a particular habitat.
• Loss of biodiversity may result in loss of ecological balance and damage to the ecosystem.

Monoculture

• Monoculture is the cultivation of a single crop in a given area.
• Excessive monoculture destroys the biodiversity of the area.
• Various needs of the people local to forest areas are neglected such as leaves for fodder, herbs, and fruits for consumption.

Industrialist’s mentality and influence

• Industrialists consider forest as a source of raw materials.
• Industries have more political power than the locals 

People intervention in saving forests has been very effective. Damage to forests and wildlife 

• will deplete the resources quicker then they can be restored.
• destroy the ecological balance and may damage the habitats for various species of flora and fauna.

• Benefits must go to the local people to ensure economic growth and conservation takes place simultaneously.

Bishnoi community in Rajasthan for saving Khejri trees in Jodhpur Rajasthan.

Chipko movement

• The Chipko Andolan (‘Hug the Trees Movement’) is one such case of conflict between the industrialist and local dwellers in the 1970s.

  

                                                                                Chipko Movement

• Originated in Reni Garhwal, high up in the Himalayas.
• The conflict between local villagers and logging contractor $\to$ Women of the village stopped felling of trees by hugging them $\to$ Contractor had to reverse the action.

  

                                                              Women protecting the trees by hugging them

• The movement quickly gained popularity and media attention and forced the government to rethink the management of forest resources.

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Wildlife conservation is important because:

(i) It maintains ecological balance in nature. (ii) It also maintains the forests by facilitating growth of plants in different places by dispersing seeds. (iii) By grazing grass it also maintains the soil fertility. (iv) It also helps in cleaning of forest.

Conservation can be done by following methods-

National parks- a protected area where cultivation, grazing, hunting, etc. are not allowed. For example- Jim Corbett National Park. 

Sanctuaries- They are the protected areas where hunting is not allowed but all other activities are allowed.

Biosphere reserve- A protected area meant for conservation of wildlife, traditional lifestyle of tribals and their domesticated animals.

Protection of their natural habitat.

Protection through legislation- There are a number of wildlife acts also.

Conservation of forests isimportant because:

(1) Forest provide us oxygen, they cause rain fall. (2) Forest prevents soil erosion. (3) Plants are dependent on animals and birds for their pollination and seed dispersal.

Methods of Forest Conservation




Silviculture. It is a method in which trees are grown and cultivated.


Social forestry deals with the management and protection of the forest.


Agroforestry includes land management for the cultivation of trees or shrubs.

Home Assignment:

Intext exercise on page 275