Government
of Andhra Pradesh
Forest Department
Ref
No.12060 /2004/PMU –III/1
Dated. 16-12-2004
|
Office of the Prl. Chief Conservator of
Forests, Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad – 500001
|
Sri. S. K. Das IFS
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests
Circular No. 9/2004
Sub:- AP Forest Department – silvicultural practices
for improvement of
forests - For poverty alleviation – Guidelines issued – Regarding
*****
In the Project Implementation
Plan for implementation of A P Community forest Management Project
instructions have been issued on various silvicultural practices
that can be taken up for improvement of degraded forests.
It is also mentioned therein that these practices
are only indicative and that they are to be adopted as per site
specific requirements. Site specific planning is the essence of
planning for the forestry practices under this project. With experience
gained and observing the response of forests to these treatment
practices, it is felt that innovative prescriptions are needed
to maximize return of investments made under the project.
All the forest areas
being treated under the project are broadly classified into Teak,
Non teak miscellaneous, Red sanders, Bamboo and Scrub forests. In VSS areas these forest types are not likely to occur in pure forms, treatment models
have been defined indicating pure teak, pure non teak, pure bamboo,
pure Red sanders, Teak mixed with Bamboo, Non teak mixed with
Bamboo, pure scrub forests in plain areas for conversion into
plantations, pure scrub forests along gentle slopes for conversion
into plantations, Teak forests mixed with scrub patches for planting
and Non teak forests mixed with scrub patches for planting. Treatment
and silvicultural practices are designed and described to suit
the requirement of these categories of forests. Generally treatment
in scrub forests that occur either in pure form (in plains or
along gentle slopes) or in mixture with Teak or Non teak forests
is their conversion into plantations of NTFP or Short Rotation
Woody species and Medicinal Plants. In respect of Teak and Non
teak forests including Red sanders forests the recommended practices
are aiding natural regeneration through stool dressing (in viable
root stock), coppicing and singling, stand management through
silvicultural thinning, repeated shrub cutting, Soil and Moisture
Conservation works, soil working and moisture conservation measures
to give preferential treatment to selected NTFP species that occur
naturally, Fire protection measures etc.
In respect of Bamboo forests practices include decongestion,
selective thinning of culms, mounding to young clumps, repeated
shrub cutting, Soil and Moisture Conservation works, soil working
and moisture conservation measures to give preferential treatment
to selected NTFP species that occur naturally, Fire protection
measures etc.
A review of these
practices and the experience gained during the course of implementation of the project has revealed
the following:
1.
These treatment practices
cannot be uniformly applied to all forests of a particular category.
Extent of degradation has a major bearing on deciding on specific
treatment practice. eg. in misc. non teak forests in high rainfall
zones may not respond only to the prescribed practices. In these
areas there is need scale up investments on SMC works combined
with stand management.
2.
Planting medicinal
plants many of which are climbers and annuals in pure patches
is not sustainable and instead they can be included as intercrops
in plantations with wider espacement.
3.
Managing teak and
non teak and Red sanders forests with the above mentioned prescriptions
alone may not result in steady flow of returns to VSSs as these
species have a long gestation/rotation period and
at best they may yield periodic returns.
Considering all these
factors and in order to ensure steady flow of income to VSSs towards
achieving the Project objective of poverty alleviation, the following
additional practices are now recommended:
1.
Take up planting medicinal
plants as intercrops in plantations and as under crops in natural
forests. In natural forest & under-planting should be taken
up only in respect of species that are essentially climbers (eg. Maredu gedda, Shatavari, Tippateega, Podapatri).
2.
Take up silvicultural
thinning to remove congestion in teak and non teak forests and
old plantations under management by VSS and under planting of
Bamboo using good quality two year old rhizomes.
3.
Take up activities
to revamp old plantations of NTFP species under management by
VSSs to make them procedure age.
Activities here should include SMC works, soil working and preferential
treatment to NTFP species (as is being done in natural forests),
Fire control etc.
4.
Take up post harvest
tending operations in respect of Eucalyptus and Teak plantations
under management by VSSs. These operations should include stool
dressing, coppicing, singling, SMC works, Fire control, removal
of debris, interploughing (if possible), proper watch and ward
from grazing, hacking etc.
5.
Scale up afforestation
activities with Bamboo following semi mechanical methods of land
preparation and planting two year old Rhizomes only.
These activities should
be discussed with the VSS members and accordingly microplans should
revised accordingly. These activities should be taken up with
immediate effect. All the Conservators of Forests and Divisional
Forest Offices are requested to bestow personal attention to these
new programmes and ensure further success of the Project.
Sd/-S.K. DAS
Principal Chief Conservator of
Forests
To,
All the Conservators of Forests
Copy to all Divisional Forest Officers, Sub
Divisional Forest Officers, Forest Range Officers, Forest Section
Officers, Forest Beat Officers
// True Copy//
for Prl.Chief Conservator of Forests