Role of forestry in restoration of degraded lands

role of forestry in restoration of degraded lands

1. INDIRA GANDHI KRISHI VISHWA VIDYALAYA Department of forestry IGKV , Raipur SEMINAR ON Role of Forestry in Restoration of Degraded Land BY: Indu kale M.Sc. forestry sem-2 Id. No 20200477

2. Presentation profile Abstract Introduction Definition Causes of land degradation Effects of land degradation Status of land degradation in India Classification of degraded land Why land restoration? Role of forestry in restoration Approaches (or) Technologies Choice of species Case studies Conclusions References

3. Abstract Land degradation is a composite term describing the changes in land resources like water, soil, vegetation to an undesirable condition. Overgrazing, intensive agricultural practices, mining, and deforestation are the major causes of land degradation. Globally, two billion ha of forests are estimated as degraded and in need of restoration. Several constraints and challenges impede the restoration activities. Forestry is often considered as a wise and sustainable option in land restoration. It reveals appropriate restoration activities and standards for successful programs. Degraded land can be reclaimed by the planting of suitable tree species and turning barren sterile wasteland into that is fertile and suitable for habitation and cultivation. Forest interventions, Agroforestry systems and A fforestation techniques etc, are various management practices and approaches used for restoration of degraded and wasteland. Key words : Forestry, Degradation, Agroforestry, Restoration, Afforestation

4. Introduction Land, a non-renewable resource, is central to all primary production systems. Over the years, the country's landmass has suffered from different types of degradations. Degradation of land is caused by biotic and abiotic pressures. An ever increasing population places enormous demands on land resources. This is particularly acute in India, which has only 2.4 per cent of the world's geographical area but supports over 16 per cent of the world's population. It has 0.5 percent of the world's grazing area but has over 18 percent of world's cattle population. These pressures have led to the drastic changes in the proportion of land utilized for agricultural activities, urbanization and industrial development ( tenth five year plan ). Due to complete loss of top soil these degraded lands are ecologically unstable and are unsuitable for cultivation. 40% of the world's degraded lands are located in areas with high poverty rates, with the greatest threat being loss of soil quality, followed by biodiversity loss and water resource depletion ( FAO, 2011). The degradation of wasteland can be overcome by participatory approach like social forestry, joint forest management, community forestry, etc. with the help of local people in the planning and management of lands through Afforestation .

5. Definition Land degradation: Land degradation is the temporary or permanent lowering of the productive capacity of land ( UNEP 1992 ), thus it covers the various forms of soil degradation, adverse human impacts on water resources, deforestation, lowering of the productive capacity of rangelands. Land degradation can be considered in terms of the loss or actual or potential productivity or utility as a result of natural or anthropogenic factors; or it is the decline in land quality or reduction in its productivity

6. Causes of land degradation Source: Development of Wastelands and Degraded Lands Tenth Five year plan(2002-2007) Causes of degradation Area (Mha) % of Total area Water erosion 107.12 61.7 Wind erosion 17.79 10.24 Ravines 3.97 2.28 Salt-affected 7.61 4.38 Waterlogging 8.52 4.90 Mines and quarry wastes ---- --- Shifting cultivation 4.91 2.82 Degraded forests lands 19.49 11.22 Special problems 2.73 1.57 Coastal sandy areas 1.46 0.84 TOTAL 173.64 100.0

7. Effects of Land Degradation Land degradation has both on-site and off-site effects On-site effects are the lowering of the productive capacity of the land, causing either reduced outputs (crop yields, livestock yields) or the need for increased inputs. Off-site effects of water erosion occur through changes in the water regime, including decline in river water quality, and sedimentation of river beds and reservoirs. The main off-site effect of wind erosion is overblowing, or sand deposition.

8. Status of land degradation in India (2009) Degraded and wastelands in the country cover 120.4 M ha, incorporating combination of various wasteland classes and degraded lands(Degraded and wastelands of India ICAR 2010) Broad categories of degraded lands Area (Mha) Water erosion 82.57 Wind erosion 12.40 Salt affected soils 6.74 Acid soils 17.94 Others 1.07 Total 120.72 Source: ICAR-national bureau of soil survey and land use planning, IFPRI

9. Land degradation map of India Generated using LISS-III data of 2015-2016 Source: isro.gov.in/earth observer

10. Land Degradation Assessment by Different Organizations Agency Estimated extent (M ha) criteria for delineation NCA 1976 148.09 Based on secondary data Ministry of agriculture 1978 175.00 Based on NCA’S estimates SPWD (Bhumbla and Khare, 1984) 129.58 Based on secondary estimates NRSA 1985 53.28 Remote sensing techniques Ministry of agriculture 1985 173.64 Land degradation statistics for states Ministry of agriculture 1994 107.43 Eliminating duplication area NBSS&LUP 1994 187.70 1:4 scale GLASOD guidelines NBSS&LUP 2004 Revised 146.82 1:1 scale soil map Department of environment Vohra 1980 95.00 NWDB 1985 123.00 source : Degraded and wastelands of India- ICAR

11. Types of land degradation assessed Land degradation have been grouped into six classes Water erosion  covers all forms of soil erosion by water, including sheet and rill erosion and gullying. This is the most widespread degradation occuring in all agro-climatic regions. Wind erosion  refers to loss of soil by wind, occurring primarily in dry regions Waterlogging   is the lowering in land productivity through the rise in groundwater close to the soil surface. severe form, of water logging termed ponding, where the water table rises above the surface. Waterlogging is linked with salinization, both being brought about by incorrect irrigation management .

12. Water erosion Wind erosion Waterlogging Salinization

13. Soil fertility decline : Is used as a short term to refer to  Lowering of soil organic matter , with associated decline in soil biological activity; Degradation of soil physical properties (structure, aeration, water holding capacity ) Adverse changes in soil nutrient resources, including reduction in availability of the major nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), onset of micronutrient deficiencies, and development of nutrient imbalances. Buildup of toxicities, primarily acidification through incorrect fertilizer use.

14. Salinization   is the process by which water-soluble salts accumulate in the soil. Salinization is a resource concern because excess salts hinder the growth of crops by limiting their ability to take up water. Salinization may occur naturally or because of conditions resulting from management practices Lowering of the water table  through tube well pumping of groundwater for irrigation exceeding the natural recharge capacity. Pumping for urban and industrial use is a further cause.

15. Other types of degradation includes Deforestation: refers to the cutting or clearing of forests which can directly leads to degradation, erosion, climate change Forest degradation   This is the reduction of resources and lowering of productive capacity of forests through human activities. Rangeland degradation   This is the lowering of the productive capacity of rangelands. a b c

16. Why does land needs to be restored? Land restoration is the process of ecological restoration of site, safe for humans, wildlife and plant communities It helps in bringing marginal land or previously degraded soils back into productive use and enabling expansion of the productive area It enhances the supply of valuable ecosystem services that benefit biotic communities Re-establish the potential of native species Protect from erosion and runoff Improve wildlife habitat Improving soil productivity and stability Improves environmental conditions and aesthetically pleasing Degraded land Functioning ecosystem after restoring

17. Role of forestry in restoration of degraded lands Forestry plays a key role in restoring the degraded land through: Forest interventions Afforestration techniques Agroforestry models Which further restores the degraded land through: Biomass accumulation Floristic composition ( MPTs) System nutrient distribution and soil fertility Rehabilitation and management implications

18. Strategies for Developing Degraded Lands (or) Forest Interventions Creation of fuel and fodder reserves: Plantations to be raised of fuel and fodder species in order to meet the fuel and fodder demand at the same time cover the wasteland with vegetation. The land is put for productive use. Social forestry: Forestry outside the conventional forests Industrial plantations: Wood based industries require wood for manufacture of paper, timber for furniture, plywood etc., and plantations are to be raised to meet the raw material demand of the industry. Growing industrial plantations will help in greening the wastelands as well as will meet the raw material needs of the industry

19. Extension forestry Extension forestry is the practice of forestry in areas devoid of tree growth and other vegetation situated in places away from the conventional forest areas with the object of increasing the area under tree growth. Rehabilitation of degraded forests The degraded area under forests needs immediate attention for ecological restoration and for meeting the socio economic needs of the communities living in and around such areas Agroforestry : Introducing Agroforestry in degraded lands can improve the productivity of soils as well as provides income Community forestry: Rising plantations in degraded communal lands with the help of local community Urban forestry: Rising urban parks in degraded lands helps in land restoration as well as provides recreational benefits

20. Technologies and approaches Mined areas : The country is having a well-developed mining sector, which has vast geological potential with over 20,000 known mineral deposits. The total of 683,671.5 ha area is under mining in the country. The highest area is in Rajasthan (1,41,280 ha) followed by Bihar (1,36,759.5 ha) and Orissa (1,04,334 ha). Mining destroys vegetation and causes extensive damage to the soil and biodiversity

21. Restoration of mined areas The various steps for restoration of mined areas are discussed below: Preliminary survey Site preparation: reshaping, filling cavities, leveling Counters are made on the mould to stop erosion Pit size: 60*60*60, filled with FYM at the rate of 5kg/pit Spacing: 2*2 Fertilization and irrigation is provided to help plant establishment Mortality replacement is to be made within 3 months of planting to keep 100%survival in plantation

22. Choice of species Criteria Tree species Grasses Native species Fast growing Ecologically viable Deep rooted Nitrogen fixing trees. Drought tolerant. Eucalyptus spp Grevillea pteridifolia Pongamia pinnata, Dalbergia sissoo, Erythrina suberosa Bauhinia retusa Agave americana Leucaena leucocephala Acacia spp Eulaliopsis binata Pennisetum purpureum Saccharum spontaneum Cenchrus cillaris Cynodon dactylon

23. Role of vegetation : Vegetation is the most appropriate and cost-effective long-term remedy to encounter the majority of underlying problems of derelict mined land. It plays a critical role in restoring productivity, ecosystem stability, and biological diversity through numerous processes, including maintenance or increase of soil organic matter, biological nitrogen fixation, uptake of nutrients from deep soil layer, increase water infiltration and storage. reduce loss of nutrients by erosion and leaching, improve soil physical properties, reduce soil acidity, and improve soil biological activity

24. Afforested mined area drone view Afforested mined over burden

25. Ravine areas The ravine means a deep gorge. Ravines are formed due to very loose/soft and powdery soil such as alluvial soil. It is caused due to soil and water erosion. Millions of hectares of fertile land along the banks of rivers are ruined by ravine formation The National Remote Sensing Agency, based on the Land sat data, has estimated nearly 4 Mha of area under of ravine land. Restoration: Soil conservation measures: watershed development approach Afforestation with tree planting, pasture development Aerial planting in remote areas Agroforestry approaches

26. Agricultural Crops Tree species Fruit species Grasses pigeon pea ( Cajanus cajan ) black gram ( Vigna mungo ) Eucalyptus tereticornis , Dendrocalamus strictus Leuceana leucocephala lemon ( Citrus limon ), mango ( Mangifera indica ), Ber ( Ziziphus mauritiana ), and amla ( Emblica officinalis ) Dicanthium annulatum , Cenchrus spp Panicum spp Pannisetum purpureum , and Brachiaria mutica Systems followed in ravine lands are: Agri silviculture Agri horticulture Silvo pastoral Choice of species Agroforestry Approaches:

27. Afforesting Chambal ravines Ravines restoration through Agroforestry Degraded Ravine area

28. Case study : Bamboo and Anjan Grass-Based silvipasture System enhanced the Productivity of Ravines in Gujarat It was found that the ravine lands, under unproductive use can successfully be reclaimed by planting bamboo, a fast growing plant species, on the gully beds and Anjan grass on the side slopes, and the interspaces of gully bed for economic utilization of gullied land. The grasses fetched an income of INR 3000–6000 per hectare over the period of 5 years. The system also yield about 300 clumps of bamboo with 3000–4000 old and 1000–1500 new culms per hectare bamboo plantation in 7 years old plantation Source : NAIP- Mass Media Project, DKMA with inputs from RC, CS&WCR&T, Vasad and DMAPR, Anand

29. Lateritic lands The lateritic region covers an area of 12 million ha in India. The soil derived from lateritic rocks is called as lateritic soil and also termed as red loam. This soil has silica/alumina ratio more than 2.The soil is mostly red/red yellow in colour and rich in iron Such lateritic soil is found in Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh , Orissa and West Bengal The lateritic region have excellent forests of Sal and mixed deciduous forests. Due to heavy biotic pressure, the patches in forests are degraded and need Afforestation .

30. Restoration process Deep ripping of lateritic land deep ripping, pitting and planting is done in private or agricultural lands As the soils are deficient in organic matter and nutrients, fertilization is provided during rainy season at the time of planting and also after planting Spacing followed is 2 x 2 m or any other suitable spacing depending up on species to be planted.

31. Lateritic land and afforestation Lateritic stone mining Lateritic land devoid of plants Cultivation after land preparation

32. Salt affected soils Salt affected soils are broadly classified into Alkali and Saline soils. In general, the salt affected soils get ameliorated by trees depends upon the nature and type of tree species, growth habit, quantity and quality of litter produced, planting density, age of plantation, ability to fix N, and management practices. Soil type ESP SAR pH EC Alkali soil >15 >13 >8.5 <4 Saline soil <15 >13 <8.5 >4

33. For instance, tree minimizes the salt deposition in the upper layers of the soil, it prevents salt accumulation on the surface layer, it improves water permeability and it facilitate leaching of salts, it decreases the bicarbonate levels, it reduces soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC), it increases water holding capacity, as well as infiltration rate and soil fertility Approaches includes: Afforestation Agroforestry systems Agrisilvicultural system, Silvipastoral system, Multipurpose woodlots, and Agrihortisilvicultural system are suitable for reclamation of salt affected soils.

34. Choice of species Tree species Fruit species Grasses Eucalyptus tereticornis , Acacia nilotica , Albizialebbeck , Terminalia arjuna , Prosopis juliflora Casuarina equisetifolia Tamarix articulata , Pongamiapinnata Zizyphusmauritiana Punicagranatum , Syzygiumcumini , Emblica officinalis T amarindus indica Aegel marmelos Leptochloa fusca , Chloris gayana , Brachiaria mutica , and Sporobolus spp Syzygium cumini –auger hole technique

35. Case study: Agroforestry techniques for the rehabilitation of degraded salt-affected lands in India The study dealt with a range of species that was tested under greenhouse and actual field conditions and enlisted the species that are most tolerant, moderately tolerant and sensitive to salinity. Average pH Fuelwood or timber species Fruit species >10.0 Prosopis juliflora , Acacia nilotica , Casuarina equisetifolia Achras japota 9.0-10.0 Tamarix ariculata Terminalia arjuna Albizzia lebbek Milletia pinnata Zizyphus maurtiana Sapindus laurifolius Emblica officinalis Carissa carandas Aegel marmelos 8.2-9.0 Dalbergia sissoo Morus alba Azadirachta indica Tectona grandies Punica granatum Prunus persica Mangifera indica Syzygium cumini Source : G.Singh et al., 1994

36. Coastal areas Coastal habitat restoration encompasses the range of remedies that society undertakes to repair, reinvigorate, or replace parts of the coastal environment that have been lost or injured as a result of human activities or natural events They extend for about 6,150 km from the Rann of Kutch in the west to West Bengal in the east During recent decades, coastal ecosystems have been increasingly affected by large-scale land-use change and by sea level rise due to global warming Both salt marshes and dunes have an important function in protecting coastal regions from flooding and erosion and provide habitats for plant and animal species with special adaptations for survival under harsh environmental conditions. Restoration projects includes planting salt marshes and repairing coral reefs

37. Agencies and programs The Coastal Ecosystems Program The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants Program National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Choice of species: Heretiera fomes Acanthus volubilis Pheonix paludosa Rhizophora stylosa Sarcolibus carinatus Thespesia populneoides Salvodara spp Tamarix spp Indigofera argentea Acacia chundra Lumnitzera littorea Barringtonia asiatica Manilkara littoralis Avicennia marina Litsea nitida Euphorbia spp Source : bsi.envis.nic.in/ coastal plants

38. conclusion Degraded land is regarded as a powerful tool of attacking the issues of poverty and backwardness. To mitigate these problems, we can adopt farming system under different Agroforestry models viz., alley cropping/hedgerow farming, multipurpose faming, boundary plantation and plantation with suitable pastures in erosion prone hilly area to reduce soil and water erosion. Overall , forest interventions and Afforestation activities should be adopted to protect lands from further deterioration and degradation processes.

39. References Chaturvedi, O.P., Kaushalk, R.,Tomar, J.M.S.Prandiyal, A.K. and Panwar, P. 2014. Agroforestry for Wasteland Rehabilitation: Mined, Ravine, and Degraded Watershed Areas. pp. 273-271. In:Dagar , J,C., Singh, A.K. and Arunachalam,A.(eds.)Agroforestry Systems in India: Livelihood Security & Ecosystem Services. Part of the Advances in Agroforestry book series (ADAG, volume 10).Springer. Development of wastelands and degraded lands. Tenth Five Year Plan 2002-2007.Ch-5.3. pp.981-594. http://www.bsienvis.nic.in/Database/IndianMangroves_3941.aspx Kiehl,K and Isermann,M.2007. Restoration of coastal ecosystems – an introduction. Coastline Reports 7.1-4p. Maji , A.K., Reddy, G.P. Obi and Sarkar, D. 2010.  Degraded and Wastelands of India Status and Spatial Distribution. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. 167 p. Nair, P.K.R.1993 An introduction to Agroforestry. Kluwer Academic Publishers,Netherlands.489p. Singh.G, Singh N. T. and Abrol I. P. 1994. Agroforestry techniques for the rehabilitation of degraded salt-affected lands in India. Land Degradation and Rehabilitation , vol 5,223-242p. Tom, A. and Finch, D. 1998. Restoring Coastal Habitats. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA's State of the Coast Report. Silver Spring, MD: NOAA. 28p.

40. Lets keep our planet Green Good for planet, Good for us