Abstract
The forest cover in arid zones is less than 0.05 and developing forestry in this region is, therefore, a herculean task. The biological processes the rather very slow, therefore, very high success cannot be achieved so quickly under the extremely hostile desert conditions. However, keeping in view the population pressure, both human and livestock, the ever-increasing gap between the demand and the supply as well as the dwindling forest cover in greater part of the country, there is an urgent need to intensity all round efforts to bring the desert forestry to the desired limit (33% as per National Forest Policy 1988) under trees cover on sustained basis, and also to improve the fragile ecology of the desert ecosystem. The future development programmes therefore, will have to be reoriented keeping in view the two basic needs of the desert inhabitants and their livestock, i.e., supply of fodder and fuel wood and also to develop technology for eco-restoration of arid lands.
People’s participation (particularly the farmers and tribals) is most vital to develop any sustainable forestry in arid zones. The requires raising of intensively managed plantation forestry. However, no programme can be successful without developing adequate protection cover, particularly from the biological determinants for any sustainable forestry. While economically viable and effective methods of protecting plantations from browsing animals warrant top priority, equally important is to identify and investigate the insect pest, pathogen and rodent problems so as to preserve whatever scanty vegetation already available, and to protect the developing forestry on a sustainable manner. This paper attempts to scan the protection problems for developing a sustainable forestry in and zones and to spell out scientifically designed technology of research priorities.
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