Visakhapatnam :

Forest biodiversity in the Eastern Ghats  is undergoing a tremendouschange. Experts at the department of environmental sciences, Andhra University, believe that the hilly slopes in the district are changing for the worse.

The department of environmental sciences estimates that over 80,000 acres of forest land has been permanently destroyed in the last 32 years alone (from 1980-2012). In addition to this, biodiversity in the deciduous forests on the hilly slopes of the Eastern Ghats in the district has virtually gone for a toss.

Pointing out that diversity in flora has a new meaning today,  Professor  A Solomon Raju  said, “Intrusive non-native species are taking over the forest cover and artificial block plantations in many pockets of our reserve are threatening the existence of seasonal native plants in many ‘forested’ areas.”

Over a period of time, many block plantations of tree species like Eucalyptus and timber trees such as Cashew rina have been introduced in the reserve area, resulting in erosion of endemic species peculiar to the Eastern Ghats like Native Basil, Fida, Justicia, Borreria and Merremia that help in soil conservation, increase moisture level and produce organic matter which helps trap carbon.

Agreeing to this, N Govinda Rao, a biotechnologist from  Andhra University  said that the introduction of foreign species in a specific and sensitive ecosystem must be done carefully and care must be taken to ensure that they are friendly towards the ecosystem and not intrusive.

According to experts, the forests in Eastern Ghats are unique, in the sense that they are the most ancient forest cover in the subcontinent. More importantly, thanks to the solid bedrock, they house a vast number of tree species.

The three-tier structure of the forest is predominantly tree based and supported by shrub and herbaceous cover which is conducive to supporting life forms of great variance. The undulating and gentle sloping nature of the Ghats makes it ideal to support a three-tier forest, said sources at the environmental sciences department.

Elaborating on this, professor Solomon Raju said, “The very sloping nature of the Ghats makes a three-tier forest absolutely necessary. The seasonal herbaceous species such as Hyptis and Ocymm are extremely eco-friendly, in the sense that they not only help bind the soil and absorb rain water but also act as generators of organic matter that help the forest sustain.”

Moreover, the sub-tropical nature of the climate ensures that species found in different climatic zones can make a home in the Eastern Ghats. However, experts fear that the very existence of forests in the Eastern Ghats is being threatened due to various reasons today.

The introduction of non-friendly species such as Eucalyptus and Cashew rina is spelling doom for the ethnic nature of the forest, even as illegal mining, excessive urbanisation and shifting cultivation in addition to illegal logging could actually wipe out the forest cover for good, experts pointed out.

“Almost three species of butterflies have been wiped out and honey bees too are a threatened lot. If we do not act today and protect our forest cover, the implications would be serious as pollination itself could be affected. This means that food production would be drastically affected in the long run,” warned Dr Govind Rao .

However, forest department officials defended the decision to opt for quick growing plantations of Acacia, Cashew rina, Eucalyptus, Prosopis (Thumma) and Coffee because the focus was on regenerating tree and land cover in completely denuded areas. “We also need to take into consideration the fact that these trees have a commercial value. After all we cannot have the locals in conflict with the ecosystem. In the process, we try to find a balance. Environmentalists might say that we are compromising, but at least we are doing our bit to regenerate forest cover. At the end of the day, the block plantations can be slowly replaced by a natural forest cover.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com  / Home> Environment / TNN / December 11th, 2012