Forest protection and regeneration under joint forest planning and management in Eastern Plains and Western Ghats of Karnataka, India

Joint forest management in Karnataka, India was initiated in the Western Ghats and Eastern Plains. In Western Ghats, multispecies model was adopted, while in Eastern Plains 13 silvicultural models were adopted, of which assisted natural regeneration accounted for 43% of the plantation area that had rootstock. In addition, pre-JFPM plantations raised under social forestry were also included under JFM area in Eastern Plains. An ecological study showed that plantation approach in the Western Ghats and pre-JFPM model of Eastern Plains are comparable with high biomass and lower species diversity, and the Eastern Plains JFM areas are characterised by higher biodiversity index, lesser tree density, above ground biomass and mean annual increments.

Keywords: joint forest management, Karnataka, India, biodiversity, biomass, community forestry, sustainable development, environment, ecology, forest protection, assisted natural regeneration, tree density