Extraction of Non-Timber Forest Products in the Forests of Biligiri Rangan Hills, India. 4. Impact on Floristic Diversity and Population Structure in a Thorn Scrub Forest

Impact of extraction of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) was analyzed in a thorn scrub forest in Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) wildlife sanctuary, India. Six species are most commonly extracted from BRT scrub for subsistence and income generation by an aboriginal tribe, the Soliga. Although the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Economic botany 1998-07, Vol.52 (3), p.302-315
Main Authors: Shankar, Uma, Murali, K. S., Shaanker, R. Uma, Ganeshaiah, K. N., Bawa, K. S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Anthropogenic factors
Biological and medical sciences
Deciduous forests
Forest ecology
Forest products
Forest protection
Forest regeneration
Forestry
Forests
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General forest ecology
Generalities. Production, biomass. Quality of wood and forest products. General forest ecology
Human influences
Non-timber forest resources
Population structure
Scrub
Species
Sustainable agriculture
Synecology
Terrestrial ecosystems
Timber
Tropical forests
Tropical rain forests
Understory
Vegetation
Wildlife
Wildlife refuges
Wildlife sanctuaries
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Summary:Impact of extraction of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) was analyzed in a thorn scrub forest in Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) wildlife sanctuary, India. Six species are most commonly extracted from BRT scrub for subsistence and income generation by an aboriginal tribe, the Soliga. Although the forest has been provided protection from indiscriminate felling since 1978 under a wildlife sanctuary cover, changes in vegetation structure are still occurring as a consequence of anthropogenic pressure in the form of extraction of fuelwood and other NTFPs. The results indicate that large woody species are being replaced by small woody species. The population structure also is becoming increasingly skewed to the smaller size classes due to extraction-bound mortality of the individuals, particularly those >7 cm dbh and above. The data suggest that the scrub community itself may be a manifestation of long persisting anthropogenic pressure in the form of extraction of a variety of forest products, and it currently represents a downward transition from a deciduous forest to a shrub thicket.
ISSN:0013-0001
1874-9364
DOI:10.1007/BF02862149