--> -->

Survey and Exploration of Natural Resources

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Exploration of plant resources of the country and identification of plant species with economic virtues is carried out by the Botanical survey of India (BSI), established on 13 February 1890 and its various circles.

During the successive plan periods, the functional base of Botanical Survey of India was expanded to include various new areas such as inventorising of endemic, rare and threatened plant species; evolving conservation strategies; studies on fragile ecosystems and protected areas like Sanctuaries, National Park and Biosphere Reserve; monitoring of changes in floristic components; conservation; multiplication and maintenance of germplasm of plant genetic resources, endemic and threatened species, wild ornamentals, etc.

In Botanic Gardens ethnobotanical and geobotanical studies and development of National Database of Herbarium (including type specimens) and live collections, plant genetic resources, plant distribution and nomenclature.

The Botanical survey of India undertakes exploration, inventorisation and documentation of phytodiversity in general and protected areas, hotspots, fragile ecosystems and sacred groves in particular and publication of National State and District Foras to evaluate the qualitative changes in speciesrich and sensitive areas; ex-situ conservation of critically threatened taxa in botanical gardens and identification of species with traditional economic used and preparation of protocols for their conservation and sustainable utilization.

Botanical survey of India has its headquarters at Kolkata nd nine circle offices located in different regions of the country. Seventy field/exploration/collection tours were undertaken by the Botanical survey of India and its different circles during the year and more than 9,500 specimens including lower group of plants have been collected.

About 3,500 specimens belonging to 720 species were identified by Botanical survey of India. Three rare and endemic plants, are from North East, other from West Bengal and another from Andaman and Nicobar have been collected after 50 years or more.

Fauna

Survey, exploration and research leading to advancement of knowledge on the exceptionally rich faunal diversity of the country is carried out by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), established in 1916 with its headquarter at Kolkata and sixteen Regional Stations located in different parts of the country. ZSI in recent years, has reoriented its plan of work by grouping the survey and studies under five major programmes viz.,

1. Fauna of states
2. Fauna of conservation areas
3. Fauna of important ecosystems,
4. Status survey of endangered species, and
5. Ecological studies/environment impact assessment survey.

Sixty-four extensive faunal surveys were undertaken to different state/union territories including important ecosystems and some selected conservation/protected areas. Two status surveys one for Wild Buffalo in Western Orissa and another for small travancore flying squirrel in Kerala was also conducted.

One environment impact assessment survey was conducted in connection with the extension of Damodar Valley Thermal Power Project and another in connection with the Hydroelectric project in Pithoragarh District (Dhauli and Gauriganga of Uttaranchal state). Besides, several short duration intensive surveys for ecological studies were also undertaken. Detailed taxonomic studies were carried out on the material collected during these surveys as well as earlier surveys.

Ecological studies including status survey of endangered animals were continued. The National Zoological Collection was enriched by the addition of 15,239 identified specimens belonging to 698 species of fauna during 2004-05.

Forests

The Forests survey of India (FSI), an organization of the ministry, is engaged in generating information and database on forest cover and forest resources in a country besides providing training, research and extension. The present mandate of FSI is to prepare a comprehensive state of Forest report (SFR) including national vegetation map (NVM) once in every two years.

FSI also prepares thematic maps through use of remote sensing data with minimum essential ground truth verification (most ground-truth verification would be done by the respective state governments) on a ten year cycle.

The headquarters of organization is at Dehradun. The activities of FSI include

1. Vegetation mapping including thematic maps through use of satellite imageries/aerial photographs.
2. Ground truth verification
3. Growing stock and volume assessment
4. To undertake work in regard to preparation of forest inventory in selected State/Ups on agency basis till the establishment of their own resources survey units.
5. To impart training in modern forest survey techniques to foresters at various levels of responsibilities in the States/UTs/GOI.
6. To advise the State/UTs on design and development of regional NBFIS
7. To support and oversee techniques/inventory work undertaken by State/UT Forest Departments.

The country areas have been inventorised and about 140 reports have been published so far by FSI. The is also in the process of carrying out assessment of Trees Outside Forest (TOF), both rural and urban for which necessary statistical techniques have been evolved by the FSI. During 2005, the SFR 2003 has been published which provide comprehensive status of Forest and Tree Covers in the country.

Share This

Popularity: 31% [?]

Tags: Botanical survey of India, Fauna, flora, Forests, india, Natural Resources, Survey and Exploration