HM Desk
Jammu and Kashmir is one of the mega bio-diversity UT of India. The UT is abundant with the unique and diversified floral and faunal wealth. With 20,441 sq.kms of forest cover, J&K is one of the richest areas of bio-diversity in India. J&K ranks 12th in respect of area under forest cover in India.
The forests of the UT are economically very rich and have great benefits. Jammu and Kashmir State is a forest rich state. Jammu and Kashmir UT lies in the North West of the country, having total geographical area 222,236 sq.kms and its total population is 1,25,48,926(2011 census). About 19.95% of the total geographical area of the state is covered under forests.
Ladakh region receives very less rainfall and is thus devoid of forests contributing only about 0.06% to the state forest area. Around 59% of the geographical area of the state is under permanent snow cover, glaciers and cold desert and thus unable to support trees growth. The national level goal in forestry is to cover at least two thirds of the total area in the hilly regions under forests and trees cover. Jammu and Kashmir regions forests account for 47% of the geographical area while Ladakh region is mostly devoid of tree cover. Jammu and Kashmir adopted its own forest policy to maintain adequate forests in various regions of the state in 2011.
Jammu and Kashmir is one of the most beautiful tourists’ destinations in the world. Forests were generally vested with the government especially after 1947 but rights of local communities, ethnic groups and tribes continued to be part of management. Irrespective of ownership, forests were treated as open or community resources of local population in the limited sense of traditional rights.J&K State is bestowed with different types of forests ranging from sub-tropical to moist temperate and alpines. Per capita forests and tree cover in the state is about 0.15 ha which is almost double the national average i.e. 0.07 ha.
Around 40 per cent of the forest area in J& K state is either dense or very dense. 60% of the total forest area falls in Jammu region and rest falls in Kashmir region. Forests play a significant role for the sustenance of livelihood of rural and urban people. Forests are also important for power development, tourism, agriculture, horticulture etc.
Damage done by the forest fire can be mild or severe. Fire can damage the forest trees, forest soil, and natural herbs, reduces the productive capacity of the forests, affects the wild animals, damages the scenic beauty of the forests, damages various other organisms in the forests etc. In order to manage the forest fire some factors are really needed to be studied. Weather needs to be properly studied which determines the fire environment. Temperature and winds are very important factors for the forest fire.
With the climate change rainfall pattern is also changing. If intermittent summer rains through westerly depressions are not there then it can be a major cause for forest fires. Forest fires do not occur unless there is inflammable material such as dry grasses, shrubs, fallen leaves and fallen woods available in the forest .The more the inflammable material available in the forest, the more severe will be the forest fire.
