Silvlcultural and Management Options of JFM

Abstract

The Joint Forest Management looks for a forestry design that matches and caters the needs of varied forest produce of local population in the shortest possible time. The suitable management and silvicultural initiative should be capable of matching the product basket with the needs of local people. Their income generation and employment opportunities are also to be looked after. As the regeneration of degraded land should be cost effective and remunerative, emphasis is laid on coppicing and cut-back of existing rootstock, inducement of natural regeneration, seedling, gap plantation, soil and moisture conservation works as well as enrichment with Non-Timber Forest Produce yielding trees.At the same time tending operations, thinning and harvesting regime are adjusted such that multiple forest products are available to the community without reducing potential of the resource. It has also been found that JFM in degraded forest land is a financially viable proposition, however highly degraded patches should be kept outside the JFM system. Silvicultural models and management design of JFM are site specific and depend upon resource, resource environment and use community. Care has to be taken for bio-diversity conservation as well as enrichment of native species required locally. With these consideration an illustrative typical silvicultural and management model applied in JFM areas of South Gujarat has been detailed. The basic concepts for designing the site-specific options are discussed and substantiated with examples from Gujarat.