COMMONWEALTH ASSOCATION FOR EDUCATION,
ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT
ISSN NO 2322-0147
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5
MAY 2014
Sustainable Biodiversity in Natural V/s Man-Made
Forest of West Bengal: An Assessment
INDEXED WITH PARIS, DAIS.NET, DRJI, WORLDCAT, EBSCO-USA, J-GATE
(EDITOR-IN-CHIEF)
DR MUJIBUL HASAN SIDDIQUI
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,
ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY,
ALIGARH-202002,
UTTAR PRADESH,
INDIA
website: www.ocwjournalonline.com
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Research (Multi- subject journal)
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Sustainable Biodiversity in Natural V/s Man-Made Forest of West Bengal: An
Assessment
Subhankar Ghosh
Research Scholar,
Department of Education,
Visva-Bharati,
Santiniketan-731235
Emal id: sghosh.edu.vb@gmail.com
Sk Mahim Ali
Research Scholar,
Department of Environmental Studies,
Siksha-Bhavana,
Visva- Bharati,
Santiniketan-731235
Email Id: askmahim@gmail.com
Pratik Bandyopadhyay
M.Sc. Student,
Department of Zoology,
Centre for Advance Studies,
Siksha-Bhavana,
Visva-Bharati,
Santiniketan-731235
Email Id: pratikrocks91@gmail.com
Abstract
Forests are the chief habitat for much of the world’s biodiversity. All over the world,
planted or man-made forests stand for an increasing proportion of the forest area and also
partly compensate for the loss of natural forest in terms of ecological functionand habitat for
biodiversity. Now a day’s biodiversity is increasingly recognized as a very important factor for
assessing environmental changes and sustainable developmental activities. It does a great job in
the functioning of ecosystems. Not only that the well-known aspect of biodiversity is used
astaxonomical arrangement of species in naked eye. To know the significance of biodiversity in
terms of the differences between a Man-Made Forest and a Natural Forest, a comparative study
has been done inBallavpur Wildlife Sanctuary (man-made forest)andChipkuthi Forest (natural
forest).On the basis of the species richness and evenness of animals and plants, a large
numberof species have been identifiedin both two forests. This paper deals with the species
richness between theChipkuthi forestandthe Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary for measuring the
sustainability of biodiversity.
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Keywords:Sustainable Biodiversity,Natural forest, Man-made forest, Species richness
“Biodiversity is nature’s creation and for sustainable development this asset must be conserved
by humankind for its own existence”
-S.B. Mahato, Presidential Address, 100th ISC, 2013
Introduction
Since the very pre-historic timeof the earthforests are significant for the global
biodiversity &the condition of goods & services for humans&the regulation of the climate. It
provides a range of ecosystem services.Biodiversity in a given area is usually evaluated through
surveys quantifying species richness of different taxonomic groups. The correlates & cause of
species diversity have long intrigued naturalists & ecologists (e.g., Clements 1916; Hutchinson
1959, Huston 1979, May 1988).The main three views of biodiversity delimiting its sense
regarding the basic idea of biodiversity are - species diversity, genetic diversity & habitat
diversity. The correct view of biodiversity depends on the characteristics of the problem
situation. Production Forests with low biodiversity tend to be more susceptible to disturbance &
environmental change than natural forests (Lugo, 1997; Carnus et al., 2006). But natural forests
are among the largest partof species-rich environment on earth, making them critical reservoirs
formany groups of biota (Gill 1995; Crozier et al. 1999)&also key stores of forest carbon (Metz
2007; Mackey2008). Forestmanagement will have its intense effects on biodiversity & human
existence both in direct & indirect way. When man-made forests are managed to meet production
targets they may fail to provide the adequate conditions for the establishment or persistence of
more sensitive species (Endels et al., 2004; Fraterrigo et al., 2005). Moreover, protected areas
(PAs), although the most effective way to conserve biodiversity (Terborgh et al., 2002), are by
themselves inadequate to conserve biodiversity in the long-term (Rosenzweig, 2003).
Approximately half of the earth’s closed-canopy tropical forest has already been converted to
other uses, & the population of tropical countries, having almost trebled since 1950, is projected
to grow by a further 2 billion by 2030 (Wright, 2005). Therefore, it’s very important to get
information& predict about the sustainability offorest health in relation to biodiversity.
Biodiversity & Sustainability
Biodiversity is the richness &variety of life maintaining the health of the earth.It is the
foundation of ecosystem services to which human well-being is intimately linked.The
biodiversity of an ecosystem contributes to the sustainability of that particular ecosystem. Over
the time period,sustainability of an ecosystem is the ability to maintain its structure & function in
the face of external stress.Nature has its own way of maintaining balance in biodiversity.
HighBiodiversity implies that there are more potential solutions to survival for new scenarios in
the future. It also implies that more information about survival is stored in DNA that is active in
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the ecosystem. Therefore, if we have more &more biodiversity in ecosystem it will likely to be
more sustainable for future life to survive unpredictable events.LowBiodiversityrefers to the low
sustainability. The local loss of an essential species can disrupt ecosystem services for a long
time. Changes in the interactions between species can also lead to negative impacts on ecosystem
processes.It is essential for developing the capacity of ecosystem & providing support to
minimize the biodiversity loss for sustainable development.
Ecosystem
Biodiversity
Sustainability
Fig-1:Sustainability and Biodiversity of an Ecosystem
Objectives of the study
1. To know the differences of the ecosystem & biodiversity between natural forest &manmade forest.
2. To estimate which one is healthier &ecologically important forest.
Methodology
Study area
The present study was conducted in two dry deciduous type forests viz., Ballavpur
Wildlife Sanctuary (2 km2) &Chipkuthi Forest(3 km2) in West Bengal during December,
2013& January, 2014.BallavpurWildlife Sanctuary,a man-made forest (also a protected area)
issituated near Santiniketan, West Bengal at approximately 23°41'N & 87°40'E with an average
altitude of 56 m from sea level. It is an arid region &a part of western plateau region of west
Bengal. Chipkuthi forest, a natural forest,is situated in Sriniketan, West Bengal at
approximately 23°29´N & 87°42´E with an average altitude of 58.9 m from sea level. Prevalent
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soils in both the forests are hardy, rocky &sandy red lateritic soil made up of gravel& the
temperature varies from 60C (in winter) to 440C (in summer) having maximum humidity 85% &
minimum 55%. The average annual rain fall in the region is 137cm.
Procedure
We went to the Ballavpur & Chipkuthi forest in December, 2013& January, 2014through
proper permission & enlisted the name of the plants& animals present in the twoforestsalso took
the photograph. The unidentified small specimens (both plant & animal) were brought to the
laboratory. The bigger specimens were identified by the photographs.Then comparison was done
between the two forests for evaluated which was the healthy forest.
Observation &Results
1. Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary
The forest of Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary is a created forest having three water bodies.
Soon after the Forest Department acquired this land, they started to raise block plantation in the
degraded barren land area in a phase manner since 1954.Here mainly large treesare the
producers.
Table-1: Trees of Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary
Sl.No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Common
Name
Sal
Sonajhuri
Sissoo
Kaju
Minjiri
Amloki
Haritaki
Bahera
Mohua
Jam
Aam
Tentul
Rain tree
Pea sal
Chironji
Palash
Bot
Scientific Name
Shorea robusta
Acacia auriculiformis
Dalbergia sissoo
Anacardium occidentale
Cassia siamea
Emblica officinalis
Terminalia chebula
Terminalia balerica
Modhuca longifolia
Syzygium cumini
Mangifera indica
Tamarindus indica
Samanea saman
Pterocarpus marsupium
Buchanania lanzan
Butea monosperma
Ficus benghalensis
Remark on the Occurrence &
Distribution
These are the dominant species of this
sanctuary. They altogether cover almost
50% of total land area.
These are the secondary dominant
species cover almost 30% of total land
area. These trees were planted to
provide supplementary food to the
spotted deer species that is the target
species of this sanctuary.
These tree species are found
sporadically over the 2nd& 3rd phase of
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18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
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Sirish
Albizia lebbeck
the sanctuary. Among them some were
Arjun
Terminalia arjuna
planted to provide leaf fodder to the
Gamar
Gmelina arborea
spotted
deer
e.g.
Ficus
Simul
Bombax ceiba
bengalensis&Azadiracta indica. Some
Segun
Tectona grandis
trees are Sal associates such as Piyal,
Neem
Azadiracta indica
Pea-sal, Arjun etc. altogether cover 20%
Mahaneem
Alianthus excelsa
of land area.
Kend
Diospyros melanoxylon
Jarul
Lagerstroemia speciosa
Lohakut
Xylia dolabriformis
Source: Forest Office, Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary, W.B.
Apart from these tree species, some shrubs with medicinal value are quite pre dominant
in these sanctuary. They are mostly found in lands near to the water bodies, they are- Kalmegh
(Andrographis paniculata), Anantamul, Bantulsi, Surja sisir. Some more plants found in this
sanctuary are -Vernonia cinerea, Gnaphalium indicum, Eclipta alba, Erigeron sp., Aerva lanata,
Achyranthes aspera, Altarnanthera sp., Justicia diffusa, Rubus sp, Spathodea. Sp., Hygrophila
auriculata, Borreria sp., Holarrhena Antidysenterica, Evolvulus alsinoides, Solanum nigrum,
Alstonia
scholaris,
Ipomoea
obscura,
Solanum
sisymbriifolium,
Hybanthus
enneaspermus,Croton bonplandianus, Cestrum sp., Calotropis gigantea, Melilotus albus,
Lindenbergia indica, Pteris sp., Crotalaria trifoliate, Clerodendrum infortunatum, Cheilanthes
sp, Sida cordata, Lantana camara.Among these some plant are medicinally & economically very
important & some are used by the tribal people.Besides these some fungus like Lycoperdon sp.,
Agaricus sp., Termitomycessp., Ganoderma sp., Polyporus sp. etc. are present in this sanctuary.
Table-2: Flora of Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary and Chipkuthi Forest
Plants
Trees
Common
Name
Sal
Sonajhuri
Bandar Lathi
Type 1
Sirish
Sisoo
Chhatim
Type 2
Neem
Mahagony
Bat
Ashwatha
Numbers in
Ballavpur Wildlife
Sanctuary
1-3
4-9
≥10
Numbers in
Chipkuthi
Forest
1-3
4-9
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
Remarks
≥10
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
Dipterocarpaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Apocynaceae
Semirubiaceae
Meliaceae
Meliaceae
Moraceae
Moraceae
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Shrub
Herb
Under
Growth
SaproPhytes
Kaju
Jaam
Khejur
Type-1
Type-1
Neel
Type-2
Type-3
Moss
Lichen
Algae
Puff ball
Type-1
Bracket
fungi-1
Bracket
fungi-2
Type-2
Type-3
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Anacardiaceae
Myrtaceae
Aerecaceae
Solanaceae
Malvaceae
Fabaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Acanthaceae
Dark redcapsules
Have grey patches
Green coloured ,
Spread on tree bark
White globular
Black globular
Brown brackets
√
√
Small white cups
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
Yellow scaley
Orange coloured
protuberances
Source: Field Survey at Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary and Chipkuthi Forest
The Table-2 shows that the biodiversity of flora is more or less same in the two forests
and no significant changes in the richness of flora is seen. Sal&Sonajhuri are the dominant flora
in both of the two forests followed by Moss & Algae.
b)
a)
Fig-2:Dominant Flora of Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary & Chipkuthi Forest
a) Sal
b) Sonajhuri
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Table-3: Faunaof Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary and Chipkuthi Forest
Fauna
Arthropoda
Termite
Beetle
Fly &
Mosquito
Millipede
Grasshopper
Dragon fly
Wood
roaches
Moth
Common
Name
Ant-1
Kath
pimpde
Ant-2
Ant-3
Ant-4
Ant-5
Ant-6
Type-1
Type-1
Type-2
Bumble bee
House fly
Mosquito
Type-1
Type-1
Type-1
Type-2
Larva-1
Type-1
Type-2
Type-3
Type-4
Type-1
Type-2
Type-1
Type-2
Type-3
Type-4
Numbers in
Ballavpur Wildlife
Sanctuary
1-3
4-9 ≥10
Numbers in
Chipkuthi
Forest
1-3 4-9 ≥10
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
Red with black strips
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
Large black
Thorax is red
Grey
Small black
Small red
Black winged
Winged
Large, with orange
coloured head
White with black spots
√
√
Remarks
√
√
√
√
Black
Reddish brown
Mosaic brown
Grey
Large red
Small red
Large green
Small green
√
√
√
√
√
√
Brown moth
Brown butterfly
Yellow butterfly
Orange butterfly
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&
√
√
√
Type-5
Type-6
√
Type-7
Butterfly
Spiders
Reptilians
Snake
Ave
Cuckoo
Perching
birds
Deer
Type-8
Type-9
Type-10
Larva-2
Type-1
Type-2
Type-3
Type-4
Type-5
Type-6
Type-7
Type-8
Type-1
Type-1
Bee eater
Type-1
Sparrow
Crow
Chatter
Chital
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√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
Orange butterfly
Orange butterfly with
brown wing venations
Orange butterfly with
black spots on wings
Blue butterfly
White butterfly
Grey butterfly
Black spiny
Brown
Dark brown
Brown with a pair of
basal appendages
Light coloured
Black
Immature white
Green
Very small black
Brown rough skin
Whitish
√
√
√
√
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Black
Brown
Black
Brown
Brown spotted with
antlers
Type-1
√
Squirrels
√
Ashy
Indian Jackal Type-1
√
Source: Field Survey at Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary and Chipkuthi Forest
a)
b)
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Fig-3:Dominant Fauna in Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary & Chipkuthi Forest
a) Chital deer (in Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary),b) Kath pimde (in Chipkuthi Forest)
The Table-3 shows that the variety of fauna is very much higher in Chipkuthi Forest than
the Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary. But Chital deer (Fig-3) is the only dominant species of
Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary and not found in Chipkuthi Forest.
Conclusion
There are many measures of biodiversity where species richness (the number of species in a
given area) represents a single but important metric that is valuable as the common currency of
the diversity of life. But it must be integrated with other metrics to fully capture
biodiversity.Here, the number of producers is much more than that of the consumers in both
forest ecosystems. Animals, mostly dear & birds in Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuaryare directly or
indirectly depended on producers. Among the trees Acacia auriculiformis&Shorea robusta are
most common in the two forests including plenty of mush-room.It is also found that the number
of representative is goes up to the trophic level which is most common for all sustainable
ecosystems. In this way it forms the biomes pyramid of forest ecosystem. But the diversity or
variety of species is much more in the Chipkuthi Forestthan the Ballavpur Wildlife
Sanctuary.The Chipkuthi Forest is denser than the Ballavpur Forest. Sothe study reveals that the
Chipkuthi Forestis much healthier than theBallavpur Wildlife Sanctuary.Therefore, it can be
said that the biodiversity of natural forests are much more sustainable than the man-made forests.
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