Climate change hitting forests, says Dhumal
April 1st, 2011 - 5:38 pm ICT by IANSShimla, April 1 (IANS) Many trees are dying in Himachal Pradesh forests due to change in climatic conditions, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said here Friday.
Due to climatic, edaphic and physiological factors, the trees are drying in the forests, Dhumal said in the state assembly.
He said since the Supreme Court has banned tree felling in the state, dead trees are only being collected by the state-run Himachal Pradesh State Forests Corporation Ltd every year.
Chil and khair species of the trees were removed from lower hills, and deodar, fir and spruce from high-altitude areas, he added.
During the last three years, the corporation has removed 80,90,17 cubic metres of various species and 49,971-metre girth of khair trees from across the state.
However, the removal of dead, drying and diseased trees is not allowed from national parks and wildlife sanctuaries as per the Supreme Court order of Feb 14, 2000.
According to official records, 66 percent - 37,033 sq km of the total 55,643 sq km - of the Himalayan state is under forest cover.
The lush green valleys and snow-capped mountains of the state are home to 36 percent of the country’s species of birds. Of the 1,228 species that have been reported in India, 447 are found in this state alone.
Similarly, 77 species of mammals - from the spectacular snow leopard to the common Himalayan Tahr, a type of wild goat - have been recorded by the Himachal State Council for Science, Technology and Environment in its biodiversity report.
- Depleting forest cover major issue in Himachal assembly - Apr 13, 2011
- Himachal to set up climate study centre - Mar 09, 2011
- Himachal to have climate change centre - Dec 31, 2011
- Dhumal administers green pledge to public - Jun 05, 2012
- Deodar revival project launched in Shimla - Sep 06, 2009
- Fires ravage 20,000 hectares of Himachal forests in two months (With Images) - Jun 28, 2012
- Forest fires ravage Himachal flora, fauna (With Images) - Jun 29, 2009
- Forest ponds in Himachal to harvest rainwater - Aug 23, 2009
- Endangered pheasant species multiply in Himalayan park (With Image) - May 08, 2012
- Himachal battling lantana to save native plants - Mar 12, 2011
- To save environment, Himachal schools take pledge - May 04, 2010
- Rains keep forest fires away in Himachal - Jun 10, 2011
- 9,000 trees to be cut in Himachal: Dhumal - Mar 17, 2011
- $200 mn World Bank loan to Himachal for green development - Jul 27, 2012
- Himachal ready for another massive plantation drive - Aug 03, 2009
Tags: climate change, corporation ltd, cubic metres, dead trees, diseased trees, green valleys, himalayan state, himalayan tahr, national parks and wildlife, parks and wildlife, physiological factors, shimla, snow capped mountains, snow leopard, species of birds, spectacular snow, state forests, technology and environment, wild goat, wildlife sanctuaries