ISFR 2019 about Carbon Stock, Tree Cover

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) releases the India State of Forest Report(ISFR) every alternate year. It’s the first time the 2019 study has analysed the quality of forest cover and carbon stock, and the kinds of plants and trees found. This endeavour also led to creating the first national forest inventory of forest products.

Important Findings

India’s most densely forested states are Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Odisha, and Maharashtra. It is followed by Meghalaya (85.4%) and Mizoram (85.4%), with Arunachal Pradesh in third place (76.33 %).

Intensification of Forests

• Any area with a tree canopy density greater than 10% and an area larger than one hectare, independent of land use, ownership, or tree species, is included in the national forest cover. Still, there has been a constant decrease in forest cover.      
• 7.12,249 sq km, or 21.67% of the country’s total land area, is covered by forest.
• There is a surplus forest cover in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh; Kerala; J&K; and Himachal Pradesh (334 sq km).
• The North-Eastern region consists of a total forest area of 1,70,541 square kilometres (65.05%).
• A total of 765 square kilometres (0.45 %) of forest cover has been lost in the region. There has been a drop in forest cover in all but Assam and Tripura.

The Forest Cover of Tribal Districts

• 37.54% of the tribal districts’ entire area is covered by forest, which is 4,22,351 sq km. Outside the Recorded Forest Area/Green Wash (RFA/GW), forest cover increased by 1,922 square kilometres while decreasing by 741 square kilometres in tribal districts.
• There has been a sudden increase in tree planting and afforestation efforts outside the forest region due to tribal communities receiving “land titles” (patta), uncommon and opposite to the decrease in forest cover.

Note

Survey of India topographical maps generally depict wooded areas in a light green colour, and this colour is often used to represent these places, similar to the carbon stock.

Percentage increase in the number of trees

Tree Cover

Tree cover is defined as areas smaller than one hectare outside the official forest limits.

2.89% of the country’s land surface is believed to be covered in trees, or 95,027 square kilometres. Tree cover in Maharashtra has increased the most, and horticulture is a big contributor.

Since the last survey in 2019, the total area covered by trees and forests has increased by 5,188 square kilometres, a place that also has tiger reserves. Trees and forest cover covered 24.56% of India’s land area. Previously, the figure was 24.49% of the total.

The National Forest Policy, 1988, in the country’s tree and forest cover has ranged from 21 to 25 %, significantly below the aim of 33%. The country’s mangrove cover has grown by 54 square kilometres since the previous assessment (1.10%), unlike the decreasing tiger reserves.

Carbon Capacity

• Estimates placed the country’s carbon stock at 7124 million tonnes, up 42.6 million tonnes from the previous estimate.
• This shows that India is on course to reach its Paris Agreement pledge of 2,533 million to 2,538 million tonnes of carbon stock.

Wetland areas

• Wetlands cover 8.13% of the RFA/GW.
• India’s largest RFA area of wetlands is found in Gujarat and West Bengal.
• Another way of putting it is this: Maharashtra relies the most on forests for fuelwood, whereas Madhya Pradesh relies the most on feed, small timber, and bamboo for its needs.
• According to the data, 21.40% of the forest cover in the country is high to extremely fire-prone.

Observations made at the ISFR’s annual meeting this year include the following:

• Forest cover in the tribal districts totals 4,22,351 square kilometres or 37.54% of the districts’ total area. 
• According to the most recent data, the RFA/GW tribal districts’ forest cover has shrunk by 741 square kilometres, while the area outside of those districts has grown by 1,922 square kilometres.
• There is a total forest cover of 1,70,541 square kilometres in the North-Eastern region, or 65.05 % of the land area. 
• As per the latest statistics, there has been a reduction in the area’s forest cover of 765 square kilometres (0.45%). 
• There has been a drop in forest cover in all but Assam and Tripura. Since the last survey, the country’s mangrove area has expanded by 54 square kilometres (1.10 %).
• The country’s total bamboo-bearing area covers 1,60,037 square kilometres.
• At 7,124.6 million metric tonnes, the forest’s carbon store has grown by 3,229 square kilometres since the 2017 ISFR estimate. Since the last assessment in 2017, the country’s carbon stock has grown by 42.6 million metric tonnes. Each year, an additional 78.1 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, or 21.3 million tonnes, are added.

Conclusion:

The ISFR 2019 is of great importance since it helps us assess the extent of environmental degradation. It is also a great asset in brainstorming solutions to challenges in protecting our country’s forest cover and biodiversity in general.