2008-'09 - Kerala Forest Research Institute

Annual Report 2008-09
largely confined to certain pockets in southern Kerala occupying not more than
0.014 per cent of the total forest area of Kerala. The enormous biodiversity of the
Myristica swamp forests is noteworthy. The extent of undisturbed mangroves in
Kerala is reduced to just 150 ha mostly distributed in Ernakulam, Kannur and Kozhikode
Districts but the potential area comes to around 1670 ha.
Forest plantations occupy about 14 per cent of the area under forests in Kerala. Teak and
eucalypts have been the principal forest plantation species. Under the World Bank-aided
Social Forestry Programme implemented in 1980's in Kerala, around 20,000 ha were
brought to Social Forestry plantations of Acacia auriculiformis, Eucalyptus tereticornis and
Casuarina equisetifolia.
Non-wood Forest Products (NWFPs) play an important role in the rural economy of
Kerala. There are about 550 species utilized as NWFPs but absence of suitable marketing
channels for these products is a constraint. Natural forests and home gardens are
also the sources of bamboo in Kerala. Palakkad is a major outlet for export of
bamboo to the neighboring states but the quantity traded has been coming down
over years due to depletion. Kerala State Bamboo Corporation is the only agency
concerned with collection of reeds from forests, distribution to registered mat
weavers and sale to other traditional workers. Around 14 species of cane are found
growing in Kerala. The resource depletion of cane in natural forests has led to
large scale import of the same from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Kerala Forest Department has a well developed marketing system including a
network of sales depots. bamboos, reeds and eucalyptus are being allotted yearly to
the industries like HNL. NWFP collected from forests through tribals are marketed
by the Federation of SC/ST Societies. Over the years, timber prices have been on
the increase, import has been going up and export coming down. Over the years,
there has been a decline in demand for wood, primarily due to the use of substitutes
for timber in construction and increased use of LPG.
Eco-tourism has taken off in a big way in Kerala resulting in phenomenal increase in both
the tourist arrivals and earnings from tourism. With increasing urbanization and focus on
wildlife and natural ecosystems, Sanctuaries and National Parks are favorite destinations
for tourists. However, unrestricted tourism in the protected areas may pose a serious
threat to the wildlife and their habitats.
In spite of many governmental programmes, tribal populations in forests are under
deprived conditions. Some of the major problems associated with tribals are acute
poverty, malnutrition, consumption of intoxicants and exploitation by way of
land grabbing by non-tribals which have led to unrest in various tribal pockets.
Forests in the State are managed in consonance with the National Forest Policy which lays
stress on environmental stability and joint forest management. Over the years, the State
has introduced several rules and regulations aimed at the protection of forest resources.
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Kerala Forest Research Institute