India 2018

196 India 2018
inventory. The outcome of this inventory is estimation of growing stock according
to species and diameter classwise at national levels. In addition to inventory of
forests, Trees Outside Forest (TOF) resources are also inventoried concurrently
to provide a national estimate of growing stock of TOF on a two year cycle.
About 10,000 sample plots are laid out in TOF areas. In the recent past TOF
resources have gained importance because of their increasing role in meeting
the needs of wood based industries and society. The outcome of the TOF
inventory is estimation of growing stock in TOF areas, estimation of production
of wood from TOF and tree cover.
India State of Forest Report-2015 (ISFR-2015) was published in December,
2015. In this report, chapters on 'Tree cover', 'Growing stock', and 'Important
characteristics of India's Forest on different forest type groups', are based on the
field inventory of forests. These chapters give information about tree cover,
species and diameter wise growing stock, carbon stock estimates and information
on various important characteristics of India's forest on parameters such as soil
depth classes, humus, soil organic carbon, soil erosion, forest vegetation, crops,
biotic influence, etc.
New National Forest Inventory Design
A new sampling design for national forest inventory was implemented by FSI
from February, 2016. The new design is grid based instead of district based as
used earlier. The main advantages of new design would be to reduce the revisit
time of forest inventory from 20 years to 5 years, to generate state level estimates
with better accuracy. In the new design, many new parameters such as NTFP,
invasive species, availability of water near sample plot, etc., were added.
International Tropical Timber Organization
The International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA) was negotiated under
United Nation Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD's) auspices
to provide an effective framework for cooperation and consultation among
countries producing and consuming tropical timber promote the expansion and
diversification of international trade in tropical timber and the improvement of
structural conditions in the tropical timber market; promote and support research
and development to improve forest management and wood utilization. The
ITTA, 1983 established the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO),
headquartered at Yokohama, Japan, which provides a framework of tropical
timber producer and consumer countries to discuss, exchange information and
develop policies on issues relating to international trade, utilization of, tropical
timber and the sustainable management of its reources base. The ITTO also
administers assistance for related projects. At present, the ITTO has 73 members
divided into two categories; producer countries (35 members) and consumer
countries (38 members). India is a founder member (producer country category)
of ITTO which aims for conserving tropical forest and assisting countries to
develop economically in the field of forestry.