Mission on to regreen forests with lost native species

Surat: In an effort to conserve native flora and regreen the state’s forests with its almost extinct native species of trees, a major step is being taken towards conserving and promoting these native species through seed collection.
Spearheading the movement, Silviculture and Forest Utilization circle (Silva) at Rajpipla in Narmada district, has collected seeds of about 112 native trees from different forests areas, especially the eastern belt of the state, including seven of critically endangered species. The rest include seven endangered species, 19 near-threatened, and 17 vulnerable trees.
Silva, one of the research wings of the state’s forest department, started the journey by collecting seeds of around 60 native tree species, and this year it has collected about 112 native tree species. This requires extensive fieldwork to find critically endangered and other rare species in the remote forest areas including those of Dang and Ratanmahal.
Forest officers at Silva hope to raise more than 10 lakh saplings of such rare plant species in 2020-21, which will then be planted in Gujarat’s forest areas.
"We have launched a mega drive of collecting more than 100 native tree seeds from forest areas this year. Many of them are vulnerable, endangered, threatened and endemic to the western belt of our country. Due to habitat fragmentation and other reasons native trees pertain to Gujarat are becoming rare,” Dr Minal Jani, assistant conservator of forests, Silva circle, told TOI.
"Restoring native plant habitat is fundamental for preserving biodiversity and functioning of ecosystems. They are the ecological basis upon which life depends, including birds, animals and people,” Dr Jani said, adding that trees like Timru (Tendu patta, Coromandel Ebony) and Karamda (Karanda) are favourite to sloth bears and other animals will be planted in their habitats.
At many places, rare trees were found but without seeds and flowers, while other species like Wrightia dolichocarpa (Moti Kudi) and Toona ciliata (toon) were found after 30 years but from places not reported earlier, said the officer.
Trees with greater longevity like Kumbhio (Wild Guava), Saadad (Indian Laurel), Mahudo (Indian Butter Tree), Behada (Beach almond), Chamoli (Pore Leaved Bauhinia) among many others help in combating climate change by locking carbon dioxide and conserving water, the officer added.