Forest Types of India — Set 16

Correct Answer: B. Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand is known for the Chipko movement, which began in 1973 in the Garhwal Himalayas when villagers in Mandal and Reni villages hugged trees to prevent logging. The movement spread across the Kumaon and Garhwal Himalayas. Led by figures like Sunderlal Bahuguna, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, and Gaura Devi, Chipko became a landmark environmental movement that influenced forest policy nationally. The word 'Chipko' means 'to hug' or 'to embrace' in Hindi.

Correct Answer: B. Sites notified by State Governments under the Biological Diversity Act for rich biodiversity

Biodiversity Heritage Sites are areas of significant biodiversity notified by State Governments under the Biological Diversity Act 2002. These sites may be on government or private lands and are managed with community participation. Examples include Nallur Tamarind Grove in Karnataka and Arittapatti village in Tamil Nadu. Nallur is notable for a grove of 54 ancient tamarind trees. These sites receive conservation support while allowing sustainable community use.

Correct Answer: B. Funding forest development activities and afforestation in states

Forest Development Tax is collected by state governments on timber and forest produce extraction to fund forest development activities and afforestation programmes in those states. The revenue is used for forest protection, afforestation, road construction in forest areas, and welfare of forest-dependent communities. This tax creates a dedicated fund for forest reinvestment. The concept ensures that profits from forest extraction contribute to forest renewal and management.

Correct Answer: B. Madhya Pradesh

Patalkot is a unique deep forest valley located in the Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh in the Satpura Range. It is a roughly 1200-metre deep bowl-shaped valley surrounded by high cliffs, isolated from the outside world. The Bharia tribal community has lived in this forest valley for centuries. The valley has unique microclimate and forest cover with diverse flora and fauna. It is named 'Patalkot' meaning underground valley as it appears inaccessible from surrounding hills.

Correct Answer: B. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — assesses scientific evidence on climate change including forest-climate links

IPCC stands for Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, established by the UN in 1988 to assess scientific evidence on climate change and its impacts. The IPCC provides authoritative reports on how forests contribute to climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration and how climate change threatens forests through increased fires, drought, and pest outbreaks. India uses IPCC guidelines for reporting greenhouse gas emissions from forests (Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry sector) under the UNFCCC.

Correct Answer: B. Right of tribal and forest-dwelling communities to live in and access forest resources that they have traditionally depended on

The Forest Rights Act 2006 primarily recognised the right of Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers to live in and access forest resources that they have traditionally depended on for centuries. This included rights over land tilled before 2005, rights to collect minor forest produce, rights to community forest resources, and rights to protect and manage forests. The Act acknowledged that colonial forest laws had denied these communities their traditional rights and created historical injustice.

Correct Answer: B. Alpine scrub and meadows

Alpine scrub and meadows are found between the tree line (approximately 3500-4000 metres) and snow line in the Himalayas. The tree line marks the upper limit of tree growth where conditions become too harsh. Above the tree line, dwarf shrubs, cushion plants, rhododendron shrubs, and alpine grasses (bugyals) grow until replaced by permanent snow and glaciers. These alpine meadows are important summer pastures for Gaddi, Gujjar, and other pastoral communities.

Correct Answer: B. A protected area notified by the state government on community or government lands where communities have a key role in management

Community Reserve is a protected area category created under the Wildlife Protection Act (amended 2002), notified by State Governments on community or government lands where communities have traditionally lived and practiced sustainable livelihood activities. It is managed by a Community Reserve Management Committee. Community Reserves in India include Senchal Lake in West Bengal and Khijadiya in Gujarat. This category bridges the gap between strictly protected National Parks and unprotected forests by incorporating community participation.

Correct Answer: B. Demand by forest-rich states for financial compensation from forest-poor states for maintaining forests

Green Bonus is the demand by forest-rich states (like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha) for financial compensation from less forested states for maintaining large forest areas that provide ecosystem services (clean air, water, carbon sequestration) to the entire country. These states argue that they forgo development revenues by protecting forests and deserve fiscal transfers for this ecological service. The Finance Commission has started acknowledging this by including forest cover as a criterion for devolution of central taxes to states.

Correct Answer: B. Growing single-species tree crops on large areas, criticised for low biodiversity compared to natural forests

Plantation Forestry involves growing single-species or few-species tree crops on large areas primarily for timber, pulpwood, or fuel production. While plantations can produce timber efficiently and sequester carbon, they are criticised for lower biodiversity compared to natural forests, less complex structure, vulnerability to pests and diseases, and providing fewer ecosystem services. In India, eucalyptus and teak plantations have replaced diverse natural forests in some areas. Modern plantation forestry increasingly incorporates multi-species and mixed species approaches.