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Assam tops in biological diversity
Guwahati, June 24: Notwithstanding the onslaught by encroachers and poachers, who are out to degrade the forestry in Assam, the state still enjoys the privilege of being the most biologically diverse area in the whole of South Asia.
Guwahati, June 24: Notwithstanding the onslaught by encroachers and poachers, who are out to degrade the forestry in Assam, the state still enjoys the privilege of being the most biologically diverse area in the whole of South Asia.
The state of Assam presents the transitional zone between the Indian, Indo-Malayan and Indo-Chinese biogeographical region.
According to a state department forest journal, vegetation in Assam is primarily of tropical type covering areas of evergreen, semi-green and deciduous forests and grasslands.
There are 3107 species of flowering plants, a good number of medicinal plants including endangered and endemic species, the journal says.
The state is also rich in bamboo and cane diversity having 42 species of bamboo and 14 species of cane spread over the vast area.
About 192 species of orchids are distributed in the plains and hilly areas of the state while a large part of the state stands covered by wetlands rich in both flowering and non-flowering varieties of 102 species. Not only in terms of plant diversity the state is also rich in animal diversity having forests which are extremely rich and diverse with wide varieties of primates, carnivores, herbivores and birds.
About 190 species of mammals and more than 800 subspecies of birds have so far been reported from the state while the wildlife areas of the state house nearly 44 types of endangered and rare species of mammals and 14 types of reptiles and amphibia.
Altogether around 230 forms of species of primates are present in Assam which also includes the only ape of India, the hoolock gibbon and eight cat species.
Assam also has the distinction of housing the entire known world population of pygmy hog, 75 per cent of the world population of the Indian rhinoceros and wild buffalo and a sizeable number of Asian elephant and tigers.
Reptiles also constitute an important vertebrate group and with its varied topography and habitat, the state supports rich species of reptilian fauna. Assam has also diversified amphibian fauna and so far 185 species belonging to 98 genes under 34 families are recorded of which 33 are endemic to the region while 25 species have been found to be threatened.
Another notable feature is that the state also provides a home to more than half of about 1500 species of butterflies found in the country.
However, encroachers and poachers have made the rich plant and animal reserve of the state their target prompting the authorities to frame a solid management policy of bio-diversity.
State Forest Minister Pradyut Bordoloi says of late there has been stress on conservation of bio-diversity to make sustainable use of biological resources.
Protection and management of bio-diversity has been divided into two segments namely ecological security and livelihood security.
The ecological security refers to policy of the state to make efforts for protection of the habitat through community participation, Bordoloi says.
Livelihood security refers to security of human communities, which are critically dependent on biological resources, including guaranteed access to and control over such biological resources.
"As long as the people who are dependent on the forest are not taken into confidence and awareness is not created to protect the greenery, the policies to protect habitats can never be successful," the minister says.
"We have therefore developed a new strategy to ensure there is a fine balance between environment management and security of the people who depend on the forest and then only the large scale depredation could be stopped," Bordoloi says. Bureau Report
According to a state department forest journal, vegetation in Assam is primarily of tropical type covering areas of evergreen, semi-green and deciduous forests and grasslands.
There are 3107 species of flowering plants, a good number of medicinal plants including endangered and endemic species, the journal says.
The state is also rich in bamboo and cane diversity having 42 species of bamboo and 14 species of cane spread over the vast area.
About 192 species of orchids are distributed in the plains and hilly areas of the state while a large part of the state stands covered by wetlands rich in both flowering and non-flowering varieties of 102 species. Not only in terms of plant diversity the state is also rich in animal diversity having forests which are extremely rich and diverse with wide varieties of primates, carnivores, herbivores and birds.
About 190 species of mammals and more than 800 subspecies of birds have so far been reported from the state while the wildlife areas of the state house nearly 44 types of endangered and rare species of mammals and 14 types of reptiles and amphibia.
Altogether around 230 forms of species of primates are present in Assam which also includes the only ape of India, the hoolock gibbon and eight cat species.
Assam also has the distinction of housing the entire known world population of pygmy hog, 75 per cent of the world population of the Indian rhinoceros and wild buffalo and a sizeable number of Asian elephant and tigers.
Reptiles also constitute an important vertebrate group and with its varied topography and habitat, the state supports rich species of reptilian fauna. Assam has also diversified amphibian fauna and so far 185 species belonging to 98 genes under 34 families are recorded of which 33 are endemic to the region while 25 species have been found to be threatened.
Another notable feature is that the state also provides a home to more than half of about 1500 species of butterflies found in the country.
However, encroachers and poachers have made the rich plant and animal reserve of the state their target prompting the authorities to frame a solid management policy of bio-diversity.
State Forest Minister Pradyut Bordoloi says of late there has been stress on conservation of bio-diversity to make sustainable use of biological resources.
Protection and management of bio-diversity has been divided into two segments namely ecological security and livelihood security.
The ecological security refers to policy of the state to make efforts for protection of the habitat through community participation, Bordoloi says.
Livelihood security refers to security of human communities, which are critically dependent on biological resources, including guaranteed access to and control over such biological resources.
"As long as the people who are dependent on the forest are not taken into confidence and awareness is not created to protect the greenery, the policies to protect habitats can never be successful," the minister says.
"We have therefore developed a new strategy to ensure there is a fine balance between environment management and security of the people who depend on the forest and then only the large scale depredation could be stopped," Bordoloi says. Bureau Report