Current Science

N. H. Ravindranath ¹, I. K. Murthy ¹, Joshi Priya ¹, Sujata Upgupta ¹, Swapan Mehra ², Srivastava Nalin ³

Affiliations
1 Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, IN
2 Iora Ecological Solutions Pvt Ltd, New Delhi 110 030, IN
3 Institute for Global Environment Strategies, 2108-11, Kamiyamaguchi, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0115, JP

Abstract

Periodic estimation, monitoring and reporting on area under forest and plantation types and afforestation rates are critical to forest and biodiversity conservation, sustainable forest management and for meeting international commitments. This article is aimed at assessing the adequacy of the current monitoring and reporting approach adopted in India in the context of new challenges of conservation and reporting to international conventions and agencies. The analysis shows that the current mode of monitoring and reporting of forest area is inadequate to meet the national and international requirements. India could be potentially over-reporting the area under forests by including many non-forest tree categories such as commercial plantations of coconut, cashew, coffee and rubber, and fruit orchards. India may also be under-reporting deforestation by reporting only gross forest area at the state and national levels. There is a need for monitoring and reporting of forest cover, deforestation and afforestation rates according to categories such as (i) natural/primary forest, (ii) secondary/degraded forests, (iii) forest plantations, (iv) commercial plantations, (v) fruit orchards and (vi) scattered trees.

Keywords

Afforestation, Deforestation, Forest Cover, Monitoring and Reporting, REDD+.

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S. C. Sahu ¹, Manish Kumar ², N. H. Ravindranath ¹

Affiliations
1 Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560 012, IN
2 Environment and Sustainability Department, CSIR–Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar 751 013, IN

Abstract

Mangrove forest ecosystem is one of the important carbon sinks in the tropics. The role of mangrove forests in mitigating climate change through reduced deforestation is well recognized. The present field study aimed to estimate the carbon stocks of Mahanadi Mangrove Wetland (MMW), east coast of India. Carbon stocks were estimated in vegetation and soil of natural mangrove forest stands and new mangrove plantation stands. The mean of carbon stock in natural stands was 143.4 ± 8.2 Mg C ha^-1 (vegetation 89.1 ± 8.9 and soil 54.3 ± 3.0 Mg C ha^-1) and plantation at 151.5 ± 7.9 Mg C ha^-1 (vegetation 90.6 ± 16.2 and soil 60.9 ± 5.6 Mg C ha^-1). The mean overall C-stock of natural stands and plantations was 147.0 ± 8.1 Mg C ha^-1 (vegetation 89.4 ± 7.6 and soil 57.6 ± 3.2 Mg C ha^-1), which is 1.6 times higher than that in forests of Odisha. A positive correlation (r = 0.87) was found between vegetation biomass and soil organic carbon in the surface soil (0-30 cm), indicating the role of vegetation in building surface soil/sediment organic carbon. The 6651 ha of mangrove forests in the MMW is estimated to store 0.98 Mt of C, which is equivalent to 3.59 Mt of CO₂e. The present study reveals that MMW stores substantial amount of atmospheric carbon and therefore needs to be conserved and sustainably managed to maintain as well as increase carbon storage. Further, mangrove plantations, on a per unit area basis, can sequester as much carbon as natural stands.

Keywords

Carbon Stocks, Mangroves, Natural Stands, Plantations.

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N. H. Ravindranath ¹, Rajiv Kumar Chaturvedi ², Poornima Kumar ¹

Affiliations
1 Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560 012, IN
2 Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560 012, IN

Abstract

Implementation of the Paris Agreement would require transformative technologies, policies and measures to stabilize warming in the range 1.5-2°C. Operationalization of the Paris Agreement would necessitate large-scale estimation, monitoring, modelling, reporting and verification of GHG inventories, mitigation actions and their implications and co-benefits, along with reporting on climate change impacts and adaptation. This article highlights the need for research, modelling, monitoring, reporting and data requirements for India, keeping in mind the need for transparency, accuracy, completeness, consistency and comparability. Further, India will have to initiate largescale research and data generation for operationalization of the Paris Agreement.

Keywords

Climate Impacts, Forestry Sector, Mitigation Strategies, Vulnerability Assessment.

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Rajiv Kumar Chaturvedi ¹, N. H. Ravindranath ¹

Affiliations
1 Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, IN

Abstract

The world has already warmed by 0.8°C since the Industrial Revolution, mainly due to the large build-up of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. It is estimated that a further warming of about 0.6°C is built-in in the system due to the GHGs already present in the atmosphere. Even this modest warming is already impacting ecosystems, food production and freshwater sources across the world.

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Manoj Kumar ¹, Naveen Kalra ², N. H. Ravindranath ³

Affiliations
1 GIS Centre, IT&GIS Discipline, Forest Research Institute, PO: New Forest, Dehradun 248 006, IN
2 Division of Agriculture Physics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, IN
3 Centre for Sustainable Technology, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560 012, IN

Abstract

Forest ecosystems form an intricate nonlinear relationship with their surroundings. Therefore, the underlying processes are difficult to quantify. As a result, it makes the task quite challenging to evaluate the response of vegetation to their surrounding environment¹. Predicting responses of vegetation dynamics requires a clear understanding of how different physiological and ecological processes are influenced by environmental drivers. A clear causality between the types and levels of stresses and corresponding responses of forests is necessary for making any rational inferences². Significant progress in scientific understanding of plant–environment relationship, supplemented with the historical sequence of discoveries, is gradually improving the knowledge about the underlying functional relationship of plants with the environment. On the other hand, improved computational capabilities to handle multiple complex equations representing various functional relationships have made it possible to upscale the eco-physiological processes from an individual leaf to a global forest cover through computer-based programs, usually termed as a ‘Model’.

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