Journal of Environment and Sociobiology

Aradhana Chaudhary ¹, Jyoti Das ¹

Affiliations
1 Dept. of Zoology, Raja Peary Mohan College, Uttarpara, Hooghly, West Bengal, IN

Abstract

Interdependency of plants and animals is one of the most sustainable symbiotic relationship which is accepted by evolutionary mechanism. Imbalance in this partnership has given birth to endless chain processes, which has threatened to bring the world to destruction in nearby future. Anthropogenic activities have brought a havoc discrimination in the availability of natural resources, where it is misused and overused by one section of people while the other section is deprived of it. Urbanization, commercialization of forest areas and its various products pose serious threat to survival of forest, which in turn directly affects the livelihood of the millions of rural people who depend on timber and non-timber products for various purposes, such as medicine, food, economic and socio-religious purposes.

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Maitri Bose ¹, Santanu Mitra ², Jyoti Das ¹

Affiliations
1 Dept. of Zoology, Raja Peary Mohan College, Uttarpara, Hooghly, West Bengal, IN
2 Zoological Survey of India, FPS Building, Kolkata–700 016, IN

Abstract

In West Bengal, in the district of West Midnapore, Arabari is a well known forest, which is known as 'Model Community Forest'. It shares boundary with the famous Dalma forest of Jharkhand and as a result herds of Elephants often visit the Arabari forest range. After the initiation of 'Joint Forest Management' the movement in the forest areas revived with increase of forest cover. With the improvement of irrigation, production of multiple crops including cash crops also increased gradually. These increased productions, assured food for the migrating elephants; as a result number of elephants is increasing gradually. With the ever growing human population, the conflict between man and elephant is also increasing gradually. Practically the people used to drive out these elephants but not solving the problem permanently. It leads to a greater damage including loss of life of human, elephants and the growing crops. The present study is taken as an effort to realize the migration pattern of elephant, nature of damage of human property and natural wealth and to make a way out of these burning problems.

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