Tag: Uttarakhand Forest Department

  • India gets first ‘Grass Conservatory’ in Uttarakhand’s Almora district

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: India’s first ‘Grass Conservatory’ was inaugurated by the research wing of Uttarakhand forest department on Sunday in Ranikhet of Almora district.

    Officials involved in the project told that grasslands are facing various type of threats and area under grasslands are shrinking, thereby endangering entire ecosystem of insects, birds and mammals dependent on them. 

    “Grasses are economically the most important of all flowering plants because of their nutritious grains and soil forming function,” said Sanjiv Chaturvedi, chief conservator of forests (Research), who heads the research wing of the department. 

    The officer further add that grasses are key for ‘Carbon Sequestration’, the process in which grasses store most of the absorbed carbon underground.

    “When there is forest fire Carbon stored in trees info of biomass is released into the atmosphere while fores in grasslands do not get affected as the grass species store the Carbon underground. Many research suggest that grassland holds more than a third of world’s land based Carbon,” added the CCF. 

    Established in an area of 2 acre, the project has been funded under central government’s CAMPA scheme, it took 3 years to develope this conservation area by the research wing of the department. 

    Around 90 different grass species have been conserved/demonstrated in this conservation area displaying important scientific, ecological, medicinal and cultural information/aspects related to grass species – ALL FLESH IS GRASS. 

    The project aims to create awareness about importance of grass species, promote conservation and to facilitate further research  in these species, as it has been proved in latest researches that, grasslands are more effective in carbon sequestration than forest land. 

    The conservation area in the conservatory has seven different sections related to grasses – aromatic, medicinal, fodder, ornamental, of religious importance, agricultural grasses and miscellaneous. Thysanoleanamaxima  also called Tiger grass / Broom grass is an important fodder grass found along steep hills, ravines, and sandy banks of rivers up to an altitude of 2000 m, in Uttarakhand. 

    Its dry flowering stocks are used as broom.  Being a perennial species it can be used as green fodder round the year and also helps in preventing soil erosion on steep hill sides and is used in rehabilitation of degraded land. 

    Pennisetumpurpureum, also called Napier grass / Elephant grass makes a good contour hedgerow and is excellent bank and pasture fodder. Used for firebreaks, windbreaks in paper pulps production and bio-oil, biogas and charcoal.

  • Uttarakhand gets country’s largest aromatic garden in Nainital district

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: The research wing of Uttarakhand forest department on Sunday inaugrated the biggest aromatic garden of India in Lalkuan of Nainital district. Established in an area of over 3 acre, the garden has 140 different species of aromatic species from across India.

    2002-batch Indian Forest Service officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi, who heads the research wing of the state forest department said, “Our whole team has worked hard fir over three years to see the fruition of this project. Plants were source from all over India followed by propagation efforts. I congratulate the entire team for this accomplishment.”

    The project was initiated in the year 2018-19 after approval of the Research Advisory Committee in June 2018 with objective of conservation of various aromatic species, to create awareness about these species, promote further research about these species and to link it with livelihood.

    Veena Rao, who has been working in the field of aromatica and medicinal plants for over two decades now said, “As a consultant, with the help of the state forest department we are planning to expand the garden to 45 hectares. Next phase involves developing a conservation and training center where the farmers can learn to grow and con serve the species which jane commercial viability.”

    The project has been funded under CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) scheme of the central government. Lalkuan was selected as the site because it is known for perpetual problem of foul smell due to the stench that comes from certain industrial units.

    The aromatic garden has a Tulsi vatika which contains more than 20 species of Tulsi, including Rama Tulsi, Shyam Tulsi, Van Tulsi, Kapoor Tulsi as well as African, Italian and Thai Tulsi.

    Aromatic garden has 8 different sections, apart from Tulsi Vatika- aromatic leaves ( Lemon balm, Rosemary, Kapoor and various mint species), aromatic flowers ( Chameli, Mogra, Rajnigandha, Kewda); aromatic trees (Chandan, Neem Chameli, Naglingam, Parijat); aromatic rhizomes (Aama Haldi, Kali Haldi); aromatic seeds ( Kasturi Bhindi, Badi ilachyi, Timur, Ajwain); aromatic grasses (Lemon grass, Java grass, Khas grass); aromatic bulbs (Red ginger, Sand ginger) and aromatic roots (Pattharchur,Vach) . 

    The garden also includes Chandan from South India, Agarwood from North east, kewada from Coastal areas and Parijat from Tarai Zone, apart from Neem Chameli, Hazari Mogra, Sontaka, Cahmeli, Raat ki rani, Din ka raja and Anant are some of the most fragrant popular species present in the aromatic garden.

    It also has nine different species of jasmine, four different species of four different species of haldi and three different species of ginger. The extracts of these aromatic plants are used in cosmetics for flavouring and fragrance purposes. Likewise, these plants are of great utility in spices, pesticides and repellents making.

  • Ranikhet gets one of India’s biggest fern gardens, see pictures here

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: One of the biggest ferneries of India was inaugurated on Sunday in Ranikhet of Almora district in Uttarakhand. It has been developed by the research wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department over a period of three years, under the central government’s CAMPA scheme. 

    Sanjiv Chaturvedi, 2002 batch Indian Forest Services officer who heads the research wing of the state forest department told TNIE, “The fernery is to showcase the fern species and spread awareness about the category of plants. Ferns are of huge importance in our ecosystem and need to be understood. They are multifaceted species which contribute a lot to this planet.”

    Caption

    Inaugurated by Dr Nilambar Kunetha, a well-known Pteridophyte and expert on ferns, the fernery has the largest collection with 120 different types of ferns. Only Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI), Thiruvananthapuram, has a larger number of fern species than it. However, Ranikhet has been developed as an open-air fernery in natural surroundings and not under any poly/shade house. 

    Sprawling over an area of 4 acres, Ranikhet provides an ideal location for developing open-air fernery at an altitude of 1800 metres. The shady area with a seasonal pahadi nala (mountain stream) passing through it provides adequate moisture for their growth.

    Caption

    The fernery has a mix of species from the western and eastern Himalayan regions as well as from the Western Ghats. It houses many rare species, prominent among which is Tree Fern (Cyathea spinulosa), which has been declared as threatened by the State Biodiversity Board of Uttarakhand. Only a few plants of this species have been left in wild and is considered to be one of the most ancient species of fern. It is said that herbivore dinosaurs used to feed on its trunk which is rich in starch. 

    The fernery also has around 30 species that have medicinal importance, like Hansraj (Adiantum venustum) which has been given tremendous importance in Ayurveda as well as Tibetan system of medicine. 

    The fernery also displays some prominent edible species of fern like Lingura (Diplazium esculentum) which is a popular food item in hills of Uttarakhand and is considered to be very nutritious. 

    The fernery also displays many epiphyte, aquatic ferns and popular and interesting ferns like Vishkanya, Mayurshikha, Boston, Lady, Rock, Basket, Ladder, Golden fern and Horsetail fern. 

    Caption

    Ferns belong to one of the most ancient group of plants that propagate through spores and were the first plants with fully developed vascular system. 

    Ferns are also used to filter heavy metals from polluted waters and fern species are also good nitrogen fixating agents and form the understorey of the forests and their precise roles are yet to be fully understood.