Silviculture in India: Types, Importance and Objective

Table of Contents

• What is Silviculture?
• What are the Objectives of Silviculture?
• What are the Types of Silviculture Systems?
  • High Forest Systems
  • Coppice Systems
• Silviculture of Important Tree Species
• What is the Scope of Silviculture in India?

What is Silviculture?

Silviculture deals with the establishment, development, care and regeneration of stands of timber, woodland or forest. It is the branch of forestry where large forests are grown to maintain enhanced productivity. It is a forest caretaking process that helps manage and nurture trees to achieve specific forestry growth and regrowth goals. It involves planning and investing in future resources by manipulating current stands. These stands could have been established either intentionally or unintentionally in a provided species composition and spacing due to historical reasons to meet future objectives.

What are the Objectives of Silviculture?

Silviculture is basically defined as reforestation and regeneration. It means planting new trees or rejuvenating old trees. It has several objectives, such as:

• To produce trees that are given a certain kind of timber or produce that is used as grass, turpentine, etc.
• To raise species of more economic value.
• To make the highest money return, which is invested in the forest regeneration.
• To produce the greatest quantity of wood per acre per year.
• To produce other indirect effects, such as to regulate the drainage, climatic conditions and its influence, etc.

What are the Types of Silviculture Systems?

There are two types of silviculture systems based on the mode of regeneration. These are:

High Forest Systems

The high forest system is basically about the seedling origin, either natural or artificial, and where there is a long rotation. These are further classified into the following sub-systems:

• Clear-felling System
• Uniform System
• Group System
• Shelterwood System
• Selection System

Coppice Systems

In this type of silviculture system, the rotation of the coppice is short. It is the silviculture system in which the new crop originates mainly from stool coppice. This is further divided into the sub-systems given below:

• Simple coppice System
• Two Rotation coppice System
• Shelterwood coppice System
• Standard coppice System
• Reserves coppice System

Silviculture of Important Tree Species

Teak: The scientific name of Teak is Tectona Grandis. The term Tectona is derived from the Greek word "tekton", meaning carpenter, and "grandis", meaning large. It naturally occurs in peninsular India in Orissa, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Teakwood is used in medicines; its flowers are useful for curing bronchitis, and its leaves are used as a plate for dining and dyeing silk, wool, cotton, etc.

Shisham: Shisham is a large deciduous tree that thrives in well-drained soil. It occurs mainly in J&K, HP, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, U.P., Delhi, Bihar, etc. Shisham is the costliest type of wood, and it is used in making furniture, plywood, or cooking.

Eucalyptus: Eucalyptus is derived from the Greek term "Eu", meaning well, and "Kalypto", meaning Cover. It is called Nilgiri in India and is used in medicine, in repairing cuts and burns, as well as in antiseptics and insect repellents.

Khair: Khair, also known as Acacia catechu, is a spring tree that has yellow flowers and flat pods. It is mostly used in dyes, medicines, etc.

Neem: Neem is a well-known, evergreen and deciduous plant from the family of Meliaceae. Its scientific name is Azadirachta Indica. It is native to the Indian subcontinent but cultivated throughout South East Asia, East and Sub-Saharan Africa, Fiji, etc. It is used in medicine, pesticides, and other products. It gives toothbrushes, soaps, the Protection of grains, pulses, rice and medicines to millions of people.

Sandal: Sandal has a scientific name, "Santalum Album". The term sandal is derived from Chandana (Sanskrit) and Chandan (Persian). It is used for incense, perfumes, medicine, carving, and soap.

Red Sanders: Red Sanders is a redwood which derived the name due to its red colour. It has many medicinal values that Ayurveda and Siddha recognize. Usually, this occurs in the Cuddapah, Chittoor, Kurnool & Nellore Districts of Andhra Pradesh. It is very hard and heavy wood, which is used for making musical instruments in Japan. It is called "shamisen" and is given as a present in marriages. The extract of this wood is also used in the treatment of cancer.

Sal: "Shorea robusta" or "sal" is a large deciduous, gregarious tree. Found majorly in states like Orissa, M.P., Bihar, and U.P., it is used in door and window frames, boats, agricultural implements, etc.

What is the Scope of Silviculture in India?

Choosing the right type of plants enhances the growth and development of forests in India. With silviculture, we can expect a lot more success and scope in the future, such as timber production, carbon reduction, biodiversity conservation, watershed management, eco-tourism and recreation, employment generation, etc. Silviculture is a sustainable forest management discipline that has a significant role in addressing the issues of climate change and sustainable resource utilization. It has a future scope that helps to balance the needs of society and the environment while safeguarding the long-term health and resilience of forest ecosystems.