How vanishing broad leaf and oak forests are exacerbating the forest fires in Uttarakhand

My WhatsApp group is flooded with photos of leopards roaming the lanes of the sleepy neighborhood of Landour. It’s a majestic creature. While its not uncommon to spot a leopard in the area, it rarely happens in the summers. It struck me that this beautiful creature has been chased out of its home due to raging fires around. Tourists prance around during the day. Take selfies with the beautiful deodars and move on to the bright lights of the mall road down the hill.

?Raging forest fires, ghost villages and natural calamities (like the Kedarnath tragedy of 2013) are an easy recall when talking about ecological challenges in Uttarakhand.

My beautiful home state has witnessed more than 1200 forest fires since November 2023 causing the death of 10 people. Four of these were just last week. People who were on the job to douse these fires lost their lives tragically.

The middle and lower Himalayas used to be celebrated for their rich diversity of forests. The middle Himalayas are also the home of famous shrines and the Nanda Devi National Park.? These forests in turn support a rich diversity of flora and fauna. A very typical feature of these forests is the presence of broad leaf trees in the lower slopes and pine forests towards the snow line.

?Why these ‘Broad-leaf’ forests are important

A typical healthy forest will have the Himalayan Oak (Baanjh), Rhododendron, Kaaphal etc interspersed with pine. These trees, especially Baanjh are critical to the hydrology of the region as the roots retain loads of moisture and feed the natural springs. The leaves of this tree feed the forest floor causing a thick layer mulch and moisture. It is the best defense against forest fires. This layer of the forest floor forms an ecosystem in itself. The natural springs in and around Mussoorie for example, are all primarily fed by these majestic forests.

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?Challenge:

These forests are under threat due to unmanaged lopping, climate change and migration.

The last three decades or so have been marred by unmanaged human settlement and exploitation of forest resources. Human settlement and lopping of the Baanjh as fodder have increased due to an increase in the livestock population in Uttarakhand.

Interestingly, most of these forests are made of trees that are more than 50 to 60 years old. The acorn seeds essential for natural regeneration are either diseased (due to the increased temperatures) or are simply burnt in the often-occurring fires. These seeds are also fodder for various wild animals including the Langur monkey. Experts believe that the increase in conflict with langurs is due to the fact that there are not enough acorns to feed on.

Baanjh is also the primary source of fodder from the forest. The tree remains green even in the dry summer and winter months. Women who are the primary fodder collectors put their lives at tremendous risk climbing these trees and lopping the younger branches to take away as fodder.

When a forest fire occurs, the pine trees can sometimes survive but the oak is simply unable to regenerate after a wild fire. This makes more and more pine trees take over what used to be a mixed forest. A perfect catch22. More pine forests mean more fires and so on.

?What we can do: Protect every broad leaf forest in the Himalayas. A Himalayn oak and Rhododendron tree takes decades to mature. It’s a grand old tree and needs every citizen to look after it.

The few people, specially women who are left behind in the villages need to be provided with alternate trees that can provide fodder to their livestock.

The forest department does an exemplary job in their attempt to put out these fires with the limited resources they have. They need to be provided better tools and equipment to do their jobs well. We simply can not lose any more lives to forest fires.

?SGI Foundation has been working with communities in Uttarakhand to find sustainable solutions to this critical problem. We are committed to doing our best to replenish our forests with more Rhododendrons and Oaks. Sustainable Green Initiative Foundation