The Wildlife Society of Odisha (WSO) has objected to the State Government’s proposal in seeking permission from the Government of India’s Additional Director General of Forests to remove wind-felled trees from Protected Areas following the cyclone Phailin.
WSO secretary Biswajit Mohanty has said in his appeal to the ADG of Forests that it is not a good idea to remove the trees from Protected Areas. These areas need to be kept inviolate and there should not be any attempt to harm them as fallen trees also have a vital ecological role to play in every forest habitat used by wildlife.
For centuries, trees have fallen due to cyclones and high speed winds and no intervention was done in our forests. Since the Protected Areas serve as wildlife habitats, it is important to maintain such forests in their natural state without human interventions, he said.
Mohanty has argued that many species of ground fauna would use the fallen trees for nesting purposes and also for sheltering from predators. Besides, many species of mushrooms, fungi and even orchids flourish on fallen trees. Once a tree decomposes completely, it adds to the habitat enrichment. The very process of removal involves cutting, and hacking by saws/power saws which disturb the habitat and wildlife which live there.
Trucks/tractors need to enter virgin areas through which roads will be hacked out as no tree can be airlifted. Even if the trunks are dragged on the ground, they will disturb nests and eggs of ground dwelling birds and reptiles which nest on the ground.
Dead wood creates an invaluable part of the forest ecosystem. Shattered branch stumps, fallen branches and fallen trees support an incredibly rich array of highly specialised life-forms for various insects including beetles and spiders which nest and feed on them, he has pointed out.
The exposed, sometimes sandy, soil remaining in the root plate often provides the ideal medium in which solitary bees and wasps can make their burrows, and it is not unusual for birds to make their nests among these raised roots.
Dr. Mohanty has requested the ADG of Forests to issue direction to the State Government not to remove any fallen trees from any wildlife sanctuaries or national park in the interests of ecological conservation.