Blessed with extensive tracts of natural forest harboring the sandal tree (Santalum album L.), the Indian state of Karnataka was a leading producer of sandalwood, the most valuable product of the tropical forest. However, due to rampant smuggling during the last three-four decades, Karnataka’s sandalwood production slipped to abysmally low levels, with hardly any mature sandal tree being left in the forests. What, however, is providential about the sa
Peninsular India is one among the few regions of the world harboring natural teak forests. Karnataka is one of the states in the region that was blessed with extensive teak forests. Due to centuries of heavy exploitation for the prized wood and large-scale artificial introduction of teak since more than a century, the pristine teak forests have shrunk rapidly, being now confined only to a few pockets, mostly in the protected areas. Natural teak has virtually b
The book Forests and Trees of Karnataka - A Journey in Time through Buchanan's Eyes attempts at providing a pen picture of the forests and trees of Karnataka as seen by Dr. Francis Buchanan during his journey undertaken in 1800 and 1801. As Buchanan’s narrations contained in his three-volume journal ‘A Journey from Madras through the Countries of Mysore, Canara and Malabar (1807)’ cover a wide range of subjects, his observations spec
Dry Deciduous Forests of Karnataka – Adding Years to Their Life, and to Ours attempts at highlighting various aspects of the dry deciduous forests which once covered large parts of the state of Karnataka and which now occur only in a few, scattered pockets, having been almost entirely wiped out from two vast regions covering three-fourths of the state, namely, interior Karnataka and the Eastern Plains. Although not as imposing as the moist deci
Agroforestry in Karnataka – A Golden Opportunity for Green Growth highlights various aspects of agroforestry – a system of introduction, or rather reintroduction, of trees in and around agricultural lands in order to restore the ancient, organic relationship that existed between forest and agriculture. The book traces the evolution of agroforestry in the state of Karnataka in India and recounts the strides that have been made in this direc
Forestry in India during British Era traces the history of the evolution of scientific forestry in India during the British era (1800-1947). A special emphasis of the narration is on the State of Karnataka, which was under British domination partly directly through the Bombay and Madras Presidencies and somewhat indirectly through the Princely States of Mysore, Hyderabad, Sandur and a few others.
Besides describing the developments of forestry tog
The book traces the evolution of wildlife management in the state of Karnataka in India. It provides glimpses of how the concept of wildlife management grew as an offshoot of forest management and evolved into an overarching policy initiative. It presents a chronological account of the development of national wildlife policies, plans and strategies and their impact on the wildlife management in the states. The book highlights the events that unfolded as produc
The book provides an overview of the various types of forests occurring in the Indian state of Karnataka. Some of the most magnificent tropical forests of the Western Ghats are found here, including evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous, dry deciduous, thorn, shola, swamp and mangrove. Although scattered information about these forests is available, such information for the whole state is not available in the form of a comprehensive document. The book, wh
The book traces the history of forestry since the middle of the 19th century in the erstwhile territorial units that constitute the present state of Karnataka, in India. It provides glimpses of the forest policy and management of the British Indian government which had laid the foundations of scientific forestry in the Indian subcontinent. A chronological account of the development of national forest policies, plans, and strategies in post-independe