Nagpur: The tree census pilot project has revealed 50.73% of the total trees in stretches surveyed are exotic species, and 77% are planted.
This shows a natural tree cover replacement by a man-made tree cover in this area.
Under the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (LBSAP), the International Council for the Local Environmental Initiative (ICLEI) has planned to prepare maps of natural assets (NAM) of the city and also conduct trees censuses scientifically to identify existing biodiversity and show steps For conservation and improvement.
Iclei entrusted the project to the world’s broad funds for Nature (WWF), which involved ecological services Punarnava City as partner institutions to carry out field work.
A famous ecological and expert team, including Pradyumna Sahasrabhojanee and Prachi Mahurkar, chose an area of ​​2.77 square kilometers located between four boxes – varieties, law, bajaj nagar, and locror for a tree census pilot project.
According to the report, 14,458 trees found in this field belong to 191 different species.
Of the total trees, 7,335 (50.73%) exotic species, 7,097 (49.1%) were original, and 26 were cultivated (0.17%).
Sahasrabhojanee and Mahurkar told TII, “It is expected that the original species must be 100%.
The presence of 50.73% exotic trees, which are not from Central India, meaning the original species is removed for one or other objectives.
The survival rate of original species is always higher than exotic .
Also, native species helps maintain overall biodiversity of a certain area of ​​the insects to birds, animals, etc.
Even religious rituals, traditions of men based on the native species.
another disadvantage of exotic species is that they tend to be invasive to native species.
“Also, In accordance with the tree census report, the percentage of trees that grow naturally is 23% while the remaining 77% is planted.
Sahasrabhojanee and Mahurkar said Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) must conduct a tree census using this scientific pattern throughout the city.
“The tree census must be done once in five years to determine the destruction of greenery, and plan a further increase or existing conservation.
We ensure the marking of each tree on the map with all possible details such as local names, botany, high, thickness, conditions , local or exotic species, location with latitude / longitude along with photos.
Then, the tree label is also placed on all major species in a different public place.
This will help NMC preserve these trees, “they said.
Mahurkar also said uncontrolled urbanization took victims on city biodiversity.
“Sometimes replanting trees, if done by being honest, can help the city to recover green cover.
But to maintain the diversity of rare and endangered plants in the city, or to increase the proportion of the appropriate original tree, which improves environmental conditions, scientific surveys and diversity documentation Available biodies are needed.
This basic data will eventually help the NMC take action against illegal tree logging, “he said.