Conserved forests and threatened biodiversity: A paradox in Jalthal forest
Nepal’s conservation narratives revolve around two compelling stories of positive biodiversity trajectories. First one is the story of forest cover gain. As reported by national forest resource assessment, Nepal successfully increased its forest cover from 29 to 40 percent between 1990s and 2010. Likewise, a NASA funded study found that Nepal's forest cover nearly doubled from 26 to 44 percent between 1992 and 2016. Second story features surges in the population of flagship species, especially tiger and rhino. These successes build on adoption of the increasingly participatory forestry and protected area system. Nepal has formally protected a quarter of land for biodiversity. Similarly, Nepal is well-known for its community forestry model, having managed over 23,000 forest user groups. The model has been successful in reducing deforestation, a major driver of biodiversity loss.
Despite these impressive figures and narratives in conservation, challenges persist and more specifically biodiversity is dwindling at an unprecedented rate. Biodiversity loss is often slow and unnoticeable, yet irreversible. The eroding biodiversity is often masked by few selected catchy figures of positive trajectories. People have often equated forest cover gain as biodiversity conservation.
Jalthal forest, a biodiversity-rich relic forest in the south eastern lowland Nepal probably stands best as an example site of biodiversity loss, despite the success in increasing forest cover over the last two decades.
Survived ‘biodiversity hotspot’
Jalthal forest is a remnant of once a thick and contiguous charkose jungle in the southern lowland. The relict forest somehow managed to survive both state organised and unorganised deforestation during 1950s to 1970s. Now the forest 'island' is surrounded by human settlement and agriculture fields. Merely a 6,100-hectare forest patch in Jhapa district is known for its rich flora, fauna and ecosystems.
Recent research conducted in the forest has unraveled the rich and impressive figures of its diversity. The forest hosts nearly 600 species of plants and 240 species of birds. The isolated forest covers only 0.1 percent of the country’s forest but is home to nearly a quarter of Nepal’s total of 600 tree species, along with a diversity of butterflies, snakes, frogs and fishes. The forest is also a home to several threatened species like Asiatic elephant, Chinese pangolin and Elongated tortoise.
The forest’s fame is not limited to high richness and presence of threatened species. The forest is the westernmost reach of southeast Asian tree species, this makes Jalthal a place of great biogeographic significance. The forest features the highest density of the iconic Latahar tree in Nepal.
Forest’s rich and unique biodiversity has significantly contributed to the wellbeing of local people. It’s a source of a myriad of forest products, ranging from wild berries to timber to nearly 80,000 people living around it. Over 150 species of trees are used by local people for various purposes, among these about 50 species are edible fruits.
Conservation by communities
The forest has been managed by local communities as community forests for the last two decades, which was under the custody of the Department of Forest. A study analyzing satellite images over different points in time over two decades confirmed that forest cover has been increased, which can solely be attributed to community management. Anyone traveling through the forest can see small-sized growing trees in the forest. Successional trees in the forest means the forest is growing back. Community forest user groups (CFUGs) have protected forest from encroachment and controlled otherwise pervasive hunting in the forest. Simultaneously, CFUGs have also regulated collection and distribution of forest products. CFUGs are important and regarded democratic and inclusive institutions engaged in local socio-economic affairs.
Dwindling biodiversity in conserved forest
There are many positive results: forest has been protected, forest cover increased and more trees are growing under community forest management. However, looking closely into the forest data gives a looming scenario of biodiversity loss on multiple fronts.
Among the 155-tree species in the forest, several are rare and locally threatened. Sadan, a multipurpose legume tree species which used to be abundant in parts of the forest until three decades ago, is one of the species recently extinct? from the forest. Similarly, trees of small Thakal (Dwarf date palm), Satisal (Indian rosewood), Mallido (Silveberry), Khamari (White teak) are functionally extinct from the forest as well. In the most serious note, several species have a very small population to sustain themselves in the forest.
Muse mriga (Indian Chevrotain, Machhai Laitham in Meche language) is among the mammals of rare sighting in Nepal inhabited Jalthal forest. Local people have not spotted the species in recent decades.
While the overall number of trees are increasing in the forest, several trees are facing uncertainty. Latahar is one of the common and iconic tree species in the forest, evidence clearly shows that its population is distorted. The lack of saplings and pole-sized trees in the forest indicates future uncertainty of the species.
Tree cover gain in Jalthal can be attributed to plantation, the forest has nearly 300,000 ‘established plantation trees’. The established trees have a large share of exotic species like Teak and Eucalyptus which are not friendly to forest biodiversity.
During the past two decades, invasive species have increased abruptly in the forest. Over half of the forest has been affected by invasive species like Lahare Banmara. Wetlands are degraded by Jalkumbhi. Invasive species indeed are a credible proxy of forest degradation as they hamper native species, ecosystems and also work as fuel source for forest fire.
Dependency in forest has been decreased in Nepal in general. However, the case of Jalthal is different. Everyday several hundreds of people enter the forest mainly for firewood and fodder. This has exerted an unprecedented pressure on rare and threatened species in the forest. Simultaneously, CFUGs have largely failed to devise actions and provide alternatives to reduce pressure on the forest.
Conservation of the ‘hotspot’ at the crossroad
Having continuously worked in biodiversity research and conservation action with communities in Jalthal forest for the last six years, I witnessed the paradox of conservation and degradation in the forest. Fresh data on forest biodiversity and its status has sensitised communities and local stakeholders towards appreciation of biodiversity. Conservation of some rare trees have been initiated. Actionable and successful models of invasive species management and forest restoration have been demonstrated.
Despite efforts of forest user groups, wildlife hunting continues which puts critically endangered species like Pangolin and elongated tortoise at risk of local extinction. Complete control of wildlife hunting by CFUGs alone is a difficult task.
While CFUGs have started activities towards conservation and restoration of Jalthal forest, there still lacks strong motivation towards long term outcomes. It seems that user groups are much inclined towards short term results like plantation rather than protection and promotion of natural regeneration. Forest has tremendous potential for natural regeneration but this potential has not been adequately appreciated in policies and practices.
Existing management in the forest lacks commitment for long term biodiversity and restoration outcomes. Conventional mindset of forest management in Tarai prioritises Sal trees, which evidently undermines biodiversity value of forest. In addition, authorities have been lackluster in embracing scientific evidence and translating them into policies. These all put forest at the cross-road of conservation and degradation.
Biodiversity conservation does not cost extra
Given that a quarter of land area is dedicated for biodiversity conservation, people often argue for intensive management of community forests for timber. This argument sees all forests equal, promotes blanket policies and overlooks extraordinary biodiversity significance of forests like Jalthal. Given the growing pressure on forest for timber production, Jalthal's diversity will be further threatened. A win-win strategy could be prioritising forest patches for timber production and conservation. We have promising scientific theories that can guide integration of conservation and production in the same forest unit.
In addition, we can develop incentive mechanisms for communities that contribute to conservation. Biodiversity is also a global environmental concern, therefore, the global community should contribute in conservation elsewhere.
Despite dwindling biodiversity, Jalthal remnant forest still offers the opportunity to conserve Nepal's rich tree flora, tropical evergreen forest patches and the largest stand of Latahar trees. Conservation of its biodiversity and restoration of degraded forest patches using ecological approaches indeed offers a nature-based solution in building a resilient forest landscape in the era of climatic uncertainty. We need serious actions and strong will power to conserve and restore the forest by capitalising scientific evidence on hand. Delayed action could be costly and the loss may be irreversible.
