India State of Forest Report 2023

1. Introduction:
ISFR Report Overview:

● The 18th edition of the biennial India State of Forest Report (ISFR) reflects India's
commitment to forest conservation and sustainable management.
● It combines statistics, challenges, and strategies for future forest management.
● Highlights contributions from foresters, conservationists, scientists, and communities.

Primary Objectives of ISFR 2023:

● Provide an in-depth analysis of India's forest health, extent, and distribution.

● Offer insights into forest management practices and biodiversity conservation.
● Serve as a resource for foresters, policymakers, researchers, and conservationists.

Methodology:

● Employs remote sensing technology, ground surveys, and advanced data analytics for
accuracy and reliability in forest assessments.

Global Commitments and Treaties:

● UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): Requires reporting on

greenhouse gas emissions and forestry-related activities.
● Kyoto Protocol: Operationalizes UNFCCC by setting emission reduction targets.
● Paris Agreement: Focuses on limiting global warming below 2°C, with emphasis on forests in
climate strategies.
● Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Targets like SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 13
(Climate Action) are directly relevant to forestry.
● Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): Aims to conserve biodiversity and promote
equitable use of genetic resources.
● New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF): Targets halving deforestation by 2020 and ending
it by 2030.
● UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD): Focuses on combating desertification
and drought through sustainable land management.
● Bonn Challenge: India has committed to restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by
2030.
● Asia Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC): Promotes sustainable forest management in the
Asia-Pacific region.
● Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: Commits to conserving and sustainably using wetlands,
including mangroves.

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Land Use pattern:

Definitions in ISFR 2023:

➢ Forest Cover:
○ Includes all lands ≥1 hectare with tree canopy ≥10%, regardless of ownership or legal
status.
○ Encompasses orchards, bamboo, and palm.
○ Determined using satellite imagery; does not distinguish legal land status.
➢ Recorded Forest Area (RFA):
○ Geographic area recorded as 'forest' in government records.
○ Includes Reserved Forests (RF), Protected Forests (PF), and other classifications like
Unclassed Forests or Village Forests.
○ May have less than 10% canopy cover or include non-tree areas like wetlands, rivers,
or deserts.
➢ Tree Cover:
○ Refers to tree-covered areas outside Recorded Forest Areas.
○ Includes patches less than 1 hectare, like block plantations, linear plantations, or
scattered trees.
○ Larger patches (≥1 hectare) are part of Forest Cover.
➢ Forest Inventory

Purpose: Estimates total wood volume (Growing Stock) for forest management.

History:

○ Started with Working Plans at Forest Division levels.

○ Evolved to include aerial photography and satellite imagery (PISFR to FSI).
○ National Forest Inventory (NFI) initiated in 2002; first national-level estimates
published in ISFR 2003.

Current Methodology:

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 ○ Grid design modified in 2016.
○ Sample plots divided into four circular subplots for local variation assessment and
easier sampling.
○ ~6000 sample plots are surveyed annually in forest areas.
➢ Trees Outside Forest (TOF) Inventory

Inclusion: Began in NFI since 2002, covering areas outside Recorded Forest Areas (RFA).

Methodology:

○ ~10,000 sample plots are surveyed annually in non-forest areas (rural and urban).
○ Focuses on tree patches less than 1 hectare.

Outputs:

○ Data on biomass, carbon pools, and tree cover.

○ Estimates potential industrial wood production from areas outside RFA.

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The Global Scenario:

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2. Forest and Tree Cover:

● Total forest and tree cover: 8,27,356.95 km² (25.17% of India’s geographical area).
● Forest cover: 7,15,342.61 km² (21.76%).
● Tree cover: 1,12,014.34 km² (3.41%).

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Changes in Coverage:

● Increase in forest cover at the national level: 156.41 km².

● Increase in total forest and tree cover: 1445.81 km² (compared to 2021).

State-wise Trends:

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 ● Maximum increase in forest and tree cover:
○ Chhattisgarh (683.62 km²).
○ Uttar Pradesh (559.19 km²).
○ Odisha (558.57 km²).
○ Rajasthan (394.46 km²).
● Maximum decrease:
○ Madhya Pradesh (612.41 km²).
○ Karnataka (459.36 km²).
○ Ladakh (159.26 km²).
○ Nagaland (125.22 km²).

Forest Cover Inside RFA/GW:

● Maximum increase: Mizoram (192.92 km²), Odisha (118.17 km²), and Karnataka (93.14
km²).
● Maximum decrease: Tripura (116.90 km²), Telangana (105.87 km²), and Assam (86.66 km²).

Forest Cover Outside RFA/GW:

● Increase: Gujarat (241.29 km²), Bihar (106.85 km²), and Kerala (95.19 km²).
● Decrease: Madhya Pradesh (344.77 km²) and Rajasthan (110.65 km²).

Extent of TOF:

● Forest cover outside RFA & GW and tree cover: 30.70 million hectares (Mha) (37.11% of
the total forest and tree cover).

Tree Cover Trends:

● Maximum tree cover: Maharashtra (14,524.88 km²), Rajasthan (10,841.12 km²), and Uttar
Pradesh (8,950.92 km²).
● Significant increases: Chhattisgarh (702.75 km²), Rajasthan (478.26 km²), and Uttar Pradesh
(440.76 km²).

Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Area (WGESA):

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 ● Overall loss of forest cover in the last decade: 58.22 km².
● Changes in forest types:
○ Very Dense Forest: Increase of 3,465.12 km².
○ Moderately Dense Forest: Decrease of 1,043.23 km².
○ Open Forest: Decrease of 2,480.11 km².

Hills Districts:

● Total forest cover: 2,83,713.20 km² (40% of the geographical area of these districts).
● Increase in forest cover: 234.14 km².

North Eastern Region:

● Total forest and tree cover: 1,74,394.70 km² (67% of the region's geographical area).
● Decrease in forest cover: 327.30 km².

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 3. Mangrove Cover:
Definition:

● Salt-tolerant plant communities thriving in tropical and sub-tropical intertidal zones (30°N to
30°S).
● Act as natural barriers against ocean dynamics along coastlines.

Habitat Requirements:

● High rainfall regions (2,100–6,400 mm annually).

● Ecological tolerance to saltwater; physiological dependence on freshwater.
● Adapted to waterlogged soils, high salinity, cyclonic storms, and tidal surges.

Ecological Importance:

● Provide critical ecosystem goods and services.

● Serve as buffers against ocean acidification and coastal eutrophication.
● Act as repositories for microplastics.
● Support rich biodiversity in plants and animals.

Community and Livelihood Support:

● Essential for coastal community livelihoods, particularly in rural areas.

● Provide biomass resources and support fisheries production.

Carbon Storage:

● Play a significant role in carbon sequestration.

Global Importance:

● Second only to coral reefs in terms of ecosystem services.

● Recognized for their ecological and economic value by researchers and policymakers

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Mangrove coverage in India:

➢ Total mangrove cover: 4,991.68 km² (0.15% of India’s geographical area).

➢ Distribution:
○ Very Dense Mangroves: 1,463.97 km² (29.33%).
○ Moderately Dense Mangroves: 1,500.84 km² (30.07%).
○ Open Mangroves: 2,026.87 km² (40.60%).
➢ Net decrease since 2021: 7.43 km².
➢ Largest decrease: Gujarat (36.39 km²).
➢ Notable increase: Andhra Pradesh (13.01 km²) and Maharashtra (12.39 km²).

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 4. Forest Fire Hotspots:
Susceptibility of Forest Types:

● Severe fires are common in dry deciduous forests.

● Evergreen, semi-evergreen, and montane temperate forests are less susceptible.

Fire-Prone Forest Cover:

● 36% of India's forest cover is prone to frequent fires (ISFR 2021).

● 2.81% of the forest cover is extremely fire-prone, and 7.85% is very highly fire-prone.

Dependence on Forests:

● Approximately 275 million rural people depend on forests for livelihood.

● Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) are a major source of livelihood, but unsustainable
harvesting practices increase fire risks.

Major Causes of Forest Fires:

● Tendu Leaf and Mahua Flower Collection: A significant contributor to fires in central,
northern, and eastern India.
● Shifting Cultivation:
○ Jhum cultivation in the North-East involves slashing and burning large forest areas.
○ Shortened Jhum cycles increase fire frequency in ecologically sensitive regions.

Fire-Prone Clusters:

● Western Himalayan Region: Fires in pine forests and caused by pastoralists (Jammu &
Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh).
● Western India: Drier vegetation and extensive grasslands contribute to fires.
● Central Indian States & Ghats: Fires due to large-scale NTFP collection.
● North-Eastern States: Frequent fires due to shifting cultivation practices.

Affected Areas:

● Shifting cultivation affects approximately 4.35 million hectares annually across India.

Environmental and Biodiversity Risks:

● Fires pose significant threats to forest ecosystems, particularly in biodiversity-rich and

ecologically sensitive areas.

Highlights of forest fires:

● Fire hotspots detected during 2023-24 season: 2,03,544 (decreased from 2,23,333 in
2021-22).
● Top three states with most fire incidences: Uttarakhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh.

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 5. Growing Stock of Wood:
Importance of Growing Stock:

● Growing stock is a key indicator of forest health and productivity.

● It relates to timber production, biodiversity, and carbon storage.
● Provides data on species composition, diameter class distribution, and structure of tree
populations.

Role in Carbon Calculation:

● Growing stock information is crucial for calculating emission factors in carbon calculations.
● Forests, under the LULUCF sector, offset about 15% of CO2 equivalent emissions.

Forest Inventory:

● A critical tool for estimating growing stock through field data collection and sampling.
● Provides both qualitative (e.g., legal status, grazing, biotic influences) and quantitative (e.g.,
species, tree count, regeneration) data.

Historical Development:

● In 1965, the Pre-Investment Survey of Forest Resources (PISFR) was launched to estimate
wood and bamboo resources for industries.
● In 1981, the PISFR evolved into the Forest Survey of India (FSI), expanding its mandate to
national forest inventory.

Coverage of Forest Inventories:

● By 2001, about three-fourths of India's forests were inventoried.

● FSI published over 140 reports on forest inventory during this period.

Inclusion of Non-Forest Areas:

● FSI began the inventory of Trees Outside Forests (TOF) in the early 1990s.
● TOF inventory used villages for rural sampling and Urban Frame Survey (UFS) Blocks for
urban areas.

Highlights:

● Total growing stock: 6,429.64 million m³.

○ Inside forest areas: 4,478.89 million m³.
○ Outside forest areas (TOF): 1,950.75 million m³.
● Total increase: 262.32 million m³ (4.25%) since ISFR 2021.
○ Increase inside forests: 90.92 million m³ (2.07%).
○ Increase outside forests: 171.40 million m³ (9.63%).
● Growing stock density: 86.10 m³/ha in forest areas.

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State-wise Growing Stock:

● Inside forests:
○ Arunachal Pradesh: 457.83 million m³.
○ Uttarakhand: 400.02 million m³.
○ Chhattisgarh: 398.54 million m³.
○ Madhya Pradesh: 387.18 million m³.
● Outside forests (TOF):
○ Maharashtra: 213.93 million m³.
○ Karnataka: 137.62 million m³.
○ Madhya Pradesh: 130.46 million m³.
○ Chhattisgarh: 129.04 million m³.

Growing Stock Per Hectare in Forests:

● States:
○ Highest: Himachal Pradesh (219.46 m³/ha).
○ Followed by: Kerala (179.78 m³/ha) and Uttarakhand (164.39 m³/ha).
● Union Territories:
○ Highest: Jammu & Kashmir (296.22 m³/ha).
○ Followed by: Andaman & Nicobar Islands (246.61 m³/ha) and Chandigarh (78.64
m³/ha).

Species Contribution to Growing Stock:

● Inside Forests:

● Trees Outside Forests (TOF):

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Industrial Wood Production:

● Potential production from TOF: 91.51 million m³/year.

● Increase since ISFR 2017: 22.47 million m³.

Bamboo Bearing Area:

● Total bamboo bearing area: 1,54,670 km².

● Increase since ISFR 2021: 5,227 km².
● States with Maximum Area:
○ Madhya Pradesh (20,421 km²).
○ Arunachal Pradesh (18,424 km²).
○ Maharashtra (13,572 km²).
○ Odisha (12,328 km²).
● Changes:
○ Highest increase: Arunachal Pradesh (2,685 km²) and Madhya Pradesh (2,027 km²).
○ Highest decrease: Karnataka (1,290 km²) and Manipur (860 km²).

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Carbon Stock:

● Total carbon stock (2023): 7,285.5 Mt.

● Increase since last assessment: 81.5 Mt.
● Annual increase: 40.75 Mt (~149.42 Mt CO₂ equivalent).
● Distribution of Carbon Stock:
○ Soil organic carbon: 55.06%.
○ Above Ground Biomass (AGB): 32.69%.
○ Below Ground Biomass (BGB): 10.09%.
○ Litter: 1.48%.
○ Dead Wood: 0.78%.
● Top States by Carbon Stock:
○ Arunachal Pradesh: 1,021 Mt.
○ Madhya Pradesh: 608 Mt.
○ Chhattisgarh: 505 Mt.
○ Maharashtra: 465 Mt.
● Per Hectare Carbon Stock (t/ha):
○ Jammu & Kashmir: 174.10 t/ha.
○ Sikkim: 169.20 t/ha.
○ Himachal Pradesh: 163.68 t/ha.
○ Andaman & Nicobar Islands: 161.62 t/ha.

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 6. Agroforestry:
➢ The term ‘Agroforestry’ is commonly understood as a mix-land use system integrating woody
perennials (trees, shrubs, palms, bamboo, etc.) within agriculture systems.
➢ The National Agroforestry Policy (NAP, 2014)1 defines agroforestry as a ‘land use system
which integrates trees and shrubs on farmlands and rural landscapes to enhance productivity,
profitability, diversity, and ecosystem sustainability

National Agroforestry Policy (2014) - Summary:

● Objective:
○ Improve productivity, employment, income, and livelihood opportunities for rural
households, particularly small farmers.
● Launch:
○ Launched by the Government of India in 2014.
○ Followed by the Sub-Mission on Agroforestry (SMAF) in 2016-17 under the
National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA).
● Promoting Agroforestry:
○ Encourages tree plantation on farmland to improve environmental protection, increase
green cover, and enhance soil carbon stock.
● Motto:
○ “Har Med Par Ped” (A tree on every farm).
● Contribution to Global Goals:
○ Supports Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment).
○ Contributes to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
● Policy Objectives:
○ Expand tree plantation integrated with crops and livestock to enhance rural
productivity and livelihoods.
○ Protect ecosystems and promote resilient farming systems to mitigate climate risks.
○ Reduce dependency on imports of wood and wood products by meeting domestic
demand.
○ Reduce pressure on forests by supplying agroforestry products like fuelwood,
fodder, and non-timber forest produce.
○ Increase forest/tree cover to promote ecological stability, especially in vulnerable
regions.
○ Develop capacity in agroforestry and create a people’s movement to reduce pressure
on existing forests.
● Agroforestry Data Collection:
○ FSI’s ISFR 2013 included data on agroforestry area, species, and their volume from
21,543 rural TOF plots across 179 districts

Tree Green Cover under Agroforestry:

○ Total: 1,27,590.05 km².

○ Increase since ISFR 2013: 21,286.57 km² (20.02%).

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Growing Stock under Agroforestry:

○ Total: 1,291.68 million m³.

○ Increase since ISFR 2013: 286.94 million m³ (28.56%).

State-wise Growing Stock in Agroforestry:

● Highest States:
○ Maharashtra (136.45 million m³).
○ Karnataka (98.31 million m³).
○ Odisha (88.53 million m³).
○ Rajasthan (86.26 million m³).
● Union Territories:
○ Jammu & Kashmir (29.59 million m³).
○ Andaman & Nicobar Islands (0.90 million m³).
○ Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (0.53 million m³).

Prevalent Agroforestry Species:

➢ ISFR 2013:
○ Mangifera indica
○ Areca catechu
○ Cocos nucifera
○ Azadirachta indica
○ Acacia arabica / Acacia nilotica
➢ ISFR 2023:
○ Mangifera indica
○ Azadirachta indica
○ Prosopis juliflora / Neltuma juliflora
○ Areca catechu
○ Eucalyptus species

NDC Monitoring:

● India's carbon sink as of 2023: 30.43 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.

● Additional carbon sink achieved since 2005: 2.29 billion tonnes.

Positive Changes in Forestry Parameters (2013–2023):

● Forest Cover:
○ Increase: 16,630.25 km².
○ Inside RFA/GW: 440.47 km².
○ Outside RFA/GW: 16,189.78 km².
○ In hill districts: 2,649.04 km².
● Mangrove Cover: Increase: 296.33 km².
● Tree Cover: Increase: 20,747.34 km².
● Agroforestry:
○ Tree green cover increase: 21,286.57 km².
○ Growing stock increase: 286.94 M m³.

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● Growing Stock:
○ In forests: 305.543 M m³.
○ In TOF: 466.07 M m³

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7. Forest Characteristics Analysis:
➢ Soil Health Improvement:
○ Increase in shallow to deep soil coverage: 87.16% (up from 83.53% in 2013).
○ Improvement in humus content: 18.04% medium to deep humus (up from 11.43%
in 2013).
➢ Vegetation Improvements:
○ Dense to very dense grass cover: 17.21% (up from 15.64% in 2013).
○ Dense to very dense undergrowth: 25.58% (up from 20.32% in 2013).
➢ Soil Organic Carbon:
○ Increase from 55.85 tonnes/hectare to 56.08 tonnes/hectare.

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➢ Reduction in Grazing Load:
○ Moderate to heavy grazing reduced to 35.79% (down from 41.04% in 2013).
➢ Reduction in Biotic Influences:
○ Biotic pressures decreased to 26.66% (down from 31.28% in 2013).
➢ Improved Biodiversity:
○ Forest areas under mixed size classes increased to 38.11% (up from 21.12% in
2013).
○ Indicates enhanced floral and faunal biodiversity.

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 8. Decadal change:
➢ India is among the few countries in the world to achieve a positive trend of forest cover
increase over two decades. This is even more creditable for the country that forest & tree
cover has increased despite large dependence of human and cattle population living in the
forest fringe villages for their day-to-day needs of fuel wood, fodder, small timber, and
NTFPs.

—--------------------------------------------------The End—-----------------------------------------

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