Extraction of non-timber forest products in the forests of Biligiri Rangan Hills, India. 6. Fuelwood pressure and management options

Abstract

Fuelwood is a predominant source of domestic energy for the Soliga, an aboriginal tribe, and non-Soliga people inhabiting the core and the fringe of the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka, India. Approximately 7000 Soliga and 66000 non-Soliga people depend on the 540 km sanctuary for fuelwood. The demand for fuelwood is estimated to be 134.7 t d or 49165 t y against production of 66024 t y for the entire sanctuary. Consumption patterns vary with the season and the altitude. The pressure for fuelwood is far greater on the fringe (85.8%) than in the core (14.2%). The fuelwood supply emanates from an activity zone of 20.1% of the total forest area which produces only 27% of the total demand. Furthermore, only selected species are preferred for fuel use, indicating that only a certain percentage of total productivity is available for extraction. Thus, the demandsupply gap is far greater than it actually appears. A wide gap between demand and supply demonstrates that the BRT forests cannot cater to the fuelwood needs sustainably with the prevailing patterns of extraction. Probable consequences of fuelwood extraction on biodiversity are discussed, and management options to meet energy requirement and to conserve biodiversity are explored.