Abstract

Growing awareness of the protective, productive and social functions of tropical forests has emphasised the need to develop appropriate systems for their management. An understanding of existing practices is essential to identify more viable systems of management. To gather necessary background information, the Food and Agriculture Organisation initiated case studies in four representative tropical regions. This report is an outcome of one such study and deals with management of rainforests (evergreen forests) and teak plantations in Kerela State, India. The main findings are: (a) Growing demand for land and products has led to the diversion of forest land for other purposes and this has progressively reduced the area under forests. (b) Accessibility and demand seem to be the guiding factors that determine the intensity of selection system. Although nearly 30 species are listed for felling, in practice, a disproportionately large number of trees are removed from among the few species having high demand. (c) Although cardamom is cultivated in the evergreen forests for enhancing revenue, in the long run it adversely affects regeneration and leads to degradation of the forests. (d) Multiple use management has been limited to the practice of taungya and the half-hearted attempts to raise cocoa and pepper. Both have failed to fulfil the objectives for which they have been introduced. (e) Analysis of objectives vis-a-vis achievement indicates that wood production and revenue maximisation get the highest priority, while watershed protection, although listed as the top priority in forest policies and working plans, is ignored in the actual management. (f) The existing trend indicates that single use management is growing in importance, especially in the wake of industrial orientation of forestry in the country. (g) Considering the population pressure and the diversity of demands, multiple use management of forests is inevitable. (h) While judging the desirability of multiple use systems, it is necessary to look into their social implications. In a developing country, where poverty is pervasive, multiple use management should be directed at meeting the basic needs