A Manual for Dryland Afforestation and Management

Book excerpt: Community-oriented conservation of natural resources and promotion and protection of trees in drylands are examples to deal with climatic adversities. This book provides knowledge on climatic, ecological, social and economic condition of dry areas and lay out approaches and strategies to restore degraded lands. There are 15 chapters and first five deals with physiography of Rajasthan, drylands ecology, problems of land degradation, its economic evaluation and the approaches and strategies of restoration and rehabilitation. Next two chapters describe the problems of sand drift, salinity, water logging and effluent inflicted areas and strategies to control them. Chapters 8-10 deal with seed production, quality planting materials, genetic improvement, propagation and planting techniques. Chapters 11-12 describe methods of rain water harvesting and irrigation, and resources conservation for seed sowing and favouring regeneration and successions. Effective management of pests/diseases in nurseries and plantation, growth and yield prediction equations and models, and people's perception and participation in managing forest resources have been described in last 3 chapters. Purpose of this publication is to strengthen the forest functionaries and readers with wide ranging knowledge on land degradation, desertification and eco-biology of drylands; and methods to restore and rehabilitate degrading forest (lands) to increase forest cover, enhance resilience and people livelihoods and improve environmental conditions. Academician, researchers, forest managers, non-government organizations, extension agents and environmentalists can use it in developing, conserving and managing drylands ecosystems for its long lasting beneficial effects. This book is also useful to policy makers in effective planning of restoring, protecting and conserving dryland's ecological and socioeconomic services.