Sustainable Biodiversity Conservation in the Landscape

India’s forests were rich in many timber and non-timber yielding species making the natural ecosystem dynamic not only ecologically but also socio-economically. They supplied lot of materials as Non Wood Forest Products (NWFP) such as fuel wood, bamboo, grasses, edible fruits, rhizomes, bulbils, shoots and leaves as well as in the form of most valuable medicinal and aromatic plants. The local population derived sustained livelihood from collection and consumption or by sale. Gradually, due to unscientific practices, these species have either disappeared altogether or have depleted precariously impacting the livelihood of the local people. The life cycle of tropical species is closely interlinked facilitative numerous biotic interactions in the form of pollination, seed germination, seedling establishment and symbiotic association. Often it is seldom appreciated that disappearance of associated species in the canopy or in the ground flora may have ecological ramifications as well. The enrichment of biodiversity by mixing miscellaneous NWFP species and medicinal plants both in natural forests and in forests plantations would lead to maintain the balance among socioeconomic, ecological and technical aspects of sustainable forest management. Most of NWFPs and medicinal species occupy middle and lower canopies in forest ecosystem and by virtue of their diverse eco-silvicultural requirements at seedling, sapling and tree stages of development, their natural regeneration is very problematic in degraded forests and these were found ubiquitous in most of the forest stands. Thus, it is the need of the hour for devising strategy to restore the biodiversity of species in the landscape. The priority areas covered in this present compilation are holistic conservation approach for restoration of biodiversity, traditional forest knowledge and sustainable biodiversity conservation, participation of local people for eco-restoration and biodiversity conservation, selection of suitable species for carbon sequestration and ameliorating the changing climate, sustainable management of bio-resources, seed and silvi-technology for some of the multi-purpose and threatened species for their reintroduction in the landscape. The publication would certainly be significant for evolving right directions and new dimensions in formulating the National Biodiversity Action Plans (NBA) for conservation of the biodiversity in the landscape. Besides, this publication would be of vital use for Scientists, Foresters, Environmentalists, Academicians, Industrialists, Policy makers’ NGO’s and other Stakeholders engaged in sustainable conservation of biodiversity in the landscape.