Tiger Numbers Fine, but Vegetation Declining in Tiger Reserves: Study.
A new study has warned that all may not be well with tiger reserves in the country. It has found that while the reserves are good at protecting animals, the vegetation conditions within are far from satisfactory. The study, which used open-source satellite data, has reported drastic decline in vegetation, with extensive drying of forests inside tiger reserves, thus raising question marks on their long-term viability.
Governments declare reserved forests as national parks or wildlife sanctuaries with focus on one or the other top animal species such as tigers, lions or elephants, on the assumption that protecting the flagship species would indirectly help protect the ecosystem as a whole. They invest heavily in resources and financial support to manage protected areas. Tiger reserves particularly get extra attention.
Alarming report on the vegetation of the Indian forests shows that the health of the forests (the vegetation) is getting worse.
An important indicator that India needs a change of policy!