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🌳 Jharkhand Forest Cover Report 2023: A Green Snapshot from ISFR πŸ“Š

Jharkhand, known as the land of forests, tribal heritage, and mineral wealth, once again shines in the environmental spotlight. According to the India State of Forest Report 2023 (ISFR), the Jharkhand Forest Cover Report 2023 reveals a commendable increase in green cover, bamboo area, and tree stock. This growth is crucial for climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development.

In this comprehensive guide, we break down all the key insights, district-wise statistics, forest fire alerts, top species, invasive threats, and policy-level recommendations to aid JPSC, JSSC, and environment-focused aspirants, researchers, and policymakers.

Jharkhand Forest Cover Report 2023

🌳 Forest Cover Statistics

 

Category Area (kmΒ²) % of State Area
Very Dense Forest (VDF) 2,635.35 3.31%
Moderately Dense Forest (MDF) 9,640.99 12.09%
Open Forest (OF) 11,489.44 14.41%
Total Forest Cover 23,765.78 29.81%
Scrub 558.32 0.70%

🟒 Net Change since 2021: +52.72 kmΒ² (inside RFA)​

πŸ—ΊοΈ District-wise Forest Cover 2023

πŸ“Š Top 15 Districts with Highest Very Dense Forest (VDF)

 

Rank District VDF Area (kmΒ²) % of Total VDF in Jharkhand
1 Latehar 485.48 18.42%
2 West Singhbhum 467.43 17.74%
3 Gumla 308.47 11.71%
4 Chatra 254.32 9.65%
5 Hazaribagh 233.20 8.84%
6 Bokaro 231.40 8.78%
7 Lohardaga 170.65 6.47%
8 Garhwa 129.75 4.92%
9 Khunti 77.18 2.93%
10 Kodarma 76.98 2.92%
11 Dhanbad 71.84 2.73%
12 Ramgarh 51.23 1.94%
13 Palamu 49.32 1.87%
14 Ranchi 39.41 1.50%
15 Deoghar 25.60 0.97%

πŸ“Œ Total Very Dense Forest in Jharkhand: 2,635.35 kmΒ²
πŸ“Œ % of State’s Geographic Area: 3.31%

🟩 Comparative Insights

  • Latehar has the highest concentration of VDF, often attributed to its protected zones and biodiversity-rich sal forests.

  • West Singhbhum, rich in tribal and elephant corridors, is a close second.

  • Bokaro and Hazaribaghβ€”although industrial hubsβ€”show remarkable VDF figures due to national parks and forest reserves.

  • Urban Districts like Ranchi and Dhanbad, have comparatively lower but significant VDF due to peripheral forest zones.

πŸ”„ Trends & Implications

  • Most VDF clusters are in central-west Jharkhand, overlapping with forest-rich zones like Betla National Park, Palamu Tiger Reserve, and Netarhat Plateau.

  • Districts with high VDF are often fire-prone, requiring proactive forest fire mitigation strategies.

  • Khunti, Lohardaga, and Gumla, despite socio-economic challenges, maintain good VDF, which reflects strong natural resilience and traditional conservation practices.

πŸ“ˆ Policy-Level Suggestions

  1. Ecotourism Initiatives: Latehar and West Singhbhum can be developed as eco-tourism circuits.

  2. Fire Watchtowers in high-VDF zones to curb seasonal fires.

  3. Livelihood Boost via NTFP: Encourage sustainable harvest of sal leaves, mahua, and medicinal plants in high VDF districts.

  4. Tribal Partnership Models: Empower tribal communities in Gumla, Lohardaga, and Khunti for joint forest management.

🌲 Forest Types in Jharkhand

As per the Champion & Seth Classification, the most dominant forest type in Jharkhand is:

 

Forest Type Area (kmΒ²) % of Forest Area
Dry Peninsular Sal Forest 13,183.65 54.20%
Northern Dry Mixed Deciduous 8,308.01 34.16%
Moist Peninsular Low-Level Sal 573.13 2.35%

Also present are bamboo brakes, Boswellia forests, and Butea forests​.

πŸ”₯ Forest Fire Trends & Prone Areas

Total Forest Fire Alerts (2023-24): 7,525, down from 11,923 in 2022-23

 

District Fire Alerts (2023–24)
West Singhbhum 1,835
Latehar 710
Hazaribagh 513
East Singhbhum 407

Forest Fire Prone Area (% of Total Forest):

  • Highly Prone: 28.48%

  • Very High: 11.33%

  • Extremely High: 0.45%​

🏞️ Forest Cover by Altitude & Slope

 

Altitude Zone Forest Area (kmΒ²)
0–500 m 16,201.51
500–1000 m 7,332.83
1000–2000 m 231.44

 

Slope Class Forest Area (kmΒ²)
0–5Β° 12,876.31
5–10Β° 5,173.93
10–15Β° 2,773.16
>30Β° 143.28​

🌿 Top Tree Species in Different Zones

Reserved Forest Areas (RFAs):

  • Shorea robusta (Sal): 48.95 M mΒ³ (2.21 lakh trees)

  • Terminalia spp.: 6.26 M mΒ³

  • Madhuca spp.: 6.86 M mΒ³

Urban Areas:

  • Mangifera indica (Mango): 13.449 M mΒ³

  • Azadirachta indica (Neem): 0.285 M mΒ³

Rural Areas:

  • Butea monosperma (Palash): 4.867 M mΒ³

  • Phoenix sylvestris (Date Palm): 1.865 M m³​

πŸŽ‹ Bamboo Resources in Jharkhand

 

Year Bamboo Area (kmΒ²) Change
2021 3,717
2023 3,746 +29 kmΒ² (↑ 0.78%)

Jharkhand is among top contributors to India’s bamboo economy, primarily in western forest divisions​.

🌱 Major NTFP Species

 

NTFP Species Number of Plants (in ’000) Type
Shorea robusta 10,904,901 Tree
Andrographis paniculata 55,747,956 Herb
Diospyros melanoxylon 3,882,847 Tree
Woodfordia fruticosa 34,06,100 Shrub

These species support tribal and rural livelihoods through seasonal collection​.

🚫 Invasive Species Threats

Jharkhand’s forests are increasingly threatened by exotic invasive flora.

Species Area Affected (kmΒ²)
Lantana camara 1,912.27
Chromolaena odorata 887.52
Cassia tora (Senna tora) 92.17
Ageratum conyzoides 58.03
Mikania micrantha 41.65​

These species disrupt native ecosystems and reduce biodiversity.

Conclusion & Policy Recommendations

Jharkhand Forest Cover Report 2023 : Jharkhand’s forest performance in 2023 is encouraging, yet challenges remain.

βœ… Achievements:

  • Net forest cover increased.

  • Bamboo and tree stock rose.

  • Agroforestry gaining momentum.

❗ Concerns:

  • Fire risks in high-VDF areas.

  • Invasive species spreading rapidly.

πŸ“Œ Recommended Actions:

  • Build tribal co-management models in Gumla, Khunti, and Lohardaga.

  • Scale up eco-tourism in Latehar and West Singhbhum.

  • Set up fire watchtowers and early-warning systems.

  • Expand NTFP value chains with proper processing facilities.

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