Threats and Conservation Challenges

This biologically unique is however not free from danger, especially in today’s’ rapid changing landscape scenario. The threat could be natural or manmade but it affects the system at various level the consequences of which are beyond our control once it will cross the threshold. Some major threats are habitat fragmentation, negligence, conflict of interest and ineffective restoration/improvement strategies. It is our poor understanding of the complex ecological processes and proper estimation of the ecosystem benefits which often lead to their destruction. To improve the scenario, thorough understandings of the complex ecosystem dynamics as well as its socio-religious association with community life both are important from conservation and management point of view.

Conservation activities on relic forest patches are mostly implemented by Government agencies, NGOs and sometimes by communities. However community participation is often activated by extra mural support which has serious problem in long term sustainability due to financial limitation. The problem could be mitigated to some extent by awareness generation and transfer of custodianship so to raise the interest among people to safeguard its future for their own benefit. Often simple protection measures are effective enough to keep the relic patch in good condition even in altered landscape without any external heavy funding (Ray et al 2012). The need of the hour is awareness and active participation of stakeholders from all level to save these representatives of ancient world in our time period.