India can safeguard its rich ecological heritage while fostering sustainable livelihoods in arid and semiarid regions of the India through promoting sustainable harvesting practices, strengthening policy reformation that acknowledges and protects local community rights and increasing community participation in resource management. By ensuring the stability of ecosystems and sustaining, NTFPs contribute to the conservation of soil, the recharge of groundwater and the preservation of biodiversity from an ecological perspective. In spite of their importance, non-timber forest product encounter a variety of challenges, including the absence of policy support, the effects of climate change and unsatisfactory harvesting. The ecological significance, socioeconomic consequences and conservation challenges of NTFPs are thoroughly investigated, with a particular emphasis on the importance of sustainable operational practices, community-based conservation initiatives and policy improvements. By resolving these challenges and promoting India can ensure the long-term sustainability of non-timber forest product (NTFPs) in its semi-arid and rainless regions. In addition to promoting ecological preservation, this will also facilitate socio-profitable development.
S.N. Murthy Midde*
ICFRE-Arid Forest Research Institute, Jodhpur, Rajasthan (342 005), India
Jitendra Parihar
Manorath Sen
Deepak Kumar
Neetu Saini
Neeraj Gehlot
Midde, S.N.M., Parihar, J., Sen, M., Kumar, D., Saini, N., Gehlot, N., 2024. The ecological significance, socio-economic impact, conservation challenges and future prospects of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in India’s semi-arid and arid regions. Biotica Research Today 6(10), 461-464.
Anonymous, 2024. Palash: An account of the flame of the forest. In: RoundGlass Sustain (website). Available at: https://roundglasssustain.com/wild-vault/palash#image-4. Accessed on: 10th September, 2024.
Moudgil, M., 2012. Joint forest management benefits both officials and villagers in Oghna forest range. In: The Weekend Leader (website). Available at: https://www.theweekendleader.com/Nature/1403/a-joint-triumph.html. Accessed on: 10th September, 2024.
Pandey, A.K., Tripathi, Y.C., Kumar, A., 2016. Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for sustained livelihood: Challenges and strategies. Research Journal of Forestry 10(1), 1-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3923/rjf.2016.1.7.
Sardeshpande, M., Shackleton, C., 2019. Wild edible fruits: A systematic review of an under-researched multifunctional NTFP (non-timber forest product). Forests 10(6), 467. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/f10060467.
Tewari, J.C., Pareek, K., Shiran, K., Roy, M.M., 2017. Non-timber tree products: Alternative source of livelihood in man-crop/grass-livestock-tree/shrub continuum of arid regions. MOJ Ecology & Environmental Science 2(4), 00030. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15406/mojes.2017.02.00030.