Forest Resources based Livelihoods

FOREST RESOURCES
Forests are renewable resources.
Forest have been increasing recognized as rich reservoirs of biological
resources:
Forest Contribute significantly to the economic ,social and environmental well
being of a country
~45,000 plant species (60% are endemic species)
Medicinal and Aromatic plants
Fruits and Vegetables, Spices, Honey, Mushrooms etc.
Other commercial important plant species : Bamboo, Timber etc.
Forest meet ~40% of energy needs of the country 220 million tons of fuel
wood/ annum and also provide 25% of fodder needs. (250 million tons / annum)
Wood is the major forest products
Forest provides various domestic needs: Timber, Fiber, Bamboo, Agriculture
implements, building materials etc.
 Economical and Ecological Importance of Forest
Resources
Timber: Wood used for commercial purposes for making
furniture and other items for house construction ,bridges,
boats and other day today uses.
Fuel Wood: The wood is used as fuel for cooking and
other purposes by Rural people.
Raw Materials : for Industries: Forest provide raw
materials for various wood-based industries like pulp and
paper, sports goods, furniture ,match boxes etc.
Regulation of Climate Change and temperature :Tree
cover influence Climate to reduce temperature, conserve
soil, improve fertility of soil and reduced floods.
 Employment Generation

3000-to-5000-million-man days of work /

annum for fuel wood collection.

33% of Tribal earn their livelihood from

forests and forest products.
Fuel Wood and Timber Collection
Forest Cover In India
 Land more than 1 ha in size and with tree canopy density of more than 10%.
 Actual forest area coverage is 23% of total geographical land.

Dense forest : 40% & above cover with tree canopy density (12%)
Open Forest : 10 to 40 % cover with tree canopy density (8%)

Protected Forest : are managed by the forest deptt. but the local people have certain
rights in them. Such as gathering of fruits , NTFP, cutting of wood.

Reserved Forest: are exclusively for the use of forest dept.. and the surrounding village has
no right.

1.85% of the world’s forests and supported 16% of total world population and 14% livestock.

Problem of Deforestation
In adequate forest area ( per capita forest availability 0.15 ha in India)
World average: 1.19 ha

Due to deforestation, every year 10 million ha of degraded land need to

be brought under forest.
State wise area Covering Forest
State Area Percentage
Andaman & Nicobar 82
Meghalaya 70
Assam 33
Manipur 31
M.P. 30
Orissa 30
Himachal 24
Bihar 15
Kerala 26
Karnataka 17
Tamilnadu 12
U.P. 12
W.B. 10
Punjab 2
Rajasthan 3
Gujarat 6
Haryana 2
 Non timber forest products ( NTFP) for Rural Livelihoods

TENDU LEAVES BAMBOO TIMBER

                          

                      

HONEY SAL RESIN MEDICINAL EDIBLE FOREST

PLANT PRODUCTS
 FOREST PRODUCTS
__________________________________________________________________

Major Minor/NTFP
(Timber small woods & firewood) ( goods of biological origin other
than woods)

Grass Tans & Gums, Oil Leaves

Fibre & Essential Resine & seeds
Flosses Bamboo, Dye
canes Oil Oleoresin

Drugs, Spices, Lac & silk

Poisons & Edible products Animal products
Insecticides

The production , processing and uses of NTFP has a great potential for
livelihood generation in Tribal Areas
WHO USE NTFP?

Rural Population (largest group)

Who have traditionally used these items for livelihood ,social
and cultural purposes. NTFP can help communities to meet
their needs without destroying the forest resources.
Urban Consumers (a smaller group but growing faster) who
purchase these items and processed product.
Traders & Processors, Whose numbers in the NTFP sector
increase as urban market for these products grow.
WHY ARE NTFP IMPORTANT?
The great importance of NTFP for meeting people’s needs (food , fodder,
fuel, fibers, dye stuffs, flavors and medicines) with out destroying the
natural resources.
 Most of the products are used mainly for rural subsistence or local
market.
 Provide raw materials for small scale forest base enterprises like:
1) Bamboo & cane works, Basket making, curtain sticks.
2) Match sticks
3) Bidi manufacture
4) Agarbatti
5) Tools handles
6) Distillation of essential oils (sandalwood, eucalyptus etc)
7) Katha manufacturing
8) Extraction of tannin
9) Rope making
10) Leaf cups & plates
11) Wood carving
12) Charcoal making
13) Sericulture , tassar (silk)
14) Bee keeping and honey processing
15) Broom making
16) Starch making
17) Collection and processing of Medicinal plants
18) Hand made papers
19) Fiber based industries
20) Non-edible oils and soap making
21) Natural gum processing
 Minor Forest Produce and Livelihood
• An important source of livelihood for tribal people are non-wood
forest products, generally termed Minor Forest Produce (MFP). This
includes all non-timber forest produce of plant origin and include
bamboo, canes, fodder, leaves, gums, waxes, dyes, resins and many
forms of food including nuts, wild fruits, honey, lac, and tassar.
• The Minor Forest Produces provide both subsistence and cash income
for people who live in or near forests. They form a major portion of
their food, fruits, medicines and other consumption items and
provide cash income through sales.
• According to the Report of the National Committee on Forest Rights
Act, 2011, an estimated 100 Million people derive their source of
livelihood from the collection and marketing of Minor Forest Produce.
They depend on this source for food, shelter, medicines and cash
income. Approximately 20-40% of their annual income is derived
from Minor Forest Produce. 
 Leaves
• Tendu leave, Sal (leave cup), palash, siali etc
• Collection , drying, storage, grading, transportation of Tendu
leaves and bidi making generate employment in the Forest
areas.
Tribal women involved in making leaves plate
Leaf plate pressing machine
Leaf pressing machine
 Fibers and Flosses

a) Soft fibers / stem or blast fiber (Hemp, Mesta)

b) Hard fibers from leaves (Sisal)
c) Surface fibers (cotton)
• Uses: Textile, Brush, , Sea rope, filling ,paper
making
• Flosses: Semul, Kapok & yellow silk
cotton
 Grasses, Bamboo, Canes
Saibai grass: ~20 lakh tonnes of grass are
collected every year
20% bamboo is used in industries (136
species)
• paper making
• Construction of houses beds, handy-
crafts & household items
Munj grass -preparation of chicks, chairs etc
Cane: Furniture, walking sticks,
umbrella handles, sports goods
Bamboo and Cane based Livelihood
Medicinal Plants
Drugs, Spices & Insecticides
Sarpagandha, nux vomica, belladona, mulethi, ipecac, kuth, cincona bark,
cinnamon, large cardamom, turmeric pepper , Ginger

Insecticidal Plants
Crysanthenum, Artimisia, Nirgundi, karanja, palash
 Edible NTFP

Edible products
Kathal, palm, jamun, tamarind, mango, pomegrannate,
honey, mahua flowers , tubers, chironjee
Tamarind (Tamarindus indica, Fabaceae)
Tamarind Collection and Processing
Tamarind Products
Tamarind fruit-based livelihood
Forest Honey: Natures Gift to mankind
Wild honey is one of the potential NTFP collected in the

central tribal belt of India to supplement their income

Wild Honey Collection from the Forest
Wild Honey : Present State of Art
Traditional Method of Collection
 TYPES OF HONEYBEES
Four species of honeybees are found in India.
Indian Bee
 Apis dorsata ( forest honeybees) 50 kg of honey/annum/ hive
 Apis florea (little forest honeybees) 0.5 kg/annum/hive
 Apis Indica ( Rock Bees) 35kg / per annum / hive
 Apis cerana(Indian bee) 15-20 kg / annum / hive
Apis mellifera( Western bee) was introduced by European in India.
This species is called European bees or Italian bees (120 kg/
annum) per hive.
Apis dorsata Apis cerana

Apis florea Apis mellifera

Forest Honey
Honey produced by the rock bees Apis dorsata and Apis
indica is termed as forest honey.
Forest honey are turbid due to the presence of pollen,
wax and other impurities.

Apiary Honey
Honey produced by the A. mellifera and A cerena is
called apiary honey. ( Transparent & free from foreign
matter).
Honey Based Beverages
Natural Food Colors from NTFP
 Natural Food Colors bearing Plants

Annatto extract.
– Extracted from annatto seeds, Bixa orellna L., a
tropical bush.
 EDIBLE STEMS-TUBERS
Botanical Name Hindi name English Name Family Edible Parts

Alocasia Mankanda - Araceae Stem

macrorhiza G.
Don
Amaranthus Ramadana Love-lies- Amaranthaceae Tender Shoots
caudatus L. Bleeding
A. Spinosus Willd Kataii Spiny Amaranthaceae Tender Shoots
chaulai Amaranth
A. Tricolor L. Lal Sag - Amaranthaceae Stem
A. Viridis L. - Wild Amaranth Amaranthaceae Tender Shoots
Bauhinia Amli, - Caesalpiniaceae Tender Shoots
malabarica Roxb. Amlosa
Coccinia grandis Kunduri Ivy Gourd Cucurbitaceae Tender Shoots
Voigt
Costus speciosus keu - Zingiberaceae Tender Shoots
smith
Dendrocalamus - Giant Bamboo Bambusaceae Young shoots
giganteus Munro
 SOME TUBERS OF INDIAN ORIGIN

Colocasia esculenta Yams Amorphophallus

Sweet Potato Canna Arrowroot

Edible Fruits and Vegetables
 EDIBLE FRUITS
Botanical Name Hindi Name English Name Family

Acacia leucophloea Safed kikar - Mimosaceae

Willd
Aegle marmelos Bael Bael Tree Rutaceae
Correa
Anacardium Kaju - Anacardiaceae
occidentale L.
Annona reticulata L. Ramphal West India custard Annonaceae
apple
A. Squamosa L. Seetaphal Custard apple Annonaceae
A. Ghaesembilla Umtoa Black-Currant Euphorbiaceae
Gaertn
A. Heterophyllus Kathal Jack Fruit Moraceae
Lamak.
Averrhoa Kamarak - Averrhoaceae
carambola L. Karamal
Bombax ceiba L. Semul Silk Cotton Bombacaceae
 EDIBLE FRUIT
Botanical Name Hindi Name English Name Family
Salacia Chinensis L. - Saptrangi Hippocrateaceae

Schleichera oleosa Kusum Lac tree Sapindaceae

Oken
Solanum nigrum L. Makoi Black Night Shade Solanaceae
Spondias pinnata Amara Hog Plum Anacardiaceae
Kurz
Syzygium - - Myrtaceae
caryophyllatum
Alston
S.Cumin Skeels Jamun - Myrtaceae
S.Jambos Alston Gulab Jamun Rose Apple Myrtaceae

Tamarindus indica Imli Tamarind Tree Caesalpiniaceae

L.
Terminalia catappa Deshi Badam Indian Almond Tree Combretaceae
L.
Tribulus terrestris L. Gokhura Land calotrops Zygophyllaceae
AMLA FRUIT
Amla Fruit
Value added Amla Products
Employment from Amla processing

Amla Jam

Amla Burfi Amla Biscuits

Products from Jamun
Preparation of Jamun Jam
 Bamboo Shoots
Bamboo shoots are rich in both phenols and phytosterols. Eight phenolic
compounds: protocatechuic acid, p-Hydroxybenzoic acid, catechin, caffeic acid,
chlorogenic acid, syringic acid, p-Coumaric acid, and ferulic acid,

Compound Contents
(mg/100g, db)
Ascorbic acid 154.7
Protocatechuic acid 2.8
p-Hydroxybenzoic acid 1.7

The hypolipidemic effect of bamboo shoot

oil obtained from Phyllostachys pubescens
has been reported and the oil is good for
development as a functional food and
nutraceutical for prevention of
atherosclerosis and related complications
(Lu et al., 2010).
Phytosterol of Bamboo shoot
 Aromatic Plants

Ocimum basilicum Ocimum Canum

Ocimum Gratissimum Ocimum Sanctum

Aromatic plant processing (Distillation Units)

Sandal wood oil, lemon grass oil, palmarosa, vetiver,

eucalyptus cinnamon, cedar wood, kewada, kuth root,
nagarmotha etc
 Raw material collection and distillation of 1kg of
eucalyptus oil require five man days
3500 tonnes potential of palmarosa, eucalyptus, citronella,
lemongrass oil will generate 58,000 man years of
employment.
Ocimum basilicum Ocimum Canum

Ocimum Gratissimum Ocimum Sanctum

 Tans and Dyes

Tans & dyes Red sandal wood, Palash,Myrobalan, katha, acacia species
(babul, avaram, amaltas), etc.
Natural Dyes
Indigo(neel), manjeeta, myrobalan, pomegranate, tesu, walnut, dholu,
kamala seeds, lac, red sandal wood, annatto, cassia tora, marigold,
mehendi leaves
Uses : Natural tannin, Natural colors, Textile dyeing etc.
 Gums and Resins

Karaya Gum, Gum Acacia, Gum Ghatti, Sal resin, Lac, guggul,
dhoop, pine oleoresin etc.
 PINE TREE OLEO – RESIN

There are about 10 lakh hecters of Himalayan forests (~ 400 to 3000 mt)
Streching from Kashmir to Assam are covered with four different types
Of Pine trees (Chir, Blue Khasi & Chilgoza)

Chir Pine (Pinus roxburgh) is most abudant and most exploited for
tapping pine oleo-resin.

Tapping pine oleo-resin from these trees provides large employment to

several tribals in remote region of Himalaya fothills
(HP, UP, Uttaranchal, J&K, N.E. States)

Indian pine oleo-resin production is ~ 125000 – 150000 tonnes per annum.

1 tonnes resin tapping required 120 maydays

Production of Oleoresin per tree:
U.P. – 1.96 kg
H.P. – 2.8 kg
 PINE TERPENE DERIVATIVES

The important products derived from Pine oleo-resin are as follows:

TURPENTINE OIL
α – Pinene (20%) Essential oil (~15%)
β- Carene (60%)
Longifoline (15%)
Rosin (used in paper and soap, printing ink, paints industries) (75%)

Value Added Products from Pine Resin:

(1) Production of Camphor from Pinene. Camphor is used for religious
purposes. India produced 40 – 60% Camphor of world requirement.

(2) Terpineol has lilac flower odour, used in perfumary and soap, household
disinfectants.
TURPENTINE DISTILLATION
 Important Pine Oleo derivatives
Citronellol
Geraniol OH

Geranyl acetate O H

Linalool
Thymol Citronellol Geraniol

O OH

OH

-Carene  - Pinene
Linalool
Thymol

Pine oleo-resin production per ha in India is low (~ 25 kg/ ha). It can

be increased by planting more trees in the waste.

China Pine oleo-resin production per ha is 100 kg.

 Oil Seeds

Oil seeds
Sal, mahua, karanja, neem, kusum,
dhupa, kokum, etc have good employment
potential.
Utilization: soap, paints, varnishes,
oleochemicals ,biofuel etc
 Sal (Shorea robusta):
• Odisha, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have the
largest sal belt (sal forest area ~45% of total their
forest)
• Across these states, ~20-30 million forest dwellers,
mostly tribal depend on sal seeds, leaves and resins.
• Sal seed, processed into fat, is a primary ingredient
in the food and cosmetic sector, such as oil, soap,
cocoa-butter equivalent in chocolate making, etc
• The quality of sal fat depends on its post harvest
processing of sal seeds.
• The de-oiled cake is used in proportions of 20% in
concentrate for cattle feed.
• Due to lack of technology for extraction of sal oil, the
quality and quantity of oil yield is not achieved.
 Collection and processing of Sal Seeds
• Decortications is done by spreading the sal fruit on dry hard ground and
setting fire to it.
• Risky process and oil quality is reduced.
• Also decortications was done by beating the seeds with a wooden stick,
which is time consuming, low capacity and labour intensive process.
Sal fat for cocoa butter substitute
Mahuwa (Madhuca indica):
• The tribal population relies heavily on this tree for
their livelihood.
• The seeds of the mahua tree, popularly known as
`Indian butter tree’.
• The yield of mahua seeds varies (5-200 kg/tree)
depending up on size and age of the tree.
• Kernel contains 20 -50 percent oil depending on oil
extraction methods and post harvest processing.
• Mahuas are a rich source of sugar, protein, minerals,
and vitamins and are edible.
• Mahua fruit is eaten as a vegetable, while oil from
the seeds is used as everything from a hair fixer, for
cooking and lighting lamps, to making soap.
• The crushed leftover matter (de-oiled cake) i.e.
seedcake used as fertiliser.
 Mahua Flowers
• Fresh corollas of Madhuca indica tree.
• Collected from ground just after falling
• In most of the cases the dried leaves are burnt
just before flowering
Mahua collection
 Mahua Flowers
• Fresh corollas of Madhuca indica tree.
• Collected from ground just after falling
• In most of the cases the dried leaves are burnt
just before flowering
Mahua collection
Processing : Sun Drying
Sun Drying of Mahua Flowers
Storage of Dried Mahua Flowers
Drawbacks of Dry Flowers
• High microbial load
• Colour : Blackish/Brown
• Flavour : Pungent
• Food quality : Poor
• Nutritional value : High
 Results
• Flowers are not accepted as food
• Major utilization of flower: Liquor (> 90%)
• Other uses: cattle feed (5-10%)
 Conclusion:

A major source of Antioxidant sugar

(glucose + Fructose + Sucrose)
is being underutilized
Major problems…..
Collection

Processing

Storage
 Scientific Intervention

Processing of fresh flowers

Comparative nutritional value of dry mahua and
common fruits
Thiamine(mg) Protein
APPLE
APPLE
BANANA(Ripe)
BANANA(Ripe)
MANGO MANGO
MAHUA(Dry) MAHUA(Dry)
RAISINS RAISINS

Riboflavin(mg) Carbohydrates
APPLE APPLE
BANANA(Ripe) BANANA(Ripe)
MANGO
MANGO
MAHUA(Dry)
RAISINS MAHUA(Dry)
RAISINS

Niacin(mg) Calcium(mg)
A P P LE APPLE
B A N A N A ( R ip e )
BANANA(Ripe)
M A N GO
MANGO
M A HU A ( D ry )
MAHUA(Dry)
R A IS IN S
RAISINS

(Ref. Nutritive value of Indian food, NIN, Hyderabad)

 Mahua Flower based livelihood
Mahua Flower collection and value addition

Mahua syrup
Alcohol
Vinegar
Candy, confectionary products
Nutraceutical products (Ca- rich products) Galactose- based oligo saccharide
etc
Cattle feeds
Mahua seed collection and value addition
Mahua oil & oil cake
Confectionary fats
Bio pesticides from cake.
Preparation of Mahua Concentrate

Fresh flowers Flower juice

Juice Concentrate
 Processing of fresh flowers
for value addition

Cleaning and washing with water Drainage of excess water Extraction of juice

Boiler with steam

Concentrate Fresh juice
jacketed kettle for
concentration
PROCESSING OF FRESH FLOWERS AND EXTRACTION OF JUICE
PREPARATION OF MAHUA CONCENTRATE
 Animal products
• Deer horn, musk, elephant teeth, tassar,lac
and silk
 Lac cultivation on different host plants

PALAS BER KUSUM

PEEPAL KUSUM AAKASMANI

BER

GALWANG FLEMINGIA GULAR

 Purification Stick Lac
Stick lac
Grinding & Seiving(5-10 mesh)

Ground stick lac

Washing Lac dye
Dried

Washed stick lac

80-70% resin
2-3% colour Seed Lac
5% wax
Heating / filtration
Shellac (Free from impurities)
Bleaching process (So. Hypochloride)

Bleached shellac
Dewaxing
Dewaxed & Decolorised wax
A VIEW OF DEMONSTRATION OF LAC PROCESSING UNIT
Lac Value Added Products
Tassar silk processing