Lantana Eradication

 “Lantana Eradication: Transforming Lives, Restoring Ecosystems”

Lantana Eradication in Mandla: A Community-Led Triumph”

Introduction: Lantana, a British-introduced invasive species, has engulfed 50% of India’s natural areas, impacting biodiversity and agriculture. In Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, lantana encroachment posed severe threats to agriculture and restricted access to non-timber forest produces (NTFPs).

Challenges: Lantana’s rapid spread, allelopathic traits, and resistance make eradication challenging. Despite this, the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) initiated a comprehensive eradication program in Mandla in 2012.

Community-Driven Efforts: FES, with community mobilization, cleared 7,000 hectares of lantana-infested land. Systematic clearing, root extraction, and sustained monitoring transformed fallow lands into productive areas, benefitting both agriculture and forests.

Impacts:

• Economic Gains:
  • 50% of farmers now cultivate cleared lands, leading to a threefold income increase.
• Livestock Benefit:
  • An eightfold increase in fodder availability from managed lands.
• Forest Produce Collection:
  • 46% of farmers reported collecting valuable forest produce from restored lands.

Biodiversity Restoration:

• Native trees like palash and jamun returned, and 77 hectares in Barkheda village now serve as vital grazing land.

Community Vigilance:

• Committees enforce sustained lantana management.
• Penalties ensure adherence to rules, promoting vigilant community involvement.

Challenges and Future Strategies:

• Gaps in monitoring necessitate integration into national programs like MGNREGS.
• Advocacy for commercial use, like furniture making, offers economic incentives for controlled lantana utilization.

Conclusion: The Mandla success story showcases the transformative impact of community-led initiatives in tackling invasive species. Beyond economic gains, the restoration of ecosystems and biodiversity highlights the potential for nationwide invasive species management. Integrating such models into national policies can provide a blueprint for addressing invasive species challenges across India.

Cheetah Reintroduction in Kuno National Park: A Controversy

Introduction: The release of four cheetahs into Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh, as part of the Cheetah reintroduction project, has sparked debates and concerns over breeding, conservation methods, and the impact on natural ecosystems.

Challenges and Concerns:

1. Breeding Challenges:
   • Cheetahs spent 10 out of 15 months in captivity, raising concerns about their breeding capabilities.
   • Captive cheetahs face challenges in mating opportunities, risking the loss of fertility in females.
2. Behavioral and Biological Impacts:
   • Confinement has potential biological and behavioral impacts on cheetahs, affecting their adaptability to the wild.
   • Experts emphasize the need for caution in introducing cheetahs of opposite sexes, advocating for organic mating.
3. Conservation Objectives:
   • Questions raised about the effectiveness of the project in conserving natural ecosystems and open grasslands.
   • Plans for a cheetah safari park in KNP questioned for its contribution to the conservation of threatened species.
4. Professionalism and Scientific Protocols:
   • Criticism directed at government and forest officials for unprofessional and unscientific methods.
   • Comparison with Africa’s protocol of not keeping cheetahs captive for more than three months, highlighting the absence of a similar protocol in India.

Government’s Perspective:

• Uttam Sharma, Chief Conservator of Forests, asserts that there are no concerns with the prey base at KNP, ensuring adequate food for the cheetahs.

Conclusion: The release of cheetahs in Kuno National Park emerges as a contentious issue, raising fundamental questions about the project’s conservation objectives, breeding challenges, and the scientific rigor of its implementation. The need for a balanced approach, incorporating scientific protocols and addressing concerns raised by experts, becomes crucial for the success of the Cheetah reintroduction initiative.