Significance of Protected Area Network in Conservation of Large Old Trees

Abstract

With an aim of making an inventory of such trees, survey of largest trees in all beats of Sariska tiger reserve was done with the help of beat in-charges based on their knowledge of location of large trees in their respective beats. The survey results revealed that members of the family Moraceae including Ficus glomerata, F. benghalensis and F. religiosa were observed to contribute 80% of all measured large trees in Sariska tiger reserve. The observation of maximum number of large trees in Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary that was protected for a considerable period of time, established the significance of creation of sanctuaries. Creation of protection refugi in both in forests, rural as well in urban areas, is suggested apart from keeping a database of all large old trees present in entire protected area network of the country.