ICFRE Work on Eco-Restoration of degraded hills in Aravalli Ranges

A naked and exposed hill in Baranandra Kho Forest Block in Banswara in lower Aravalli Ranges selected for restoration work in May 2005

LAYING OUT OF PLOTS AND RAINWATER HARWESING DEVICES

Rainwater harvesting devices .Top: contour trench (left) and box trench (right. Bottom: gradonie (left) and V-ditch (right).

DIFFERENT RAINWATER HARVESTING DEVICES

PITS EXCAVATION AND PLANATATION

Plantation activities

Plot after plantation

Plantation activity in clockwise i.e., pitting (top left), scraping of surface soil to put it into pit, plantation of seedlings and a micro-water harvesting around planted seedling

AFFORESTATION UNDER RESOURCE CONSERVATION

Preparation of run-off measuring device for collection of 1/20th part of water flowing from a plot

RUN-OFF MEASURING DEVICE

Run-off collection in the tank and accumulated silt load in front of run-off measuring device (left)

Stirring of water for homogeneity and collection of water sample in September 2006 for laboratory analysis for soil content, water and nutrient quality of run-off water (right)

RUN-OFF COLLECTION AND WATER SAMPLING FOR ANALYSIS

Sub-surface flow of water increases water level in down slope areas

Up position

Down positionMid position

INFILTRATION AND SUBSURAFCE FLOW OF STORED WATER IN RWH DEVICES

Water supply to the seedlings can be ensured by planting seedlings downside of a RWH structure

WATER SUPPLY FROM STORAGE TO ROOT ZONE OF PLANTS

SEQUENTIAL GROWTH AND AREA DEVELOPEMENT

June 2006

June 2007

July 2008

July 2009

PLANT GROWTH AND VEGETATION DEVELOPEMENT

Area in October 2010

IMPROVEMENT IN REGENERATION OF GRASSES

Heteropogon contortus : increased in area each year

IMPROVEMENT IN REGENERATION OF GRASSES

Themeda quadrivalvis : a high altitude grass dominated in higher slopes

Apluda mutica : a high altitude grass

dominating throughout the area

IMPROVEMENT IN REGENERATION OF GRASSES

REGENERATED TREE SPECIES AFTER TREATMENT

Acacia ferruginea (left) and Acacia leucophloea (right) regenerated under restoration process and perform better in V-ditch plots than the other plots

Interactions with the forest officials and Director, AFRI, Dr. R.L. Srivastava during field visit of PCCF, Rajasthan , Sh Abhijeet Ghose

VISIT OF EXPERIMENTAL AREA BY DIGNITORIES

Inspection of Run-off measuring device by PCCF, Rajasthan , Sh Abhijeet Ghose

VISIT OF EXPERIMENTAL AREA BY DIGNITORIES

VISIT OF EXPERIMENTAL AREA BY DIGNITORIES

A group photograph of community members, Forest and AFRI officials at site

Increased Water supply as a result of Rainwater harvesting (RWH) structures. Domestic animal use to drink the water available in the area up to February

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: WATER AVAILABILITY

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: FODDER AVAILABILITY

Villagers use to collect fodder from the area from November to June each year

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: FUEL WOOD AVAILABILITY

Villagers use to collect about 20-24 tones of fuel wood from regenerating P. juliflora and Lantana camara bushes

IMPLEMENTED BY

• Arid Forest Research Institute , Jodhpur• State Forest Department, Rajasthan

Under joint programme