OST Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Nov 4:

The Wildlife Society of Odisha ( WSO ) has asked the Union ministry of Environment and Forests to issue directions to the state government not to make any attempt to remove any wind fallen trees from any wildlife sanctuaries or national park in the interests of ecological conservation .
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Thousands of trees have been uprooted across forests in the state following the cyclone Phailin and there is a move by the state government to remove these and transport the logs for commercial use.

In a letter to the Additional DG(Wildlife), Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, the WSO secretary and noted environmentalist Dr Biswajit Mohanty has said, " We do not think it is a good idea to remove wind fallen trees from protected areas. These areas need to be kept inviolate and there should not be any attempt to remove them as fallen trees have a vital ecological role to play in every forest habitat used by wildlife. For centuries, trees have fallen due to cyclones and high speed winds and no intervention was done in our forests. As Protected Areas serve as wildlife habitats, it is important to maintain such forests in their natural state without human interventions. "

Dr Mohanty has pointed out that many species of ground fauna can use the fallen trees for nesting purposes and also for sheltering from predators and many species of mushrooms, fungi and even orchids can flourish on fallen trees. " Once the tree decomposes completely, it adds to the habitat enrichment," he said.

" Dead wood creates an invaluable part of the forest ecosystem," Dr Mohanty in his letter said adding "shattered branch stumps, fallen branches and fallen trees support an incredibly rich array of highly specialised life-forms for various insects including beetles and spiders who nest and feed on them."

The exposed, sometimes sandy, soil remaining in the rootplate often provides the ideal medium in which solitary bees and wasps can make their burrows, and it is not unusual for birds to make their nests among these raised roots, the letter said.

Dr Mohanty in his letter has argued against the idea of removing the fallen trees by saying, " The very process of removal involves cutting, and hacking by saws/power saws which disturbs the habitat and wildlife which live there. Trucks and tractors will enter virgin areas through which roads will be hacked out as no tree can be airlifted. Even if the trunks are dragged on the ground, they will disturb nests and eggs of ground dwelling birds and reptiles which nest on the ground."

The state Forest department is yet to comment on the issue.