68
R. Kumar and P. Saikia
and Cunningham 2010; Asfaw et al. 2013). Commonly extracted forest produces are
timber, fuelwood, fodder, and a range of NTFPs such as fruits, nuts, edible fungi,
vegetables, fish, animals and medicinal plants, resins, essences, and a range of barks
and fibres such as bamboo, rattans, palms and grasses. The NTFPs provide the products for food, shelter, medicines, fibres, energy and cultural artefacts (Babulo et al.
2009; Belcher et al. 2005; Chauhan et al. 2008) for many of the world’s economically backward people. The people living in and around these forests live off these
produces which give them succour in times when no other livelihood opportunities
and food are available to them. Economic activities, domestic livelihood system and
herbal medicines- all are gathered from the forests. Economic benefits include the
direct use value of a resource as goods for industry and the consumption good, and
its indirect use value is through protecting or sustaining economic activity, and its
non-use value to people the satisfaction of the mere existence of a resource, even
though they may never see it or consume any product obtained from it (Pearce et al.
1989). Direct use values in forestry resource include timber and non-timber products, but also non-commodity benefits such as forest recreation. Figure 1 shows the
importance and values and valuation techniques outlined by Barbier (1994). Indirect use values include the role of forests in protecting watersheds and fisheries and
the storage of carbon in forest soil and plants. Non-use values in forestry comprise
of non-substantial benefits as the continued existence of certain species of wildlife,
which the general public wishes to protect for future generations. The other direct
employments consist of labour force for rural masses generated by these departments under regular forestry activities for growth, development and maintenance of
the forests, research and training, survey of forest resources, protection and conservation of forest resources, soil and water conservation, harvesting, collection and
processing of NTFPs, preparation of nurseries, fencing, soil working, transplanting,
planting, tending operations, watering, fertilizer and pesticide applications, protection and management of plantations and infrastructure development. Forests play
self-employment service through the sale of firewood and forage, grazing, lopping
and grass cutting, forest-based handiworks and cottage industries, sericulture, lac
husbandry, beekeeping, charcoal burning, plate making from leaves, liquor making,
rope making and basketry, medicines, collection, processing and marketing of NTFPs
etc. The application of local skills and village-level technology in wood-based and
small-scale forest-based enterprises provide secondary employment and livelihood
opportunities for tribal people, notable amongst them are sawmilling, rayon, pulp
and paper, plywood and panel products, wood seasoning and preservation, tanning,
sports goods, match splints, veneers, wooden boxes, bamboo and cane products, agricultural implements, furniture, structural wooden items, musical instruments, bidi
making, educational goods, wood carving, wooden utensils etc. (Pant 1984; Gera
2002) (Fig. 2).
R. Kumar and P. Saikia
and Cunningham 2010; Asfaw et al. 2013). Commonly extracted forest produces are
timber, fuelwood, fodder, and a range of NTFPs such as fruits, nuts, edible fungi,
vegetables, fish, animals and medicinal plants, resins, essences, and a range of barks
and fibres such as bamboo, rattans, palms and grasses. The NTFPs provide the products for food, shelter, medicines, fibres, energy and cultural artefacts (Babulo et al.
2009; Belcher et al. 2005; Chauhan et al. 2008) for many of the world’s economically backward people. The people living in and around these forests live off these
produces which give them succour in times when no other livelihood opportunities
and food are available to them. Economic activities, domestic livelihood system and
herbal medicines- all are gathered from the forests. Economic benefits include the
direct use value of a resource as goods for industry and the consumption good, and
its indirect use value is through protecting or sustaining economic activity, and its
non-use value to people the satisfaction of the mere existence of a resource, even
though they may never see it or consume any product obtained from it (Pearce et al.
1989). Direct use values in forestry resource include timber and non-timber products, but also non-commodity benefits such as forest recreation. Figure 1 shows the
importance and values and valuation techniques outlined by Barbier (1994). Indirect use values include the role of forests in protecting watersheds and fisheries and
the storage of carbon in forest soil and plants. Non-use values in forestry comprise
of non-substantial benefits as the continued existence of certain species of wildlife,
which the general public wishes to protect for future generations. The other direct
employments consist of labour force for rural masses generated by these departments under regular forestry activities for growth, development and maintenance of
the forests, research and training, survey of forest resources, protection and conservation of forest resources, soil and water conservation, harvesting, collection and
processing of NTFPs, preparation of nurseries, fencing, soil working, transplanting,
planting, tending operations, watering, fertilizer and pesticide applications, protection and management of plantations and infrastructure development. Forests play
self-employment service through the sale of firewood and forage, grazing, lopping
and grass cutting, forest-based handiworks and cottage industries, sericulture, lac
husbandry, beekeeping, charcoal burning, plate making from leaves, liquor making,
rope making and basketry, medicines, collection, processing and marketing of NTFPs
etc. The application of local skills and village-level technology in wood-based and
small-scale forest-based enterprises provide secondary employment and livelihood
opportunities for tribal people, notable amongst them are sawmilling, rayon, pulp
and paper, plywood and panel products, wood seasoning and preservation, tanning,
sports goods, match splints, veneers, wooden boxes, bamboo and cane products, agricultural implements, furniture, structural wooden items, musical instruments, bidi
making, educational goods, wood carving, wooden utensils etc. (Pant 1984; Gera
2002) (Fig. 2).