| A garden a serves a man's every day need for s | | | | indigenous species of that particular forest are |
| refreshing and pleasent experience.We have to | | | | replaced by eucalyptus and the area supporting |
| appreciate that the garden serves as a home not | | | | their food and shelter requirements gets |
| only to the trees and plants that appear, but is a | | | | compressed and increases interspecific and |
| home to lots of small and big creatures of animal | | | | intraspecific competetion. In these cases of |
| kingdom. Thus a garden is a conservatotory in | | | | reforesting the cleared forests, a mix of the |
| these modern times of fast industrialization and | | | | existing species can be used for plantation.These |
| increasing threat to ecological balance.Thus a | | | | species may not be economically rewarding like |
| gardener has to keep in mind the need for aiding | | | | eucalyptus or grow fast as eucalyptus or any |
| ecological balance or nature conservation when | | | | other exotic species. But they have lot of |
| designing or planning or restructuring a garden.In | | | | ecological significance and cannot be valued |
| India, garderners (government and private) show | | | | monetarily. More ideally the cleared area has to be |
| a strong tendency for planting exotic species | | | | filled in with mud from the existing forest so that |
| (totally foreign species or exotic to that particular | | | | the microclimate of the forest is replicated and |
| microclimate, as seemingly they beleive that | | | | helps the cleared area to gel uniformly in course |
| exotic species are attractive.Yes every thing new | | | | of time.Moreover the indigenous plants or trees |
| is attractive and indigenous species look ugly as | | | | survive in the natural rainfall and hence need no |
| our eyes got used to them.This tendency for | | | | additional inputs.I just gave an example of |
| exotic plants and trees either in gardening or | | | | Eucalyptus, as it is widely planted in India, the |
| largescale social forestry is atrocious and gives no | | | | similar is the case with unjudicious use of many |
| regard for the essence of nature conservation | | | | other exotic plants.I am not against exotic plants |
| and ecological balance that these gardens can | | | | in general, but it has to be avoided when going for |
| serve for!A indigenous plant or tree supports | | | | large scale plantations.In gardens they can be |
| numerous other soil flora and fauna, birds and | | | | monitored well and can be accomodated 10 |
| other animals through various ecological | | | | percent.Let the remaining 90% beauty be attined |
| relations.An exotic plant or tree on the other | | | | from indiginous species.I request the readers not |
| hand, while not supporting the flora and fauna of | | | | to get confused with what i mean indigenous or |
| that particular area, may actually have a | | | | exotic.By indiginous i mean that belongign to a |
| deteriorating effect!An example in India is the | | | | particular microclimate or small area with in a |
| blunder of planting eucalyptus species for social | | | | district or state or a country.By exotic we mean |
| forestry purposes.Eucalyptus has been given a | | | | a plant not naturally occuring in that particular area |
| great promotion by late Mr.Sanjay gandhi decades | | | | or micro climate.I hope that enthusiastic readers, |
| back as it seemingly required less water and | | | | gardeners, forestry people will further this |
| grows fast, evenwhile giving some economic | | | | discussion.Ravikumar Uppaluri hails from Kaikalur, |
| output in the form of timber and pulp.Eucalyptus | | | | Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh State in |
| could have been selected for the afforestation in | | | | India.The famous Kolleru bird sancturay, a fresh |
| the areas where it is a naturally occuring species | | | | water lake that attracts birds from as far as |
| and will have some ecological relations establishes | | | | siberia, is located near Kaikalur. Having spent the |
| in the microclimate of that area.But planting this in | | | | childhhod close to such nature rich areas, a deep |
| areas where is is completely new.Another grave | | | | interest and love for nature were inculcated right |
| blunder which is being practiced till day is, | | | | from child hood.Having done masters in agricultural |
| plantation with eucalyptus after clearing indigenous | | | | science, This emotional bonding took a scientific |
| forest areas for the purpose of quarrying or | | | | and logical enquiry making scientifically and |
| mining purposes.In thiis case, the animals and | | | | emotionally in sync with the cause of nature. |
| other flora and fauna will be severely affected as | | | | |