Forest Resource in Theni District

Forest area

There are 27 forest areas in Theni district constituting a total area of 79581.24 (795.81 sq.km) hectares. 19 areas fall under the Reserve Forest category with 25543.75 (255.44 sq.km) hectares, 8 under Reserve Land category with 54037.49 (540.37 sq.km.) hectares and there is no Unclassed Forest type in this district. In the district total area of forest under green cover classification was 80,686 hec. Dense forest and sparse forest are 29,281 hec and 2,243 hec respectively.

Trend in Per Capita Forest Area

There has been no change in the forest area (79,581.24 hec.) from 1961-1996. The percapita forest area and has shown a decreasing trend ( 0.122 hec. in 1961 to 0.058 hec in 1996).

Man made forest plantations

Man made forest plantations have been restricted to the existing forest areas in Theni district. About 4464.53 hectares of Man Made Forest Area are available in the district. Wattle, Softwood, Fuel wood, Cashew, Neem, Tamarind and other man made forest plantation species are the man made forest plantation in Theni district

Villages Abutting Forest Area

The information is four-forest range of Bodi, Gudalur, Cumbum and Chinnamanur in the abutting forest areas in Theni district.

Tribal Villages

There are eleven Revenue Villages, three Tribal Hamlets and 172 number of Families identified in Theni district. The maximum no. of families located on Muttam, Uthamparai and Paruthipodu saragam revenue villages in the district.

Forestry area diverted for non forestry purposes

Four cases with 2.297 hectares of forest area were in process of conversion to non-forestry purposes and 4 with 20.07 hectares was cleared for non forestry purposes in Theni district under Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 upto 1995-96

Trends in production of forest produce

The growing trees of timber, industrial wood, fuel wood and bamboo, bamboo and other minor forest produces in reserve forest in 1991-95 were the type of production of forests areas in Theni district.

Conservation of Biological resources

There has been no conservation of biological resources in the district. The information of wild life census in Theni district. is yet to be made available. The details regarding species of vascular plants and animals available in the district.