Restoring Ecosystem with TREES

Plantation or Green Drive like activities are necessary these days so that large number of plant saplings can be planted. A mosaic of forests can be developed on the floodplain of rivers also, which can include grassland, wetland and trees.

Grasslands are important for the ecosystem as they provide food and shelter to the herbivores; they attract primary carnivores such as wild cats and jackals, and secondary carnivores like tigers and leopards. Herbivores hide in grasslands during the day and also feed on it. Grasslands were there in the beginning, but they vanished because of encroachments. To improve the river ecosystem, we will have to make its floodplain, top priority.

The biodiversity park also has a wetland area that normally contains 500 gallons of flood water and it helps recharge borewells of neighbouring houses; water from the river, in turn recharges the wetland. When the river’s wetlands are properly developed, they will help reduce the velocity of the flood waters. Wetlands also help in drastically reducing the sediments in the river system, as sediments get settled in them. The vegetation acts as a sponge as it removes toxic elements from the river’s water- the main purpose of having floodplains.

A pitch can be made for creating green ways and bund roads along with the stretch of river. Also for cleaning up the air, we have a simple solution- plant more tress. The dust settles on trees’ leaves and is later washed down by the rain; trees help in cleaning the air of all kinds of dust particles.

City’s of place’s native species of trees and plants should be used that will help in reducing the air pollution. Native species belonging to the river basin also, will not only help in the biodiversity park if situated nearby, like Delhi, but will also help in restoring the river’s pristine ecological glory.

Killing a sapling while plantation is like murdering someone. For these environmentalists, trees are live beings who need to be nurtured with care.

Matter referenced from:

1. The Speaking Tree, Times of India Publications; Ahmedabad, Ed.October 27th, 2019, pp.01- Green Drive- ‘Trees to Restore Ecosystem’ by Sonal Srivastava.

By: Dr. Bhawana Asnani.

Happy to see Reviews, Additions, Suggestions and Comments, further.