Planting native fruit trees in the Moraghat forest's elephant corridor addresses multiple conservation goals by providing food sources, restoring the forest ecosystem, and mitigating human-elephant conflict. This approach stabilizes the elephant population, supports biodiversity, and improves the livelihood of local communities.

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Benefits for elephant conservation

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Reduces human-elephant conflict: The plantation provides elephants with a reliable food source within the corridor itself. This discourages them from raiding crops in nearby villages, which is a major driver of human-elephant conflict in the region.

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Restores migration routes: The trees help restore degraded sections of the corridor, expanding the forested area and providing a safer, more continuous pathway for elephants to move between larger habitats. This uninterrupted movement is essential for genetic exchange and the long-term viability of elephant populations.

 

Improves nutrition: Native fruit trees, such as Lator (Artocarpus Chaplasa) , Jamun (Syzygium cumini) , Amla (Phyllanthus emblica) ,Mango (Mangifera indica), Chalta  (Dillineia Indica) , Bel ( Agele Marmelos) and others, are part of the Asian elephant's natural diet and are preferred by them. Increasing the availability of these specific food sources provides better nutrition for the herds.

 

Enhances habitat quality: Besides providing food, the trees offer thermal regulation by providing shade and improving the overall quality of the corridor's habitat. Healthy habitats are critical for the elephants' well-being.

 

Benefits for the forest ecosystem

Facilitates natural regeneration: Elephants are excellent seed dispersers. They consume fruits and deposit the seeds, often far from the parent tree, in their dung. The dung provides a perfect, nutrient-rich environment for the seeds to germinate, promoting natural forest regeneration and diversity.

 

Boosts biodiversity: The restoration of the forest with a variety of native species creates a more resilient ecosystem that can support a wider range of plant, animal, and insect species. Large "focal trees," such as native fig (Ficus) species, are particularly effective in attracting seed-dispersing animals and accelerating forest recovery.

 

Improves soil and water health: Tree roots bind the soil, which helps to prevent erosion and increase the water retention capacity of the ground. This improves the groundwater table and the health of the watershed.

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Combats climate change: As the trees mature, they act as carbon sinks, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and helping to mitigate climate change.

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Community involvement and economic benefits

 

Engages local communities: Plantation activities often involve local communities, providing them with equitable employment opportunities and a new source of income.

 

Offers alternative livelihoods: Once the trees mature, the communities can benefit from non-timber forest products (NTFPs) like fruits, flowers, fodder, and fuelwood. This reduces their dependency on more destructive forest exploitation and provides an additional source of revenue.

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Promotes coexistence: Involving local people, who are often in conflict with elephants, in the conservation process is critical for its long-term success. It fosters a sense of shared ownership and mutual benefit, encouraging human-elephant coexistence.