J&K ENVIS | Official Website of J&K ENVIS Centre - Environment Related Information of Jammu and Kashmir

Environment & Related Issues

Focus Sectors

Introduction

The state of Jammu and Kashmir is covered by lofty mountains, which receive heavy rainfall and snow. Dense forests are found everywhere particularly in outer and inner Himalayan ranges. High mountains of Ladakh and Kargil receive a very little rainfall; therefore, these are devoid of forest cover. However vast grass lands and abundant medicinal and aromatic plants grow there.

Table 1
Land use pattern

Land use types	area(000’h˜)	Percentage
Total Geographical Area	22,224
Reporting area for land utilization(o)	4012	100.00
Forests	2254	56.20
Not available for land cultivation	573	14.29
Permanent pastures and other grazing lands	114	2.84
Land under misc. tree crops and groves	65	1.62
Culturable wasteland	134	3.34
Fallow land other than current fallows	16	0.40
Current fallows	114	2.84
Net area sown	741	18.47

(o): Excludes area under illegal occupation of Pakistan and China
Source: Land use Statistics. Ministry of Agriculture GOI, 2013 (Source: ISFR, 2017)

Table 9.2
Forest Cover Within and outside Green wash area

Forest cover within green wash area	(area in sq.km)
Very dense Forest	3698
Moderately dense forest	6148
Open forest	5564
Total	15410
Forest cover outside green wash area
Very dense Forest	377
Moderately dense forest	2431
Open forest	5023
Total	7831
Total forest cover	23241
Tree cover	7815
Total forest &Tree cover	31056
Of State’s Geographical area	13.97 %
Of India’s Forest and Tree cover	3.87 %
Per capita forest and Tree Cover	0.25 ha

(Source: ISFR, 2017)

Table 3
Altitude-wise Forest Cover (area in sq. km)

Altitude Zone	G. A	VDF	MDF	O. F	Total
0-500	5084	1	227	681	909
500-1000	6585	51	1367	2242	3660
1000-2000	16089	666	2391	2941	5998
2000-3000	19306	2716	3343	2890	8949
3000-4000	33728	641	1248	1995	3684
>4000	141,444	0	3	38	41
Total	222236	4075	8579	10587	23241

Based in SRTM digital elevation model (Source: ISFR, 2017)

Table 4
Forest cover in different patch size classes

S.No	Patch size Range in sq.km	No. of patches	Area(sq, km)	%
1	≥0.01≤1.0	41,872	2900	12.48
2	≥1.0≤10	798	2067	8.89
3	≥10≤100	97	2754	11.85
4	≥100≤500	15	3120	13.42
5	≥500≤1000	4	2874	12.37
6	≥1000≤5000	5	9526	40.99
	TOTAL	42,791	23,241	100

(Source: ISFR, 2017)

Table 5
District -wise Forest Cover

District	G. A	2017 Assessment				%of G. A	Change	Scrub*
		VERY DENSE	MDF	O F	Total
Anantnag	3,984	149	617	621	1387	34.81	-14	14
Baramulla	4,588	4,55	321	391	1157	25.22	34	15
Budgam	1371	108	69	135	312	22.76	61	17
Doda	11691	589	1663	1567	3819	32.69	22	7
Jammu	3097	0	315	581	896	28.93	1	53
Kargil	4037	0	1	45	46	0.33	7	27
Kathua	2651	111	618	645	1374	51.83	-24	7
Kupwara	2379	468	369	313	1150	48.34	0	3
Leh	45,110	0	14	78	92	0.20	-3	28
Outside LOC	1,20,848	1347	2460	4322	7229	5.98	245	335
Poonch	1674	187	289	239	715	42.71	-13	4
Pulwama	1398	104	102	292	498	35.62	21	5
Rajouri	2630	48	437	759	1244	47.30	4	8
Srinagar	2228	162	217	207	586	26.30	-41	8
Udhampur	4550	357	1087	1292	2736	60.13	-47	42
Total	222236	4075	8579	10587	23241	10.46	253	573

*Change compared to updated 2017 Assessment (Source: ISFR, 2017)
Table 6

Growing Stock

	Growing Stock	% Contribution to country
Growing Stock in Recorded Forest Area	232.837 m cum	5.52
Growing Stock in TOF	146.082 m cum	9.11
Potential Production of industrial wood from TOF	2.80 m cum	3.76
Bamboo bearing area within forest area of the state	-	-
Total number of culms	-	-
Total green weight equivalent of culms

(Source: ISFR, 2017)

Carbon Stock in forest

The total Carbon stock of forests in the State is 275.926 million tonnes (1011.729 million tonnes of CO, equivalent) which is 3.90% of total forest carbon of the country (Source: ISFR, 2017)

Forest Resource

Focus Sectors

Introduction

Table 1 Land use pattern

Table 9.2 Forest Cover Within and outside Green wash area

Table 3 Altitude-wise Forest Cover (area in sq. km)

Table 4 Forest cover in different patch size classes

Table 5 District -wise Forest Cover

Growing Stock

Carbon Stock in forest

Table 1
Land use pattern

Table 9.2
Forest Cover Within and outside Green wash area

Table 3
Altitude-wise Forest Cover (area in sq. km)

Table 4
Forest cover in different patch size classes

Table 5
District -wise Forest Cover