Question

We saw in this chapter that there are four main stakeholders when it comes to forests and wildlife. Which among these should have the authority to decide the management of forest produce?
A. Forest department
B. Local public
C. Tourist
D. None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Biodiversity is the diversity of plants and animals present in an area. It provides the earth with ecosystem services like clean air, food, shelter to the animals around the world. Forests are the most diverse of regions on the planet. Thus, it is important to maintain forests and its diversity to maintain the biodiversity.

Complete answer:
Forests are lands covered with trees and under growths. They are critical in maintaining a balanced ecosystem through:
-Maintaining the temperature of the planet
-Maintaining the oxygen level on the earth
-Continuity of water cycle is maintained by the forests
-Forests help us prevent soil erosion
-They help us to check global warming

The stakeholders are groups or individuals who take interest in sustenance of any entity. Therefore, we can infer that the stakeholders of forests are:
-The forest Department of the Government who owns the land occupied by forests.
-The people who live in and about the forests and use its resources.
-The conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts.
-The owners of industries who use the forest resources to run factories, manufacturing units, etc.

Out of the above mentioned stakeholders, the locals who live in and about the forests should be of prime importance when it comes to managing the forest produce. It is due to the fact that they live near the forests for years together and help maintain them. They use the forest resources for food, construction of their homes, fishing and hunting. They know when to stop using forest resources since that will affect their own sustenance. To conclude, the locals view forests as the reserve for food and basic necessities. Hence, the authority to manage forest produce must be given to the locals.

Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

Note: Forests support ample biodiversity. Maintenance of forests are therefore critical to sustenance of life on earth. The forest produce is utilized by the local people on a regular basis for years together. They know what is detrimental for maintenance of life in forests, how to produce it, when to stop using forest resources. Thus, the locals should have the authority to manage forest produce.