Impact Analysis of Tree Plantation Programmes in Punjab and Factors Affecting Survival of Trees

In the wake of climate change, awareness about the importance of environmental conservation has led to several plantation programmes throughout the country. However, the survival of these planted trees is a major concern that decides the success or failure of the plantation drives. The current study was carried in Punjab state of India, and aimed at assessing the survival rate of trees according to the species, agro-climatic zone, and plantation sites. The constraints in the survival were also studied using the Rank Based Quotient. The study revealed that the highest rate of survival was observed in the commercial species viz. Eucalyptus (86.8%) and Poplar (84.3%). The plantations carried out at farmers’ fields and near tubewells resulted in higher survival rate (86.6 and 70.1%, respectively). Among the agroclimatic zones, survival was recorded to be highest in the sub-mountainous undulating zone (87.3%). Abiotic (heat, frost & water) stress, damage by wild and stray animals and poor management due to lack of manpower and inadequate supervision were perceived as the major reasons for failure of the plantation programmes. It is necessary to strengthen post-plantation tree management strategies at the community level for achieving the desired target of any plantation drive.