Mr. Jayant Kulkarni is studying distribution, status and dynamics of private and group private forests in Sahyadri-Konkan Corridor in Southern Maharashtra. This initiative is being supported by the CEPF-ATREE program. Private and community forests comprise a substantial percentage of the forest area in southern part of the Maharashtra Western Ghats. They are important for conservation of biodiversity, prevention of land degradation and providing connectivity between reserved forest blocks and protected areas. At present private and community forests are often found in a degraded condition because of land use practices such as grazing, felling for firewood and coal, and shifting cultivation.

This reduces their value as habitat for wildlife and results in fragmentation of the forests. The aim of the present study is to determine the status of private forests and to identify the factors responsible for decision making regarding the land use practices on these forests. We hope that the findings of this study will be useful in helping to formulate an action plan for protection and productive land use of these lands along with biodiversity conservation.