Poba reserve forest

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Context:

The Poba Reserve Forest in Assam’s Dhemaji district will soon be notified as a wildlife sanctuary.

Poba Wildlife Sanctuary:

The new Poba Wildlife Sanctuary will encompass an area of 257.29 sqkm, including the Poba Reserve Forest, Kabu Chapri Proposed Reserve Forest, and the surrounding riverine areas.

About Poba Reserved Forest

It was created in the year 1924.

Location:

• It is located in the Jonai subdivision, Dhemaji district of Assam.
• It is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas in north-eastern Assam.
• The Assam Forest Department has exclusively managed the Poba Forest since 1972.

Boundaries:

• North: The foothills of the Himalayan range in Arunachal Pradesh.
• East and south : The Siang, Dibang, and Lohit River systems confluencig into the mighty Brahmaputra and the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.
• West: The revenue villages of the Jonai Sub-division of the Dhemaji district of Assam.

Area:

• The size of this forest is almost 100,000 acres (400 km).
• Poba Reserved Forest covers almost 60% of the state’s forest area.

Fauna:

• It is home to many wildlife species, like rhinoceros and elephants, apart from the tiger.
• It is home to 16 species of mammals, including the elephant, sambar, hog deer, wild dog, and leopard.
• The forest area also houses many birds including the hornbill, peacock pheasant, junglefowl, and Indian peafowl.
• It has also been identified as one of India’s most desired tiger reserves by the WWF in 1980.

Flora:

This forest is mainly a bamboo, eucalyptus and grassy area. The main wildlife is the elephant and sambar deer.

Significance:

• It serves as an important migratory route for various animals, particularly elephants, as it connects the D' Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary (Arunachal Pradesh), Kabu Chapri Proposed Reserve Forest, and Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (Assam).
• This corridor is the second significant elephant migration route from the north to the south bank of the Brahmaputra River, the other being the Panpur-Kaziranga route.

Source:

https://www.telegraphindia.com/north-east/poba-reserve-forest-to-join-wildlife-sanctuary-list-in-assam/cid/2044790

PRACTICE QUESTION Q. “Poba Forest Reserve” was recently seen in news as it will be converted into a Wildlife Sanctuary. In this context consider the following statements: 1) It is a newly created wildlife sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh. 2) Timber smuggling and logging is one of the major concerns in the forest. 3) Its area covers about 70% of the forest area of Assam. How many of the above statement is/are correct? A.Only one B.Only two C.All Three D.None Answer: A Explanation Statement 1 is incorrect: ●It is located in the Jonai subdivision, Dhemaji district of Assam. ●It is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas in north-eastern Assam. Statement 2 is correct: ●There is large smuggling of timber in forests and it is impacting their flora and fauna in the region. ●Timber smuggling is the biggest problem. Over 300 trucks enter the park every day, which causes a lot of damage to the forest. Woodworkers and loggers have been known to wait for a truck to arrive so that they can escape the police and cut down trees. ●Logging is another major threat. There are a lot of trees that are being cut and sold illegally. Statement 3 is incorrect: ●The size of this forest is almost 100,000 acres (400 km). ●Poba Reserved Forest covers almost 60% of the state’s forest area.