January 2024.
Public gardens need to be re-evaluated in light of current technological and transportation advancements. In the past, it was difficult to transport plants across the world, leading to botanical gardens becoming centers for introducing exotic plant species with commercial or ornamental potential. However, today, public gardens like Lalbagh are primarily visited for recreational or health purposes, with little focus on the botanical aspects. The classification of plants and trees, or the display of plant names, does not hold much significance for visitors. With advancements in synthetic chemistry, obtaining products directly from introduced specimens is no longer as appealing as it once was. It is now more economically feasible to source products from a production area, often synthesised. Given these changes, the role of Lalbagh needs to be re-prioritised.
Lalbagh now serves as a green space, promoting the active growth of trees and plants, resulting in increased oxygen release and a cooler, greener environment. This ambience attracts people seeking health benefits. The key feature of the area should be the amount of carbon sequestration, or plant growth, taking place. The growth of plants and trees, or the amount of carbon sequestration happening, would be proportional to the amount of oxygen released by the vegetation. Therefore maximising the carbon sequestration happening should be the main priority for the management of the garden.
The constant removal of biomass from the garden would affect the micro and macro fauna and flora. So the blatant one way 'land mining' type of biomass extraction has to stop. Currently, a lage amount of wood ('dead wood'), fallen leaves and ground cover are frequently and regularly removed which amounts to so much of minerals and nutrients essential to plants to be massively removed from the system. This should be affecting the flora and fauna negatively. This needs to be remedied.
Biomass accumulation and the increase in ecological standing crop leads to increased biodiversity. Biodiversity increase would be a key driver for better learning scenarios. People appreciate variety and the educational value of native fauna and flora for education cannot be overemphasised. The largest body of tomorrow's technical manpower is going to come from today's cities and sensitising the future population to nature and the life around us should be of utmost importance. A plot by plot audit of the educational value should be in order too!
Lalbagh is an old planned area with defined blocks, traversed by paths and roads. It is essential to conduct an annual block-by-block monitoring and audit to keep a record of watering, fertilization, composting, and manuring in each block. Monitoring the removal of biomass is crucial as it is being monetized, and continuous removal of wood and leaves can lead to depletion of nutrients from the soil. Each plot requires individualized record-keeping of management actions and maintenance.
The management plan should ensure that there is no decrease in the overall biomass content of the plot. It is important to keep a record of the number and size of trees on the plot, along with an estimate of the biomass. In the current scenario, biomass addition is more crucial than species introductions, as it indicates the photosynthesis happening and the value of the plants in the carbon sequestration process.
It might be worthwhile to recollect that the forest departments have the concept of a working plan where in a plot by plot record is maintained for every patch of forest. There is also a plan for the future in each of these working plans. Apparently these working plans would go into the library where it would be available for cross referencing and research. Such a plan is worthwhile to be implemented by other departments too.
//Not formally edited.
Public gardens need to be re-evaluated in light of current technological and transportation advancements. In the past, it was difficult to transport plants across the world, leading to botanical gardens becoming centers for introducing exotic plant species with commercial or ornamental potential. However, today, public gardens like Lalbagh are primarily visited for recreational or health purposes, with little focus on the botanical aspects. The classification of plants and trees, or the display of plant names, does not hold much significance for visitors. With advancements in synthetic chemistry, obtaining products directly from introduced specimens is no longer as appealing as it once was. It is now more economically feasible to source products from a production area, often synthesised. Given these changes, the role of Lalbagh needs to be re-prioritised.
Lalbagh now serves as a green space, promoting the active growth of trees and plants, resulting in increased oxygen release and a cooler, greener environment. This ambience attracts people seeking health benefits. The key feature of the area should be the amount of carbon sequestration, or plant growth, taking place. The growth of plants and trees, or the amount of carbon sequestration happening, would be proportional to the amount of oxygen released by the vegetation. Therefore maximising the carbon sequestration happening should be the main priority for the management of the garden.
The constant removal of biomass from the garden would affect the micro and macro fauna and flora. So the blatant one way 'land mining' type of biomass extraction has to stop. Currently, a lage amount of wood ('dead wood'), fallen leaves and ground cover are frequently and regularly removed which amounts to so much of minerals and nutrients essential to plants to be massively removed from the system. This should be affecting the flora and fauna negatively. This needs to be remedied.
Biomass accumulation and the increase in ecological standing crop leads to increased biodiversity. Biodiversity increase would be a key driver for better learning scenarios. People appreciate variety and the educational value of native fauna and flora for education cannot be overemphasised. The largest body of tomorrow's technical manpower is going to come from today's cities and sensitising the future population to nature and the life around us should be of utmost importance. A plot by plot audit of the educational value should be in order too!
Lalbagh is an old planned area with defined blocks, traversed by paths and roads. It is essential to conduct an annual block-by-block monitoring and audit to keep a record of watering, fertilization, composting, and manuring in each block. Monitoring the removal of biomass is crucial as it is being monetized, and continuous removal of wood and leaves can lead to depletion of nutrients from the soil. Each plot requires individualized record-keeping of management actions and maintenance.
The management plan should ensure that there is no decrease in the overall biomass content of the plot. It is important to keep a record of the number and size of trees on the plot, along with an estimate of the biomass. In the current scenario, biomass addition is more crucial than species introductions, as it indicates the photosynthesis happening and the value of the plants in the carbon sequestration process.
It might be worthwhile to recollect that the forest departments have the concept of a working plan where in a plot by plot record is maintained for every patch of forest. There is also a plan for the future in each of these working plans. Apparently these working plans would go into the library where it would be available for cross referencing and research. Such a plan is worthwhile to be implemented by other departments too.
//Not formally edited.
= in good faith, krishnamb.
making free time is culture!
