Key Observations:

1. Forests:
   • Constitutes 16.13% of the reporting area, equivalent to 3,073.62 ‘000 ha.
   • A significant portion but less than the net area sown, highlighting a focus on agriculture over forest cover.
2. Net Area Sown:
   • The largest land use category at 11,166.03 ‘000 ha, making up 58.61% of the total reporting area.
   • Reflects the dominance of agricultural activities in land use.
3. Non-Cultivable Land:
   • Includes land not available for cultivation (11.90%), permanent pastures (4.59%), and culturable wasteland (2.07%).
   • Together, these account for 18.56% of the total reporting area.
4. Fallow Land:
   • Includes current fallows (3.56%) and fallow land other than current fallows (2.03%), making up a total of 5.59%.
   • Indicates a portion of the land is temporarily out of cultivation.
5. Miscellaneous Tree Crops and Groves:
   • A small category at 1.11%, indicating limited land use for non-agricultural plantations.

Insights:

• Agricultural land use dominates the landscape, with nearly 59% of the reporting area under cultivation.
• Forests cover 16.13%, suggesting a balance between forest preservation and other land uses, though agriculture significantly surpasses it.
• Categories like permanent pastures and miscellaneous tree crops highlight land utilization for non-agricultural purposes but remain relatively minor.

DISTRICT-WISE FOREST COVER IN KARNATAKA

Key Observations:

• Uneven Distribution: Forest cover is not uniformly distributed across Karnataka’s districts. Some districts have significantly higher forest cover than others.
• High Forest Cover Districts:
  • Uttara Kannada: This district has by far the highest total forest cover (8,143.53 sq km) and the highest percentage of forest cover relative to its calculated area (79.24%).
  • Shivamogga: With 4,291.43 sq km of forest cover and 50.62% forest cover relative to its area, Shivamogga is another key forested district.
  • Chikkamagaluru: This district also has substantial forest cover (4,057.96 sq km) and a high percentage (56.34%).
  • Kodagu: Kodagu has a high percentage of forest cover (78.84%) and a total cover of 3,234.11 sq km.
  • Dakshina Kannada: Despite being smaller in area, this district has a high percentage of forest cover (67.92%) and a total cover of 3,301.39 sq km.
• Low Forest Cover Districts:
  • Vijayapura: This district has a very low percentage of forest cover (0.25%) and minimal total cover (26.13 sq km).
  • Bagalkot: Similar to Vijayapura, Bagalkot has a low percentage (4.02%) and small total cover (263.56 sq km).
  • Raichur: This district also has very low forest cover, both in terms of percentage (0.57%) and total area (48.38 sq km).
  • These districts are generally located in drier regions of Karnataka, where climatic conditions are less favorable for forest growth.
• Change Compared to 2021:
  • Positive Changes: Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Hassan, Haveri, Kolar, Mandya, Mysuru, Ramanagara, Shivamogga, Tumakuru and Uttara Kannada have seen increases. The largest increases in absolute terms are in Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga and Chamarajanagara.
  • Negative Changes: Ballari, Bengaluru Rural, Belagavi, Udupi and Vijayapura have seen decreases. Bengaluru Rural and Udupi had the largest decreases.
  • Further investigation is needed to understand the reasons for these changes, which could be due to factors like deforestation, afforestation efforts, natural regeneration, or changes in mapping methodologies.
• Scrub Land: Several districts, including Belagavi, Chamarajanagar, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Kodagu, and Uttara Kannada, have significant scrub land. This land represents degraded forests or areas with sparse vegetation, which could potentially be targeted for restoration efforts.
• Very Dense Forest (VDF): Districts with the highest VDF cover are Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Dakshina Kannada. These areas represent the most intact and ecologically important forests in the state.

Significant Variation: Forest cover varies significantly across divisions, reflecting diverse ecological conditions and management practices.

High Forest Cover Divisions (by total area):

• Uttara Kannada (Karwar, Haliyal, Honnavar, Sirsi, Yellapur): This region consistently shows very high forest cover. The divisions of Karwar (1,388.85 sq km, 78%), Haliyal (1,052.54 sq km, 70.57%), Honnavar (1,455.31 sq km, 75.72%), Sirsi (1,767.92 sq km, 80.56%) and Yellapur (1,591.30 sq km, 80.86%) are among the most heavily forested in the state.
• Shivamogga (Bhadravathi, Sagar, Shimoga): This area also has substantial forest cover, with Bhadravathi (1,251.28 sq km, 33.85%), Sagar (2,018.83 sq km, 41.85%), and Shimoga (1,047.64 sq km, 63.72%) contributing significantly.
• Chikmagalur: The Chikmagalur division (1,410.64 sq km, 44.10%) also represents a significant forest area.
• Mangalore: The Mangalore division has a high total forest cover (2,765.79 sq km) and a high percentage (69.60%).

Protected Areas (National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries):

• Bandipur NP: This national park has a high percentage of forest cover (95.11%) and a total cover of 826.23 sq km, demonstrating the effectiveness of protected area management.
• Anshi NP/Dandeli: This division has a very high percentage of forest cover (94.86%) and a large total cover (848.45 sq km).
• Kudremukh WLS: This wildlife sanctuary also has a high percentage of forest cover (79.11%) and a total cover of 622.75 sq km.
• Biligiri Ranganatha Swamy Temple WLS: This division has a moderate percentage of forest cover (33.30%) but contributes a substantial area (600.62 sq km).
• These protected areas play a vital role in biodiversity conservation and maintaining ecological integrity.

Low Forest Cover Divisions:

• Bagalkote, Bellary, Bidar, Bijapur, Gadag, Gulbarga, Koppal, Raichur, Yadgir: These divisions generally have low forest cover percentages (below 10%) and small total forest areas. These areas are predominantly located in the drier regions of Karnataka.

Scrub Land: Some divisions have significant scrub areas (e.g., Belgaum, Kollegal, Ramanagaram), which could be targeted for restoration efforts.

Very Dense Forest (VDF): The highest concentration of VDF is in the Uttara Kannada divisions (Karwar, Haliyal, Honnavar, Sirsi and Yellapur), and the protected areas like Anshi NP/Dandeli, Bandipur NP, Kudremukh WLS, and Bramhagiri WLS.

Overall Assessment:

The district-wise analysis reveals a clear pattern of uneven forest distribution in Karnataka. The Western Ghats districts (Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, and Dakshina Kannada) are the primary repositories of the state’s forest resources. Conversely, districts in the northern and eastern parts of the state have significantly lower forest cover. The changes compared to 2021 highlight the dynamic nature of forest cover and the need for continuous monitoring and adaptive management strategies.