Floral Diversity in Community Forests of Nepal

This book contains detail information on the comparative status of the floral diversity in a buffer zone community forest and a community forest managed under different rules and the regulations, in Barandabhar corridor of Chitwan district in Nepal. The floral diversity is found higher in buffer zone community forest (BZCF) than the community forest (CF) outside buffer zone under similar edaphoclimatic conditions. The buffer zone community forest management practice under the National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act 1972 is found favorable for floral diversity conservation than the community forest management practice under the Forest Act 1993. Biodiversity conservation oriented BZCF management practice maintains the floral diversity in comparison to the production and livelihood development oriented CF management practices. It is recommended that production and livelihood development oriented management practices of community forestry should be modified to promote biodiversity conservation.