Ecology 2025

 Ecology 2025

=>Indian state of forest report 2023: The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, published by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), shows a positive trend in India's forest and tree cover. Forest and tree cover now stands at 25.17% of the country's geographical area, a marginal increase from the previous assessment. This includes a 21.76% forest cover and a 3.41% tree cover. 

• Context (IE): The 18th biennial India State of Forest Report (ISFR-2023) was released by the Environment Minister.
• The India State of Forest Report is released biennially (every two years) by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) and involves forest cover mapping of the country using satellite data.

Forest Survey of India is an organisation under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC). It was established in 1981 and headquartered in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

Key Findings of India State of Forest Report 2023

Particulars	ISFR 2023	ISFR 2021
Total Forest and Tree cover	25.17% (8,27,357 sq km)	24.62%
Net Forest Cover	21.76% (7,15,343 sq km)	21.71%
Net Tree Cover	3.41% (1,12,014 sq km)	2.91%
The total mangrove cover	4,992 sq km	4999 sq km

=> The number of Indian sites in Ramsar list rose, including two more sites, now the tally is 91 as of May 2025.

=>16th Asiatic Lion Census: 2025 Lion census shows 32% population rise,

From under 200 in the 1960s, the population of Asiatic lions has grown to nearly 900 in 2025. The latest population estimation exercise in Gujarat has recorded 891 lions, a 32% jump in population since 2020. In these five years, lions have also expanded their range by 17% — from 30,000 to 35,000 sq km — and now cover 58 talukas (up from 53 in 2020) in 11 districts.

=>India's 1st riverine Dolphine Census: India's first population estimation of riverine dolphins has revealed 6,327 dolphins in the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus River systems. The census was part of 'Project Dolphin', covering over 8,000 km across eight states from 2021 to 2023.

=>BioBanks in India: India has 19 registered biobanks, including the National Heart Failure Biobank and a diabetes biobank in Chennai, serving as repositories for biological samples and data to advance research in various fields, including heart failure, diabetes, and wildlife conservation. 

=>India gets the 58th Tiger Reserve: 

Madhya Pradesh is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, vibrant festivals, historic forts, delectable cuisine, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, national parks, and tiger reserves. Recently, Madhav National Park has been declared the 58th Tiger Reserve of India and the 9th Tiger Reserve for Madhya Pradesh.

=>4 new Indian wetlands declared 'Ramsar Sites': India has added four new Ramsar sites, bringing the total to  89.

The four new Ramsar sites in India are Khecheopalri Lake, Udhwa Lake Bird Sanctuary, Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary, and Therthangal Bird Sanctuary