1. The greatest damage inflicted on Indian forests was during the colonial period due to the expansion of railways, agriculture, commercial and scientific forestry and mining activities.
2. Even after independence, agricultural expansion continues to be one of the major causes of depletion of forest resources.
3. Habitat destruction: Mainly due to overpopulation leading to expansion of agriculture, mining, industrialisation and urbanisation and consequent wiping out of large forest areas.
4. Hunting and poaching: Illegal trade of animal skin, tusk, bones, teeth, horns, etc have led many species to the verge of extinction.
5. Environmental pollution: Poisoning of water bodies and atmosphere due to the discharge of industrial effluents, chemicals, wastes, etc. leading to animal deaths.
6. Forest fires: It often induced by shifting cultivation wiping out valuable forests and wildlife.
7. Large scale development projects and the destruction of forests.
8. Grazing and fuelwood collection.
9. Over-exploitation of forest products

Other important causes of environmental destruction are unequal access, inequitable consumption of forest resources and differential sharing of responsibility for environmental well-being.

Ans: (i) Indian forests are home to different communities. These communities have a complex relationship with their environment. Contribution by these communities towards the protection of forest and wildlife can be explained as given below:

1. The Mundas and the Santhal of Chhota Nagpur region worship Mahua and Kadamba trees; the tribals of Orissa and Bihar worship the tamarind and mango trees.
2. The Bishnois of Rajasthan hold the antelopes in high reverence. For these communities, particular flora and fauna are integral to their identity, so they take a number of steps to protect the same. Villagers around the Sariska Reserve have opposed mining activities in the region as these activities endanger wildlife. Villagers in the Alwar district of Rajasthan have banned hunting and lumbering activities in a 1200 hectare area they have marked as Bhairodev Dakav ‘Sonchuri’. Such activities have helped preserve patches of virgin forest land.
3. The ‘Chipko Movement’ in Uttaranchal has successfully resisted cutting of trees as forest are the home to different communities and hilly people.
4. To many of us, peepal and banyan trees are considered sacred.

(ii) Good practices towards conserving forest and wildlife are plenty.

1. Nowadays, many non-governmental organisations are working towards creating public awareness for conserving depleting forest cover and vanishing wildlife.
2. Central and state governments in India have set up national parks and wildlife sanctuaries to protect forests and endangered species in wildlife.
3. In India, joint forest management programme furnishes a good example for involving local communities in the management and restoration of degraded forests.
4. A recently developing practice towards conservation is the search for different conservation measures. Biodiversity is the new by-word of good practices towards conserving forest and wildlife.
5. The Indian Wildlife(Protection) Act was implemented in 1972, with various provisions for protecting habitats. An all-India list of protected species was also published.
6. India is one of the few countries which has a forest policy since 1894. It was revised in 1952 and again in 1988. The main plank of the forest policy is protection, conservation and development of forests.
7. Various communities, especially in tribal areas, who are dependent on forests for their living are now taking an active role in this form of conservation.
8. Involving mass media to highlight the problems associated with environmental degradation.
9. Running community awareness programmes like Vanmahotav from time to time.