Career In Forestry

Clean and Green Career in Forestry!

What do you understand by the term “Forestry”?

The term itself specifies that it is related to Forests.

The exact definition of forestry is as follows:

“Forestry is the Science or practice of planting, managing, conserving and maintaining forests and its associated resources with the aim to meets the goal of human benefit .”

As we all know that forest is very important part of an ecosystem. Therefore, management of forest is required and is done by the foresters (forest professionals).

A practitioner of forestry is known as a Forester.

Are you interested in this course?  Let’s find out the courses and colleges!

What does a Forester do?

• Foresters are involved in many activities that include ecological restoration, timber harvesting and protection of natural resources.
• They develop forest management plans for public and privately-owned forested lands
• Their role exists in choosing sites for new trees.
• They are also involved in the planning and supervising of forestry projects.
• Promote a sustainable economy through renewable forest products.

Courses & Programmes

Forestry is an essential service in enhancing, managing, and conserving forests. Forested landscapes face natural disasters, land use conversion and development, and destruction from catastrophic wildfire

Jim Corbett said that “The study of nature has no beginning and it has no end“

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Popular Science Courses 

Various courses are available in the field of forestry. You can pursue forestry courses at graduate, postgraduate, diploma as well as at Ph.D. level.

Bachelor’s Courses

• B.Sc in Forestry
• B.Sc in Wildlife
• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Tree Improvement and Genetic Resources
• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc – Hons) in Forestry

Eligibility Criteria – If you have passed your intermediate examination with PCB group then you are eligible for this course. The duration of B.Sc forestry professional course is 4 years.

Master’s Courses:

• M.Sc in Forestry
• M.Sc in Wildlife
• M.Sc – Wood Science & Tech.
• Master of Science (M.Sc) in Agroforestry
• Master of Science (M.Sc) in Forest Products
• Master of Science (M.Sc) in Tree Improvements
• Master in Wildlife Sciences
• Post Graduate Diploma in Forest Management

Eligibility Criteria – To be eligible for master’s course, one must have a bachelor’s degree in relevant discipline. The duration of this course is 2 years.

Postgraduate courses in forestry are offered in the following specializations:

• Forest Management
• Silviculture
• Forest products
• Commercial Forestry
• Forest Economics
• Wood Science & Technology
• Wildlife Science
• Agroforestry
• Tree Genetics and Breeding

For higher specialized works, you have to earn the highest degree in the field of forestry.

Interested candidates can also go for M.Phil/PhD degree in Forestry that opens more career opportunities as well as the hike in their salary.

Some other certificate & diploma course in Forestry are listed here:

• Certificate Course in Wildlife Management
• Diploma in Zoo and Wild Animal Health Cure and Management
• Post Graduate Diploma in Forestry Management (PGDFM)
• Post Master’s Diploma Non Wood Forest Products

The Universities/colleges that offers forestry courses in India are as follows:

• Dr BR Ambedkar University, Uttar Pradesh
• GB. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar
• Arid Forest Research institute, Jodhpur
• Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal
• Forest Research Institute University, Dehra Dun
• Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Himachal Pradesh
• Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
• Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur
• Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore

Admission Process

How to get admission in Forestry courses?

One can apply for the bachelor’s course in forestry after clearing the 10+2 examination with PCB/PCM/PCMB group (Career options after 12th). The candidates who have passed All India Entrance Exam of ICAR (ICAR AIEEA 2024) are eligible for admission to agricultural Universities that offers forestry courses. The candidates can also apply for state level exam of Jharkhand (JCECE 2024). Various Universities/institutions conduct their own entrance examination for providing admission.

There are plenty of great reasons to pursue a career in forestry (far too many to fit in this list). If the idea of working at a desk, staring at a computer screen for 50+ hours a week sounds overwhelming — you’re not alone

Forest Research Institute University invites application for admission to M.Sc programmes through FRI University Admission Test.

Jobs & Career Scope

A lot of career opportunities is available in this field. The career opportunities are available in public as well as in private sector.

The public sector jobs includes work in zoological parks, wildlife ranges, corporate having their own plantations for timbering, wildlife research institutes, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) and its affiliated institutes, wildlife department, forest department, national parks & sanctuaries, forest nurseries.

Those holding bachelor’s degree in forestry can apply for the Central government through the Indian Forest Service (IFS) examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission.

You can also apply in the colleges for the post of lecturer.

The job profiles in forestry is as follows:

• Forester
• Forest Range Officer
• Lecturers
• Forestry Technicians
• Forest Officer
• Forestry Staff
• Forest Professionals
• Natural Resource Technician
• Operations Forester
• Senior Forestry Consultant
• Foresters Silviculturist
• Field Investigator
• Sales/Business Development Officer
• Teacher or Lecturer
• Auditor – Forestry

Some working areas where you can find jobs after pursuing courses in the field of Forestry are:

• Educational Institutions
• Seed and Nursery Companies
• Forest Services
• Food Companies
• Land Management Agencies
• Plant Health Inspection Services
• Plant Resources Laboratories
• Biotechnology Firms
• Biological Supply Houses
• Chemical Industry

Salary

How much salary do foresters make?

The pay scale in the field of forestry depends upon the firm you are working for. The salary in government sector is as per the government pay scales. A forester earns an average salary of $47,548 annually in abroad. Depending upon experience and qualification, you can earn an annual salary of around Rs. 5 to 6 lacs in India.

“Salary packages offered in this field are very high for the well experienced candidates”.

Books & Study Materials

Are you looking for some good books to study forestry?

You can go through the following books for the preparation of forestry:

Introduction to Forestry Science – De Vere Burton
Forestry : Principles and Applications – Antony Joseph Raj, S.B. Lai
Forestry : A Subjective Guide for IFS Aspirants – K.T. Parthiban, S.
Umesh Kanna, S.Vennila, I.Sekar
Indian Forestry: A Breakthrough Approach to Forest Service – K. Manikandan, S. Prabhu
Continuous Cover Forestry – Timo Pukkala, Klaus Von Gadow
Planning For Forest Resources and Bio Diversity Management by Kailash Chandra Bebarta
Forest Resources & Sustainable Development by Kailash Chandra Bebarta
Handbook of Forest Ecology and Biology by   Sharad Singh Negi
Dictionary of Forestry & Wildlife Science by Kailash Chandra Bebarta
Farm Forestry in India – An Economics and Environmental Analysis by Dr. S.Puttaswamaiah

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