Differences between reserved forests, protected forests and unclassed forests are as follows:
Reserved forests
1. An area notified under the provisions of India Forest Act or the State Forest Acts having full degree of protection. In Reserved Forests all activities are prohibited unless permitted.
2. These are permanently earmarked either for production or their forest produce.
3. More than 50% of the total forest land of India has been declared as reserved forests.
4. These are controlled by the government.
5. The forests of J 8. K, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Maharashtra fall in this category.
Protected forests
1. An area notified under the provisions of India Forest Act or the State Forest Acts having limited degree of protection. In Protected Forests all activities are permitted unless prohibited.
2.These are protected from any further depletion.
3. Almost 1/3rd of the total forest area of India is called as the protected forest.
4. These are controlled by the government.
5. The forests of Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan fall under this category.
Unclassed forests
1. An area recorded as forest but not included in reserved or protected forest category. Ownership status of such forests varies from state to state.
2. These consist of inaccessible forests or wastelands.
3. These consist of only 16% of the total forest areas of India.
4. These are owned by the government and private individuals.
5. The forests of north-eastern states and parts of Gujarat fall under this category.
