Thakkar Shivani Hitesh

LA4015-1

‘Forest of chance’ - A forest provides abundant resource for each and every species, be it flora or fauna to survive, grow, give and take. We see the species that exist in the forest in every possible combination of density and stratification. So, why are some species, who find their way into the forest and establish themselves in the forest considered an abomination? Why are they called invasive? A simple question is the starting point of my investigation into the Jaisamand forest. While, there are both floral and fauna invasive species, this investigation predominantly focus on floral invasion in the forest of Jaisamand. The research ponders upon questions like, What will the forest look like if the invasive species consume it entirely? Which invasive species came first and which is dominant now? Which native species are lost, which have survived? This journey eventually leads to re-imagining the contrasting chances of the forest.