We are still not clear about what species of trees are in ‘Nepal’s Wealth, Green Forest’. Although the forest sector is widely discussed in Nepal, it is rare to publish a book that documents the tree species found in the forests in detail.

The discovery of 14 new species of trees in the wetlands, which account for only 0.1 percent of Nepal's total forest area, also indicates the potential for biodiversity hidden in our other forests.

Usually, only protected areas and the wildlife found there are documented. But not much work has been done on the issue of trees. Birds are counted and species are recorded in wetlands. We hear that so many species of plants are found in protected areas, but the records of trees found in forests outside protected areas are neglected.

How many types of trees are there in forests outside protected areas? What is the condition of the three? What are the characteristics of the recorded trees? In the context of Nepal, we do not have complete answers to these questions. To be clear, the work of recording trees found in Nepal's forests has not been systematic.

In this context, the scientific documentation of trees found in the ‘Jalthal Forest’ on the southeastern border of Nepal has been completed. A book titled ‘Jalthalka Rukhharu’ has been published covering this forest section spread over 6,100 hectares in Bhadrapur Municipality, Kachankawal, Haldibari and Barhadashi Rural Municipality of Jhapa. This book, useful for both scientists and the general public, is sure to be an important reference material for the future documentation of trees found in the Terai and Chure regions.

The authors of this book, which was prepared using scientific methods, are botanists Bhaskar Adhikari, Lilanath Sharma, Yogendra Bahadur Poudel and Mark F. Watson. 168 tree species from 53 plant families have been documented in the Jalthal Forest. Of these, 14 species are new to Nepal. The fact that so much diversity is found in the Jalthal Forest, which occupies only about 0.1 percent of the total forest area of ​​Nepal, is an encouraging aspect in itself. This also indicates the biodiversity lost in our other forests.

Although many trees have disappeared in the past due to deforestation, the Jalthal forest has still become a haven for many species. Species like Latahar, Lali, Amapate, Chardane are found in Southeast Asia. Their last western presence is the Jalthal forest of Jhapa. That is, this forest area is the north-western point of the spread of these species.

The Jalthal forest is so rich in biodiversity that the 'Gante tree' found in the hollows of the Terai and Chure is easily found here. The male and female flowers of the Gante tree, which grows quickly in humid places, are separate. The pulp of its fruit, which looks like a pear, is liked by the caterpillars. However, the book mentions that its reproduction status is not satisfactory.

The scientific material is presented in a simple language that is understandable to the community, so it seems that the locals will have a sense of belonging to this book. The diversity of both species and ecosystem levels in the watershed is high. Although the forest here looks like the sal forest of the Terai or the tropical sal forest, in some places it has its own uniqueness. In some places, the sal species is dominant, while in cold, deep gorges, latar forests are found. Simal, pithari, and khair trees are scattered along the river banks.

The watershed is also a tropical evergreen forest. Discussing the forest tracts of trees like ranibel, banasupari, and banasantula here, the authors have identified it as the diverse forest of the Terai. Here, sal, botdhaenro, barro, saaj, latahar, jamun, and karam are in the first layer. In the second layer, there are species like Sindure, Kumbhi, Kalikath, and Tantari. In the Butyan layer, Galeni is the main species.

85 species of mushrooms, 15 species of mosses, 43 species of fungi, and more than 560 flowering plants have been found in this forest block. In addition, the records of 157 species of butterflies, 238 species of birds, 28 species of mammals, 42 species of fish, 14 species of amphibians, and 34 species of reptiles have further increased its importance. 3 types of endangered and 4 types of endangered plants have also been recorded in the water body.

This book, available in both English and Nepali, has been published by ‘Forest Action Nepal’. It includes tree bark, geographical distribution, Information on the condition, use and flowering and fruiting time is also given. The authors have also included the local names of the trees so that the locals can understand. However, the local names of some species have been omitted. For example, the Nepali name of the leafy Miliusa dioeca mentioned on page 55 has not been given. Perhaps the authors did not mention it due to ignorance or technical reasons. Of the 4 unidentified species, the authors have mentioned the local names of 2 species. The

book includes clear photos of fruits, flowers, leaves and bark for tree identification. This makes it easy for readers to identify the species. Although the articles discuss the photos, color and texture of the bark of the tree, they do not describe the color of the flowers in detail. Although the authors mention in the first part of the book that it is not written that 'the flower is white' after putting a photo showing the color of the flower, nothing is explained about why the color of the bark was written. It would be appropriate to clarify this in the revised version. Especially for visually impaired readers, if they know about the color of the flower, they can feel the forest by telling others.

The book defines a tree as 'a perennial species with a woody, clear main stem and a natural height of two meters or more'. Although the height of the tree is mentioned in the book, its diameter is not discussed. If we look at the Nepal context, it is interpreted in a slightly different way. 'Forest Rules, 2079' (Second Amendment 2081) defines a tree as 'an erect plant with a diameter DBH of more than 30 centimeters'. Similarly, the definition of wood states that ‘a round piece of wood that can be cut into pieces two feet or more in length and one and a half feet or more in diameter, and in the case of the cypress species, the word also refers to wood of any size or dimension.’

This context is also connected to the ‘fossil plant’, i.e. Cycas Pectinata (Thakal), which is associated with the evolution of vegetation. In the forests of the Terai, this species, which has no records anywhere except in the watershed, has existed since before the age of dinosaurs. It also refers to the museum of life. Having said this, there can be a debate on whether this species should be considered a ‘pure tree’ or a ‘gymnosperm that looks like a tree’. Scientifically, it is a gymnosperm that has cones instead of flowers and fruits. Although the book describes it as ‘evergreen tree’ in English, the Nepali translation says ‘evergreen flora’. This indicates some ambiguity on the part of the authors. The book also had a place to link the history of herbarium collection and the discovery of plants in the wetlands. It would have been easier for the Nepali reader if articles published in Nepali had been included as reference material. However, this is a matter of the authors’ prerogative. Another strong point of the book is the photographs used in it. The photograph of the fruit of the Dhenujhula, which is placed on the cover, must be new to the Nepali botanical field. Similarly, the photographs of Gante, Van Santula, and Autanga, i.e. Panchphal, are very excellent. If some small flowers like Goganpate on page 49 and Bakhra Ghansh on page 157 were taken with a 'micro lens', the structure of the three would have been more clearly visible. The book

also examines the challenges of managing the waterlogged forest. The problem of the Michaha species of weeds is the main one. This forest, which was saved from deforestation in the past, is currently being managed through community forests. However, since the reproduction of 50 tree species is not satisfactory, some species are in danger of extinction. The authors have drawn attention to the fact that species such as Saadan, Sano Thakal, Panchphal, Satisal and Chap are in danger of extinction. Some species are less than half a dozen in number, so the emphasis is on the conservation of the three.