Site Selection, Survey and Treatment Plan - Afforestation, Reforestation and Forest Restoration in Arid and Semi-arid Tropics - page 64

generated from batteries. Special circuitry is used to generate high voltage pulses
that last for a short period but give a powerful enough electric shock to keep animals
away. The batteries are often charged by solar photovoltaic panels. The cost of such
a fence—with four strands of wire—may be comparable to that of the stonewall and
ditch fences. This type of fence is ideal for closing large areas which are not prone
to theft and vandalism.
Live-hedge fence may be considered as an accessory to the main fence. It will
not be useful immediately, but will serve to give permanence to the fence after the
plantation has been established. A large variety of plants can be sown—or planted
in adequate density—along a stone wall, ditch fence, or BW fence. By the time the
barbed wire is removed, or the stone wall goes out of maintenance, the live-hedge
fence should take over.
Social fencing is sometimes considered an alternative to a physical fence. If all
the people in the neighbourhood of a plantation site agree to keep their cattle off
the plantation, and if there is no chance of cattle from other villages encroaching
upon it, it is possible to establish the plantation without a physical fence. In practice,
however, a few persons not respecting the agreement may cause the plantation to fail.
Social fencing is less reliable where public funds are used to create a plantation. If
the local people contribute the cost of the work, social fencing may be considered as
an alternative. Looking at it another way, social fence should always be used along
with other physical fences. No physical fence is too great an obstacle for the people,
and if they do not respect the fence it will be ineffective.
Unfenced plantations may be considered if non-browsable species (e.g. Prosopis
juliflora , Parkinsonia aculeata , Cassia auriculata ) are proposed to be planted. In an
unfenced plantation, a demarcation trench or a small stonewall should be made to
mark out the area of the plantation and also to avail the effect of social fencing if it
is possible.
There may be situations when more than one of the earlier mentioned fences are
adopted in a plantation. Often hilly, flat, and sandy areas may be found within one
plantation site. If fence of different types is erected in different stretches, particular
attention should be paid to the interfaces or the joints. Overlapping (double fence)
over a short distance may be considered, but in no case should there be any gaps
between the different fence segments.
Having decided upon a fence type, the length of the fence can be determined from
the site plan. It need not always be equal to the length of the perimeter of the area,
since in many cases the existing fence of earlier contiguous plantations may be used.
It may also be the case that different kind of fence is required in different sections of
the perimeter of the plantation. In such cases the exact length of each section should
be marked on the map and the distance read off it.
If the integrity of a fence is to be maintained, a gate should be provided at a
suitable place for entry of carts, vehicles, and workers, as well as for the purpose of
inspection. Location of the gate is determined from practical considerations, and it
may at times be necessary to provide for multiple gates, in which case only one of
these should be used routinely. A signboard made of steel, wood, or stone should be
erected near the gate, and basic information about the plantation—including its name,