How has the old belief of nature worship contributed to forests and wildlife preservation?

India has a history of religious/cultural traditions that focus on the protection of nature. In many cultures, tracts of forest are set aside, and all the trees and wildlife within are worshipped and given total protection.

These are called Sacred Groves.

Example: Such sacred groves are found in Khasi and Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya, Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan, Western Ghat regions of Karnataka and Maharashtra and the Sarguja, Chanda and Bastar areas of Madhya Pradesh.

In Meghalaya, the sacred groves are the last refuges for a large number of rare and threatened plants.