On lands that have suffered from severe erosion and can be used only as a meager source of grazing for local herds of cattle and goats, intensive reforestation has been undertaken using a variety of tree species selected for drought resistance and rapid growth. Seedlings are raised in plastic bags or seed beds and planted out with the monsoon rains in pits dug into the laterite and filled with topsoils or silt. During their first dry season, the seedlings are watered when possible to ensure survival. Ideally, seedlings become sufficiently well-established during the monsoon to survive the dry season without watering. Areas taken up for reforestation must be protected from grazing animals and foragers by live thorny hedges.
Cultivation continues inside.
After the first round of hardy, drought-resistant species has been established, the trees are interspersed with other species from throughout India and the tropical world, chosen for qualities of soil enrichment, beauty, shade and for economic values such as provision of firewood, fodder, building materials, and food. After nearly two decades, Auroville has grown to become a large botanical preserve containing several hundred rare or endangered ornamental, timber, fruit, and leguminous species. Good wind protection, addition of moisture and organic matter from the trees. In the protected and inhabited areas where enough topsoil is available to plough and plant, experimental work has also been underway to develop a polycultural, intensive land use pattern incorporating windbreaks and hedges, fruit trees, and annual or seasonal crops. The aim is to arrive at the maximum intensity of production while increasing and sustaining soil fertility.