FOREST
RESOURCES
Introduction
Forest
is important renewable resources but it takes much more time to grow a forest.
Just because a resource is renewal, it does not mean we should use it
carelessly. We should use it wisely. Forest vary in composition and diversity
and can contribute substantially to the economic development of any country
.Plants along with trees cover large areas, produce variety of products and
provide food for living organisms, and also important to save the environment. . Forest is one of the most important
natural resources of the earth.
Approximately 1/3rd of the earth’s total area is covered by forests.
Meaning
of forest
The
word forest is derived from a Latin word “ Foris” which means Outside. Forest
a very large area of land with a lot of trees growing closely together.
World
scenario
Ø
It is estimated that about 30% of world
area is covered by forest whereas 26% by pastures. Among all continents, Africa
has largest forested area (33%) followed by Latin America (25%), whereas in
North America forest cover is only 11%. Asia and former USSR has 14% area under
forest. European countries have only 3% area under forest cover. India’s Forest
Cover accounts for 20.6% of the total geographical area of the country as of
20015.
Indian
Scenario
Ø
In India forest cover 19.39 % of the
total geographic area. The dense forest occupies 11.48 % and open forest
occupies 7.76 % and Mangroves occupies 0.15 % of total area • The total forest
cover in India is 6,37,293km2
Types
of forest
1.
Tropical
dry deciduous forest
2.
Tropical
moist deciduous forest
3.
Tropical
evergreen forest
4.
Tropical
semi evergreen forest
5.
Tropical
rainforest
6.
Subtropical
forest
7.
Temperate
broad leaved forest
8.
Temperate
conifer forest
9.
Subalpine
forest
10.
Alpine
forest
11.
Desert
thorny forest
12.
Coastal
sand dune forest
13. Estuarine evergreen forest
Types
of forest in India
1.
Moist
Tropical Forest
a.
Tropical wet evergreen: Western Ghats
(Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala)
b.
Tropical semi evergreen: Lower hills of western
Ghats.
c.
Tropical moist deciduous: Dehradun,
mahableshwar
d.
Damp Forests: Sunder bans, Bengal delta, and
Andaman.
2.
Dry
Tropical forests:
a.
Tropical dry deciduous: Madhya Pradesh,
Uttar Pradesh
b.
Tropical thorn forest: Delhi Punjab Gujarat
c.
Tropical dry evergreen: Eastern
Ghats ( Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu)
3. Montana Sub tropical Forests
a. Subtropical
broad: Shillong, Nilgiris
b. Subtropical
pine forest: Arunachal Pradesh, Kashmir
c. Sub
Tropical dry evergreen: Foot Hills of Himalayas.
4. Montana Temperate Forests
a. Montana
Wet temperate: Nilgiri, Palmi Hills
b. Himalayan
wet temperate: Assam, Himachal Pradesh
c. Himalayan dry temperate: Kashmir
5. Sub Alpine Forests
a. Moist
alpine scrub- high Himalayas
b. Dry alpine scrub: Sikkim
Significance of forests
Forest can provide prosperity of
human being and to the nations. Important uses of forest can be classified as
under
1. Commercial
values
2. Life
and economy of tribal
3. Ecological
significance
4. Aesthetic
values
1.
Commercial values-
Forests are main source of many commercial products such as wood, timber,
pulpwood etc. About 1.5 billion people depend upon fuel wood as an energy
source. Timber obtained from the forest can used to make plywood, board, doors
and windows, furniture, and agriculture implements and sports goods. Timber is
also a raw material for preparation of paper, rayon and film.
·
Forest
can provide food , fibre, edible oils and drugs.
·
Forest
lands are also used for agriculture and grazing.
·
Forest
is important source of development of dams, recreation and mining.
2.
Life and economy of tribal- Forest provide
food, medicine and other products needed for tribal people and play a vital
role in the life and economy of tribes living in the forest.
3. Ecological
significance
·
Forests provide an environment for many
species of plants and animals thus protects and sustains the diversity of
nature.
·
Plants provide habitat to different types of
organisms. Birds build their nests on the branches of trees, animals and birds
live in the hollows, insects and other organisms live in various parts of the
plant.
·
Forests act as hydrologic flow modulators
·
Plants provide a protective canopy that
lessens the impact of raindrops on the soil, thereby reducing soil erosion.
Roots help to hold the soil in place. They provide shade which prevents the
soil to become too dry. Thus increases the soil moisture holding capacity.
·
Forests help in maintaining microclimate of
the area.
·
Plants clean the air, cool it on hot days,
conserve heat at night, and act as excellent sound absorbers. Transpiration
from the forests affects the relative humidity and precipitation in a place.
Forests clean the environment by muffling noises, buffering strong winds and
stopping dust and gases.
·
The layer of leaves that fall around the tree
prevents runoff and allows the water to percolate into the soil. Thus helping
in ground water recharge.
·
Dead plants decompose to form humus, organic
matter that holds the water and provides nutrients to the soil.
·
Through the process of photosynthesis, forests
renew the oxygen supply in the atmosphere by absorbing atmospheric CO2 and
moderating the greenhouse effect. As per the report published by Ministry of
Environment and Forests during August 2009, the annual CO2 removal by India’s
forest and tree cover is enough to neutralize 11.25 % of India’s total GHG
emissions (CO2 equivalent) at 1994 levels. This is equivalent to offsetting
100% emissions from all energy in residential and transport sectors; or 40% of
total emissions from the agriculture sector. Clearly, India’s forest and tree
cover is serving as a major mode of carbon mitigation for India and the world.
·
Forest cover of an area plays an
important role in amount of precipitation received by the area. Thus play an
important role in maintaining water cycle of the area.
·
Some species of trees have the ability to
return nitrogen to the soil through root decomposition or fallen leaves. Such
trees are planted to increase the nitrogen content of the soil.
·
Forests absorb suspended particles in air
thereby reducing pollution.
·
Forests also helps in the process of
soil formation by causing weathering of rock
·
They play vital role in maintaining
healthy watershed. Rivers originate in a forest area and carry the organic
matter from forest to the downstream thus supporting a variety of fishes and
aquatic animals. The richness of forest in upstream decides the biological
value of the river ecosystem supported by it.
·
It provides forest food which has great
medicinal value and used by local people in respective season.
In
performing all these functions, forest stabilizes the climate, maintains the
ecological /environmental balance of the area and shape the landscape of the
area.
1.
Aesthetic
values-
All over the world people appreciate the beauty and tranquility of the forest
because forests have a greatest aesthetic value. Forest provides opportunity
for recreation and ecosystem research.
Deforestation
Deforestation
is the permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodlands. The term does
not include the removal of industrial forests such as plantations of gums or pines.
·
Forest are burned or cut for clearing of
land for agriculture, harvesting for wood and timber, development and expansion
of cities.
·
These economic gains are short term
where as long term effects of deforestation are irreversible.
·
Deforestation rate is relatively low in
temperate countries than in tropics If present rate of deforestation continues
we may losses 90% tropical forest in coming six decades.
·
For ecological balance 33% area should
be under forest cover but our nation has only 20.6% forest cover.
Causes of deforestation
Main causes of deforestation are:
1.
Shifting
cultivation or jhum cultivation
This practice is prevalent in
tribal areas where forest lands are cleared to grow subsistence crops. It is
estimated that principle cause of deforestation in tropics in Africa, Asia and
tropical America is estimated to be 70, 50, and 35% respectively. Shifting
cultivation which is a practice of slash and burn agriculture are possess to
clear more than 5 lakh hectares of land annually. In India, shifting
cultivation is prevalent in northeast and to limited extent in M.P, Bihar and Andhra
Pradesh and is contributing significantly to deforestation.
2.
Commercial
logging
It is a important deforestation
agent. It may not be the primary cause but definitely it acts as secondary
cause, because new logging lots permits shifting cultivation and fuel wood
gatherers access to new logged areas.
3.
Need
for fuel wood
Increased population has led to
increasing demand for fuel wood which is also acting as an important
deforestation agent, particularly in dry forest.
4.
Expansion
for agribusiness
With the addition of cash crops
such as oil palm, rubber, fruits and ornamental plants, there is stress to
expand the area for agribusiness products which results in deforestation.
5.
Development
projects and growing need for food
The growing demand for electricity,
irrigation, construction, mining, etc. has lead to destruction of forest.
Increased population needs more food which has compelled for increasing area
under agriculture crops compelling for deforestation.
6.
Raw
materials for industrial use
Forest provides raw material for
industry and it has exerted tremendous pressure on forest. Increasing demand
for plywood for backing has exerted pressure on cutting of other species such
as fir to be used as backing material for apple in J&K and tea in northeast
states.
7. Grazing Animals
Trampling of the forest soil in the
course of overgrazing by livestock has four reaching effects such as loss of
porosity of soil, soil erosion and desertification of the previously fertile
forest area.
8.
Pest
Attack
Forest pests like insects etc.
destroy trees by eating up the leaves, boring into shoots and by spreading
diseases.
9. Natural Forces
Floods,
storms, snow, lightening etc. are the natural forces which damage forests.
Major effects of deforestation
Deforestation adversely and
directly affects and damages the environment and living beings. Major causes of
deforestation are:
·
Soil erosion and loss of soil fertility.
·
Decrease of rain fall due to effect of
hydrological cycle.
·
Expansion of deserts
·
Climate change and depletion of water
table
·
Loss of biodiversity ,flora and fauna
·
Environmental changes and disturbance in
forest ecosystems
·
Habitat destruction of wild animals
(tree-using animals are deprived of food and shelter.)
·
Increased soil erosion due to reduction
of vegetation cover.
·
Reduction in the oxygen liberated by
plants through photosynthesis.
·
Increase in pollution due to burning of wood
and due to reduction in Car- bon-dioxide fixation by plants.
·
Decrease in availability of forest products.
·
Loss of cultural diversity
·
Scarcity of fuel wood and deterioration
in economy and quality of life of people residing near forests.
·
Lowering of the water table due to more
run-off and thereby increased use of the underground water increases the
frequency of droughts.
·
Rise in Carbon dioxide level has resulted in
increased thermal level of earth which in turn results in melting of ice caps
and glaciers and consequent flooding of coastal areas.
Forest conservation
Forest conservation as the name
suggests is the preservation and the protection of forests. It also involves
the reversal of deforestation and environmental pollution. The preservation of
all natural resources is absolutely essential for the balance of our ecosystem.
Ways to Conserve the Forest
1.
Controlled
Deforestation
While deforestation cannot be
avoided completely, we must look to control it. Young and immature trees should
not be felled as far as possible. We must look to avoid large-scale commercial
deforestation as well. Adapting practices such as clear-cutting or selective
cutting will be beneficial in the long run.
2.
Protect
against Forest Fires
Forest fires are the most common
and deadly cause of loss of forests. They can start due to natural causes or
can be accidents caused by man or even intentional in some cases. Once a fire
spreads in a forest it is very difficult to control. Precautions must be taken
for such incidents. Making fire lanes, spreading chemicals to control fire,
clearing out dry leaves and trees etc
3.
Afforestation
This is the process by which we
plant more trees in the area. We try to increase the forest cover by manual
transplantation, or fresh plantation of trees. It is an attempt to balance our
ecosystem to reduce the effects of deforestation and environmental pollutions
of all types.
4.
Better
Farming Practices
Slash and burn farming, overgrazing
by cattle, shifting agriculture are all farming practices that are harmful to
the environment and particularly to forests. We must keep all these practices
under control.
Jhoom farming is one such practice
we can employ to combat forest pollution.In the North east areas of India, where the land is
kept barren after cutting the crops. Weeds and creepers and
wild plants grow on this land and make it fertile again in time. And then the
land is cultivated again.
5. Role of Government in Forest
Conservation:
Although the government of every
country is very particular about conservation of its forest resources and has
several rules and laws for the protection of forests but, they are not implement
in an effective manner.
Both national and state governments
can take some steps in this direction, such as:
§
Pass acts for the conservation of
forests,
§
Survey of the forest resources,
§
Categorization of forest areas and
proper delimitation of reserved forest areas,
§
Find out the areas where reforestation can be
done,
§
Regulate the commercial use of forest
products,
§
Protect forest from fire, mining and
other natural calamities,
§
Develop national parks,
§
Encourage forests developmental
activities like social forestry, agro-forestry, etc., and
§
Prepare master plans, both for long-term and
short-term period, et
6.
Forest
Management
Management of forest resources is
the key to all conservation efforts. In forest management, the following
aspects should be taken into consideration:
§ Survey
of forest,
§ Categorization
of forest.
§ Economic
use of forest,
§ Administrative
setting for forest management,
§ Training programs for persons engaged in
forest conservation activities,
§ Use
of forest land as tourist centers,
§ Social
and agro-forestry,
§ Development
of new techniques for the conservation of forests,
§ Research for efficient use and conservation of
forest, and
§ Policy decisions and their proper
implementation.
In brief, conservation of forest
resources can be done by cooperative efforts of the government, non-government
organizations and the public through a proper management system.
Conclusion
Forest is important renewable
resources but it takes much more time to grow a forest. Just because a resource
is renewal, it does not mean we should use it carelessly. We should use it
wisely. Forests and the products they provide are universally required for the
continuation of human society. Forests are abundant in resources. Forest
provides us medicines; food, wood, oxygen, etc. overutilization &
degradation of forests have serious impact on the environment. We should
protect or save the forest for livelihood of next generation on this earth.
People should modify their behaviour towards environment. Government policies
to protect the environment should be implemented effectively.