Forest resources

Review of forest resources

1. Natural Resources
ShaikhSabina Meraj
Assistant Professor
Y. B. Chavancollege of Pharmcy

2. Forest resources
•Forestsareoneofthemostimportantnatural
resourcesonthisearth.
•Coveringtheearthlikeagreenblankettheseforests
notonlyproduceinnumerablematerialgoods,but
alsoprovideseveralenvironmentalserviceswhichare
essentialforlife.
•About1/3rdoftheworld’slandareaisforestedwhich
includesclosedaswellasopenforests.

3. Significance of forests
Forest can provide prosperity of human being and to the
nations.
Important uses of forest can be classified as under
•Commercial values
•Ecological significance
•Aesthetic values
•Life and economy of tribal

4. USES OF FORESTS
Commercialuses:
•Largenumberofcommercialgoodswhichincludetimber,firewood,
pulpwood,fooditems,gum,resins,non-edibleoils,rubber,fibers,lac,
bamboocanes,fodder,medicine,drugsandmanymoreitems,thetotal
worthofwhichisestimatedtobemorethan$300billionperyear.
•Halfofthetimbercuteachyearisusedasfuelforheatingandcooking.
•Onethirdofthewoodharvestisusedforbuildingmaterialsaslumber,
plywoodandhardwood,particleboardandchipboard.
•Onesixthofthewoodharvestisconvertedintopulpandusedforpaper
industry.
•Manyforestlandsareusedformining,agriculture,grazing,and
recreationandfordevelopmentofdams.

5. USES OF FORESTS
Ecologicaluses:
•Productionofoxygen:Thetreesproduceoxygenbyphotosynthesiswhich
issovitalforlifeonthisearth.Theyarerightlycalledasearth’slungs.
•Reducingglobalwarming:Themaingreenhousegascarbondioxide
(CO2)isabsorbedbytheforestsasarawmaterialforphotosynthesis.Thus
forestcanopyactsasasinkforCO2therebyreducingtheproblemofglobal
warmingcausedbygreenhousegasCO2.
•Wildlifehabitat:Forestsarethehomesofmillionsofwildanimalsand
plants.About7millionspeciesarefoundinthetropicalforestsalone.

6. •Regulationofhydrologicalcycle:Forestedwatershedsactlikegiant
sponges,absorbingtherainfall,slowingdowntherunoffandslowly
releasingthewaterforrechargeofsprings.About50-80%ofthe
moistureintheairabovetropicalforestscomesfromtheir
transpirationwhichhelpsinbringingrains.
•SoilConservation:Forestsbindthesoilparticlestightlyintheirroots
andpreventsoilerosion.Theyalsoactaswind-breaks.
•Pollutionmoderators:Forestscanabsorbmanytoxicgasesandcan
helpinkeepingtheairpure.Theyhavealsobeenreportedtoabsorb
noiseandthushelpinpreventingairandnoisepollution.

7. OVER EXPLOITATION OF FORESTS
•Humanshavedependedheavilyonforestsforfood,medicine,shelter,wood
andfuel.
•Withgrowingcivilizationthedemandsforrawmaterialliketimber,pulp,
minerals,fuelwoodetc.shoutedupresultinginlargescalelogging,mining,
road-buildingandclearingofforests.
•Forestscontributesubstantiallytothenationaleconomy.
•Excessiveuseoffuelwoodandcharcoal,expansionofurban,agricultural
andindustrialareasandovergrazinghavetogetherledtoover-exploitation
ofourforestsleadingtotheirrapiddegradation.

8. Deforestation
•Forestareburnedorcutforclearingoflandfor
agriculture,harvestingforwoodandtimber,development
andexpansionofcities.
•Theseeconomicgainsareshorttermwhereaslongterm
effectsofdeforestationareirreversible
•Deforestationrateisrelativelylowintemperatecountries
thanintropicsIfpresentrateofdeforestationcontinues
wemaylosses90%tropicalforestincomingsixdecades
•Forecologicalbalance33%areashouldbeunderforest
coverbutournationhasonly20.6%forestcover.

9. Major Causes of Deforestation
(i)Shiftingcultivation:Thereareanestimated300millionpeoplelivingasshifting
cultivatorswhopracticeslashandburnagricultureandaresupposedtoclearmorethan5
lakhhaofforestsforshiftingcultivationannually.InIndia,thispracticeinNorth-East
andtosomeextentinAndhraPradesh,BiharandM.Pwhichcontributetonearlyhalfof
theforestclearingannually.
(ii)Fuelrequirements:Increasingdemandsforfuelwoodbythegrowingpopulationin
Indiaalonehasshoutedupto300-500milliontonsin2001ascomparedtojust65
milliontonsduringindependence,therebyincreasingthepressureonforests.
(iii)Rawmaterialsforindustrialuse:Woodformakingboxes,furniture,railway-sleepers,
plywood,match-boxes,pulpforpaperindustryetc.haveexertedtremendouspressureon
forests.PlywoodisingreatdemandforpackingteaforTeaindustryofAssamwhilefir
treewoodisexploitedgreatlyforpackingapplesinJ&K.

10. Major Causes of Deforestation
(iv)Developmentprojects:Massivedestructionofforestsoccurfor
variousdevelopmentprojectslikehydroelectricprojects,bigdams,
roadconstruction,miningetc.
(v)Growingfoodneeds:Indevelopingcountriesthisisthemain
reasonfordeforestation.Tomeetthedemandsofrapidlygrowing
population,agriculturallandsandsettlementsarecreated
permanentlybyclearingforests.
(vi)Overgrazing:Thepoorinthetropicsmainlyrelyonwoodasa
sourceoffuelleadingtolossoftreecoverandtheclearedlandsare
turnedintothegrazinglands.Overgrazingbythecattleleadsto
furtherdegradationoftheselands.

11. Major Consequences of Deforestation
(i)Itthreatenstheexistenceofmanywildlifespeciesdueto
destructionoftheirnaturalhabitat.
(ii)Biodiversityislostandalongwiththatgeneticdiversityis
eroded.
(iii)Hydrologicalcyclegetsaffected,therebyinfluencingrainfall.
(iv)Problemsofsoilerosionandlossofsoilfertilityincrease.
(v)Inhillyareasitoftenleadstolandslides

12. Timber extraction
•Therehasbeenunlimitedexploitationoftimberfor
commercialuse.
•Duetoincreasedindustrialdemand;timberextraction
hassignificanteffectonforestandtribalpeople.

13. Logging
•Poorloggingresultsindegradedforestandmaylead
tosoilerosionespeciallyonslopes.
•Newloggingroadspermitshiftingcultivatorsand
fuelwoodgathererstogainaccesstotheloggingarea.
•Lossoflongtermforestproductivity
•Speciesofplantsandanimalsmaybeeliminated
•Exploitationoftribalpeoplebycontractor.

14. Mining
Majoreffectsofminingoperationsonforestandtribalpeopleare:
•Miningfromshallowdepositsisdonebysurfaceminingwhile
thatfromdeepdepositsisdonebysub-surfacemining.
•Itleadstodegradationoflandsandlossoftopsoil.
•Itisestimatedthatabouteightythousandshectarelandis
understressofminingactivitiesinIndia
•Miningleadstodryingupperennialsourcesofwatersources
likespringandstreamsinmountainousarea.
•Miningandotherassociatedactivitiesremovevegetationalong
withunderlyingsoilmantle,whichresultsindestructionof
topographyandlandscapeinthearea.

15. Mining
•LargescaledeforestationhasbeenreportedinMussorie
andDehradunvalleyduetoindiscriminatingmining.
•Theforestedareahasdeclinedatanaveragerateof33%
andtheincreaseinnon-forestareaduetomining
activitieshasresultedinrelativelyunstablezonesleading
tolandslides.
•IndiscriminatemininginforestsofGoasince1961has
destroyedmorethan50000haofforestland.Coalmining
inJharia,RaniganjandSingrauliareashascaused
extensivedeforestationinJharkhand.

16. Mining
•Miningofmagnetiteandsoapstonehavedestroyed14
hectaresofforestinhillyslopesofKhirakot,Kosivalley
andAlmora.
•MiningofradioactivemineralsinKerala,Tamilnaduand
Karnatakaareposingsimilarthreatsofdeforestation.
•TherichforestsofWesternGhatsarealsofacingthesame
threatduetominingprojectsforexcavationofcopper,
chromites,bauxiteandmagnetite.