Role of forest

The main roles of forest with good example of forest products have been given.

1. ROLE OF FOREST

2. FOREST: Dense and extensive tree cover. Biodiversity An area managed for the production of timber and other forest produce or maintained under woody vegetation for such indirect benefits as protection or catchment areas or recreation .

3. ROLES OF FOREST Productive role Protective role Regulative role

4. Productive role Food Fodder Fuel Renewable energy Clothing

5. Canopy Layer (Large Fruits and Nut Trees) Low Tree Layer (Dwarf Fruit Trees) Shrub Layer (Currants and Berries) Herbaceous Layer (Medicinal Herbs) Rhizosphere (Root Crops) Soil Surface (Ground Cover Crops) Vertical Layer (Climbers, Vines) The Seven Layers of a Forest Garden

6. fodder Provides fodder for cattle, livestock, etc., India need about 50 million tones of fodder to produce 27 million tonnes of milk for its existing population.

7. fuel 2000 million people depend on wood for cooking. 97% of the total energy consumption. 1 kg food = 1.2 kg wood Eg .,Casuarina equisetifolia , Eucalyptus tereticornis India must produce more wood than food if it is to be cooked before consumed.

8. Renewable energy Firewood, Hydro energy, Peat, Leaf litters, Bio gas, Bio diesel. Petro crops: (substitute to petro chemicals) Vegetable oils have great potential to be used as liquid fuel or as a source of hydrocarbons.

9. clothing Forest provides excellent clothing materials like rayon and silk. Example: Rayon materials are produced from Eucalyptus galobulus , Accacia mearnsii , Acacia dealbata etc.

10. TREE PRODUCTS Forest trees produce valuable products other than fuel wood, cloths, etc., Many valuable ; Phyto chemicals, Cosmetics, Oils, Fibber, Drugs, spices…etc.,

11. Diospyros melanoxylon ( tendu ) Bidi wrappers

12. Bambusa arundinacea Pulp paper, Basket making, Small timber Poles

13. Acacia nilotica spp. Indica True gums Acacia catechu Dyes - Textile industry and many other.

14. Eucalyptus tereticornis - oil Tree oils: Soap and cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals, Confectionery, aerated water, Agarbattis etc.,

15. Agave sisalana Uses : Ropes and mats, Cordage, Twines, Nets.

16. Match stick industry Ailanthus excelsa , Populus nigra (black poplar), etc.

17. Plywood industry Teak ( Tectona grandis ) , Terminalia sp , etc., Spices - Dioscorea innoxia Drugs - Alpinia glanga

18. PROTECTIVE ROLE Climatic factors Edaphic factors Hydrological factors Erosion factors Quality of life

19. SOIL EROSION EROSION FACTORS: Runoff, Wind and water erosion, Soil fertility, Siltation of dams etc.

20. FACTORS OF FOREST Climatic factors – temperature and radiation, wind movement and velocity, humidity and precipitation Edaphic factors – soil composition and structure, soil temperature, water table, soil chemistry, moisture regime Hydrological factors – evaporation and transpiration, interception, infiltration, sub soil runoff, siltation of river bed

21. Quality of life Physical air pollution, Protection against chemical air contamination, Noise protection, recreation, Biodiversity conservation, halting the spread of deserts, Conservation of soil and water resources, Forest as carbon reservoir / sinks, Rehabilitation of mined areas.

22. REGULATIVE ROLE Climate amelioration Climate change Wind Air-Temperature Precipitation Soil and water conservation Biological diversity Purification of atmosphere

23. FOREST

24. Climate amelioration : Trees plays a vital role in global climate change, and modify other climatic properties like wind, temperature, rainfall etc. Climate change : Global climate change have been brought about by increased concentration of heat absorbing greenhouse gases such as CO 2 , methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons. Air temperature : Intercepts the sun’s rays . Cooling effect is high in summer (9 O C) than winter ( 3 O C ).

25. WIND Forests trees reduces the wind velocity and thereby changes the local climate. This principle is used in shelterbelts and windbreaks. It is mentioned that wind losses 25 to 40 per cent of its velocity if it passes 30 m through a dense forest and it retains only 8 per cent of its velocity if it passes through 120 m of forest.

26. PRECIPITATION Forest influence local precipitation. It is believed that the cooling effect above a forest brought about by the heavy transpiration of the canopy increases rainfall by 2 to 3 per cent over that of non-forested area.

27. Soil and water conservation Thick canopy of forest can intercept large amount of water thick layers of humus on forest floor is responsible for low runoff . A forest canopy with no litter layer can reduce evaporation up to 50 % of that from a non forested soil.

28. Biological diversity Forest are ecosystem, which provides habitat for multitude of species of plants, animals and micro-organisms used directly and indirectly by humans. 500 different species of mammals and 1/10 th of the total avifauna in the world is present in Indian forest.

29. Purification of atmosphere Trees play a vital role in ameliorating the deteriorating environment. A belt of 5 to 6 m wide with a tall dense trees and shrubs planted close reduces sound 5 to 10 db. Acalypha hamiltoniana , Casealpinia pulcherima , Ixora sp , Sansevieria sp ., and many other species plays a major role in environmental conservation and industrial green belt.

30. 2016 OUR ROLE: ( in forest) Don’t do deforestation. Plant trees Save for future OUR ROLE: ( in society) Don’t do pollution. Don’t exploit. Save for future

31. THANK YOU BY, B.ARAVIND I.ARISH PRASATH