Forests: Importance

Productive Forests: Natural, high tree density,

close canopy, high commercial value, timber is
extracted from them.
Protection Forests: planted along roads, in parks
and along railway lines, protect soil from erosion,
keep environment pleasant by regulating
temperature.
Importance
 Forests check pollution, prevent soil
erosion, intercept rainfall, reduce flood risks.
 Decomposition of leaves form humus
(natural fertilizers) that keeps soil fertile.
 Provide commercial use for various
industries eg paper, timber etc.
 Help in promotion of tourism through scenic
beauty.
 Distributed according to their altitude.
Types of forests
 Alpine Forest
 Coniferous Forest
 Tropical Thorn Forest
 Sub-Tropical Scrub Forest
 Riverain or Bela Forest
 Mangrove Forest
 Irrigated Forest
Alpine
Alpine
Coniferous Forest
Coniferous Forest
Tropical Thorn Forest
Tropical Thorn Forest
Sub-Tropical Scrub Forest
Sub-Tropical Scrub Forest
Riverain or Bela Forest
Riverain or Bela Forest
Mangrove Forests
Mangrove Forests
Mangrove Forests
Irrigated Forests
Irrigated Forests
 Advantages and disadvantages of
Irrigated Plantations
 Advantages:
 Source of timber
 Leaves provide food for animals
 Leaf fall; humus formation
 Transpiration
 Provide shade or shelter, protect agriculture.
 Release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide
 Scenic beauty
 Control run off and soil erosion, waterlogging
 Provide employment
Disadvantages
 High initial investment, no short term
economic benefits.
 Maintenance ; expensive.
 Extra burden on limited water supply.
 Loss of lands for settlements, industries and
transport.
 Difficult to monitor illegal cutting of trees.
 Forest fire can lead to environmental
damage.
Diterminents of forests
 Altitude
 Aridity
 Ratio of precipitation
 Deltas ; alluvium deposit encourages
mangrove vegetation
 Edaphic factor (type of soil)
Deforestation
 Causes:
 Mining activities.
 Infrastructure; dams, and barrages to meet
the need of growing population lead to
forest clearing.
 Urbanization
 Transportation ; construction of roads
 Industrial and domestic use.
 Used as a fuel in underdeveloped areas
 Overgrazing
Effects of deforestation
 Soil erosion, land sliding.
 Floods
 Global warming
 Smog
 Increase silt in reservoirs of the dams
 Increase in temperature
 Loss of habitat
 Loss of fodder
Afforestation
 Afforestation is the process of introducing
trees and tree seedlings to an area that has
previously not been forested. Afforestation
can be done through tree planting and
seeding, naturally or artificially.
 Projects consists of
 Selection of areas to be afforested
 Management of plantations
 Development of ways of using forest
products.
Sustainability of forestry

 We should manage the forest resources

in such a way as to ensure that we will be
able to obtain the things that we want
from the forests on regular basis while
conserving the natural environment.