FOREST RESOURCES
AND ITS USES
A biotic community formed of
trees,shrubs and woody climbers and limited by close coanpy (overhanging
covering) is called forest.
Forest covers 40% of worlds land. This near about 1/3rd
of worlds land area includes closed as well as open forests. India has rich
flora and fauna ,much of which is present in forest areas.forests are domained
by trees
|
REGIONS
OF THE WORLD
|
CLOSED
FORESTS
(MILLION Ha)
|
%
OF THE WORLD
|
|
AFRICA
ASIA
AUSTRALIA
EUROPE
LATIN AMERICA
NORTH AMERICA
USSR(FORMER)
|
218
469
72
153
692
469
792
|
7.6
16.4
2.5
5.3
24.2
16.4
27.6
|
USES OF FORESTS
Some of the
important roles of forests are :
(i)
FOOD. The forests provide food in the form
of roots ,tubers,leaves and fruits specially for tribal
(ii)
Fuel : the forests provide fuel in the form
of wood for coocking and keeping warm.about 1500 million people depend upon
forests.over 1000 million more than 80% of total fuel) of wood is used as fuel
in the world.
(iii)
Timber : these provide timbers for the
bullding of houses,bridges,doors,windows,furniture,railway
sleepers,poles,ships,sports goods,agricultural tools,toys etc.
(iv)
Papper : the pulp of bamboo tree is uded to
prepare different kind of papper e.g newspaper, sanitary papper , packing
papper , stationery paper etc.
(v)
Useful products : forests provide a number of useful
products e.g camphor(laurel tree); essential oil (khas, sandalwood) to
manufacture soap substitutes like ritha and shikhakai;lac,honey,wax,silk etc.
From useful forests insects; horns,hides,ivory etc.from useful forest animals;
drugs poisons and insecticides etc.
(vi)
Environmental
maintainance : forests keep the environment cool by regulating trtranspiration
and increasing the chance of rainfall.humid conditions increase the chance of
survival of plants in summer
(vii)
Production of oxygen : plants produce oxygen as their by
product of photosynthesis for aerobic respiration of animals.
(viii)
Shelter :forests trees provide shelter to
variety of animals like insects,reptiles,birds,mammals and plants like mosses
,ferns,etc.
(ix)
Soil conservation.Forests prevent soil errosion due to
:
(a)
Their roots bind the soil particles.
(b)
Their fallen leaves decrease the speed of
flow of water.
(c)
These also decrease the wind velocity.
(x)
Soil fertility : decaying fallen leaves of forests
trees form humus which increase the soil fertility
(xi)
Regulation of hydrological cycle :the humus at the forest floor
regulates the water flow in streams ,springs, wells and rivers.
(xii)
Pollution moderators : forest reduces air pollution by
using CO2 in photosynthesis.
(xiii)
Aesthatic importance : forest have aesthetic importance as
these stimulate the art of literature and music.
OVER EXPLOITATION OF FORESTS
Human’s have depended
mainly on forests due to:
(i)
Explosion
of human and livestock population.
(ii)
Increased
requirement of fire ,timber and industrial wood.international timber trade is
worth over US $40 billion per year.
(iii)
For
food,medicine and shelter.
(iv)
Expansion
of crop land and grazing land.
(v)
Large
scale mining,rood building and construction of river valley project.
DEFORESTRATION
Defination.
Clearing of vast areas covered by forests by man is called deforestration.
It has been
estimated that forests in india have declined from about 7000 million hacters
in 1900 to 2890 million hacters in 1975. It has further gone down to2300
million hacters by 2000. Tropical rain forests rain forests are most productive
types of forests in the world. These have declined from 1,600 million hacters
to 938 million hacters in 1975 A.D
A.
MAJOR CAUSES OF CAUSES OF
DEFORESTRATION
1.
Growing needs : this is due to increase in population
particularly in developing countries.
2.
Raw material for industrial use : large scale deforestration takes
place due to increase need of railway lines ,roads,buildings ,industries etc.
3.
Forest fires : forest fire kill adult as well as young trees
and even seeds and
4. Damage caused by pests : certian pest either eat their leaves or bore into their stem
or spread diseases.
5. Grazing cattel and gnawing rodents eat young plants
6. Shifting cultivation. In India in many states like Andhra Pradsesh,Bhiar,M.P.and in
North East,shifting cultivators are engaged in clearing more than 5 lakh
hacters of forests for shifting cultivation annually.slash and burn agriculture
ans shift to new forest land.
B.MAJOR CONSEQUENCES OF
DEFORESTRATION
1. increased chances of soil erosiosn.
2. increased chances of floods and drought.
3. decreased benifits of wild plant and animals.
4.scarcity of timber ,energy fuel etc.
5. adverse changes in climatic conditions. Due to decrease
frequency of rainfall,environment becomes hot.
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