FOREST
Continuous area having extensive growth of trees.
★ If any country has 25% of its total forested then forest wise its economy is sound.
★ Switzerland has 75% of its total area forested.
India has 10% of its total area forested.
Pakistan has 4.8 % of its total area forested.
★ Importance of Forests
● fire wood
● timber (furniture, transport & construction)
● raw material for wood based industries e.g. paper
● protect floods by decreasing surface run off
● check pollution
● picnic spot
● habitat for wild life
● ensure supply of water to reservoirs
● control erosion (wind & water)
● increase the fertility of soil
● decrease the temperature
Forest in one area has different trees from the forest of another area – why?
★ Determinants of Forest
● Altitude
● Aridity
● High precipitation
● Deltaic effect
● Edaphic factor (soil)
★ Types of Forest
5000 m – snowline
1. 4500 m – tree line (shrubs grow)
4000 m – alpine forest
3000 m high altitude
2. 2000 m Coniferous Forest intermediate height
1000 m low altitude
3. 300 m Sub-Tropical/Scrub Forest
4. 0m Tropical thorn/Rakh forest
5. Riverain/Bela Forest (along the banks of rivers)
6. Mangroves (in the coastal areas)
7. Plantation (manmade forest)
1. Alpine Forest
★ Description:
● Stunted growth
● Short height (dwarf tree)
● Upward branches to get more sunlight
● Sidewise growth of roots (thin soil)
● Grows in nooks & corners of the mountainous region
★ Use: fuel wood
★ Areas: Chitral, Dir, Kohistan & some parts of Gilget Baltistan
2. Coniferous Forest
★ Description:
● Evergreen
● Needle shape leaves have leathery texture to avoid transpiration
● Deep roots
● More height to attain sunlight sloping branches so that snow should be
accumulated
● Less leaf fall – less humus
● Extensive growth on foot hills
★ Use:
● Controls erosion
● Habitat for wild life
● Tourism and picnic
● Timber
● Decreases surface run off
★ Areas:
Tobakakar range, Suleman Kirther range, Quetta, Kalat plateau, Safed Koh, Swat, Dir,
Kohistan, Chitral, Abottabad, Gilget Baltistan, Kashmir, Islamabad
3. Sub Tropical Scrub Forest
★ Description:
● On foot hills
● Broad leaf and thorny species of trees
★ Use:
● Fuel wood
● Controls erosion
● Decreases surface run off
● Grazing purposes
★ Areas:
Waziristan hills, Lower Dir, Swat & Kohistan, Suleman Kirther range, Peshawar,
Kohat, Mardan, Above Makran Coast, Sub Himalayas, Central & Eastern
Balochistan, some parts of Western Balochistan.
4. Tropical Thorn/Rakh Forest
★ Description:
● Small height (6-10) meters
● Very small or no trunk
● Huge shrubs
● Thorny species
● Scattered growth
● Deep roots
★ Use:
● Fuel wood
● Stops erosion
● Grazing purposes
★ Areas:
● Markram Coast, Lasbela plains, Sindh, Punjab, Eastern KPK, Western
Balochistan
5. Riverain/Bela Forest
★ Description:
● Linear natural forest
● Hard wood commercial species e.g. Shisham & Babul
★ Use:
● Stops erosion on river banks
● Timber
★ Areas:
● Along the banks of river Indus and its tributaries
6. Mangroves Forest
★ Description:
● Broad leaf with drip tip system
● Leathery texture on leaves to avoid transpiration
● Survives in salty water
● (6-8) meters in height in sweet water areas
● Stunted growth due is salty water and toxic waste dumped in the forest. Limited
species of trees.
★ Use:
● Fuel wood
● Twigs as fodder for canned & leaves for other livestock
● Timber for coastal communities
● Breeding ground for fish
● Decreases the intensity of floods and Tsunamis
★ Areas:
● Indus Delta, Hub delta & the coastal areas of Balochistan and Sindh
7. Plantation
★ Description:
● Linear plantation
● Some species
● Some growth
● Irrigated
● Commercial species which grow quickly
★ Use:
● Fuel wood
● Timber for industries
● Provides shade
● Stop erosion
● Decreases surface run off
● Decreases the temperature
● For scenic beauty
★ Areas:
● Along the side of rivers, canals, roads and railway tracks
● Changa Manga, Wan bachrom in Thal
● Chichawatni in Sahiwal
● Ghulam Mohammad & Guddu barrage
★ Forest Products
● Timber
● Fuel wood
● Resin – varnish for polishing furniture
● Mazri – prayer mats, caps, hot pot
● Ephedra ephedrine for asthema patients
● Rubber
● Fruits
● Herbal medicines (raw material)
Deforestation (cutting of trees)
★ Causes of deforestation
● Urbanization
● Clearing lands for mining
● Clearing lands for road construction
● Fuel wood
● Timber for industries
● Clearing land for farming
● For grazing purpose
Effects of deforestation on Ecology
★ Habitat loss for wildlife
★ Air pollution
★ Some tree species extinct
★ Water erosion
● Siltation in reservoirs
● Crops destroys due to floods
● Disrupts water supplies
● loss of crops – low yield leads to loss of food and starvation
★ Wind erosion
● Soil becomes thin and unfit for agriculture
★ Increase surface runoff
● Floods
● Loss of property
● Loss of crops – low yield leads to loss of food and starvation
★ Climate changes
● Low rainfall
● Crops destroy – low yield leads to loss of food and starvation
Ways to control deforestation
● Reafforestation projects should be initiated in the deforestated area
● Providing irrigation facility in the afforested and reafforested region
● Providing natural gas to areas under the threat of deforestation
● By reserving land for fuel wood plantation
● By growing commercial species in fuel wood plantation
● N.G.Os and government could create awareness among the masses regarding the
hazards of deforestation
● Selective cutting method should be implemented in the forests
● Restriction on the use of buildozers & heavy machineries in the forest
● Enforcement of village farm forestry programmes
● Enforcement of strict forest laws
● Initiating urban forestry programmes
● Planting fruit trees on the slopes of mountains
● Terrace farming on the deforested steep slopes of mountain
● Contouring ploughing on the deforested gentle slopes of mountain
● Strip farming on the terraces
● Embankment of terraces with big & large stones
Afforestation projects in Pakistan
● Such projects are mostly started in the ecological critical areas, where the land is
constant under degradation
Method:
● Area to be selected for afforestation
● Arranging saplings & seedlings for the afforested area
● Transportation of saplings to the afforested area
● Involving local community while planting saplings
● Keeping the record on the growth of sapling, into full grown up trees
● Developing the ways of sustainable forestry
Sustainable Forestry
Meets the needs of present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs.
Ways to make forestry sustainable
● Trees must be planted with greater pale than they are cut down
● Areas where trees are cut down for the construction of buildings & roads, then the
new areas of forest must be planted to replace them
● Every tree cut down must be replaced with a sapling from a nursery
