Collegedunia Team Content Curator
Content Curator
Forest conservation is the preservation and protection of forests. It also entails the halting of deforestation and the reduction of pollution in the pollution . Did you know that forests are referred to be the environment's lungs? They produce oxygen and a variety of other essential natural resources. Is it possible for people to exist without their lungs? Similarly, without forests, the environment would perish. Let's look at the issue regarding forest conservation.
Read Also: Oxygen Cycle
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Keyterms: Forest, Deforestation, pollution, Environment, Lungs, oxygen, natural resources, conservation, Trees, plants
Forest and its Structure
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A forest is a big area of land with trees and plants covering it. Depending on the climatic circumstances, different types of forests can be found in different places of the world.
Forest
The structure of a forest is made up of numerous layers.
Crown/ Emergent Layer: A crown is seen at the summit of tall trees with straight branches and pointy leaves. Because the crown is the tree's uppermost section, it is always exposed to sunlight.
Canopy: The outer covering of leaves is known as the canopy. It prevents sunlight and rain from getting through to the layers beneath.
Forest Layers
Understorey: In the forest, different sizes and varieties of crowns produce horizontal levels known as understorey. This stratum receives very little sunshine, and the trunks and leaves are covered in mildew and algae.
Forest floor: The forest floor is completely covered in decomposed organic debris. The forest floor is home to the plant's root system, which aids in the percolation of water into the soil.
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Importance of Forests
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Forests, or at the very least, forest products are required wherever you go and wherever you reside. Forests provide the three essential elements that living creatures require to survive: air, water, and food. As a result, it is reasonable to conclude that forest is a necessary component of human survival.
Importance of Forest
However, as the world's population grows, the pace of deforestation rises dramatically. This has resulted in various shifts in climate patterns around the world, placing human life in jeopardy. Let's look at why forests are so vital to human survival and the ecosystem. For the most part, we rely on forests to survive. As a result, their conservation is critical.
- Forests are most significant because they create large amounts of oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis. All animals need oxygen to breathe, and it is essential for human survival.
- Trees also collect carbon dioxide from the air while photosynthesizing. This is one of the most common contaminants in the atmosphere. As a result, woods help to clean the air.
Need of Forest
- Forests also help to keep soil pollution at bay by preventing soil erosion. Because the topsoil becomes loose as a result of deforestation, it causes widespread soil erosion.
- Forests also play a vital role in the water cycle and regulate our ecosystem's moisture levels.
- Finally, woods provide a natural habitat and shelter for millions of animals, birds, and insects.
Read Also: Difference Between Photosynthesis and Respiration
Ways to Conserve the Forest
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Knowing all of this, we may appreciate the significance of forests in our lives. Deforestation must be reduced and the loss of green cover on the earth's surface must be regulated. Let's come up with some ideas for how we can save the forests.
Controlled Deforestation
While deforestation cannot be avoided, it may be controlled. As much as possible, young and juvenile trees should not be felled. We must also look for ways to avoid large-scale commercial deforestation. In the long run, adopting measures like clear-cutting or selective cutting will be helpful.
Avoid Deforestation
Protect against Forest Fires
Forest fires are by far the most common and lethal source of forest loss. They can begin as a result of natural causes, human-caused mishaps, or even deliberate intent in some situations. It is extremely difficult to contain a forest fire after it has spread. Precautions must be made in the event of such an occurrence. Making fire lanes, spraying fire-control chemicals, cleaning dry leaves and trees, and so on.
Forest Fires
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Afforestation
This is the method by which we increase the number of trees in the area. We strive to expand forest cover by manual transplantation or new tree planting. It is an attempt to restore equilibrium to our ecosystem to mitigate the consequences of deforestation and various sorts of pollution.
Afforestation
Improved Farming Techniques
Cut and burn Farming, livestock overgrazing, and shifting agriculture is all agricultural practices that impact the environment, particularly forests. All of these practices must be kept under control.
Jhoom Cultivation
Jhoom farming is an example of a practice that can be used to reduce forest pollution. In India's northeast, where the land is left desolate after the crops have been harvested. Weeds, creepers, and wild plants thrive on this soil, eventually making it fruitful again. The area is then cultivated once more.
Overgrazing must be controlled
Animal grazing that is not controlled is harmful to the forest. Forest areas designated solely for grazing should be delineated so that the remaining areas are not harmed.
Cattle Overgrazing
Participation of the local communities
Many tribal communities live in the woods. These tribes have a very organic relationship with the trees, and they rely on them for the majority of their livelihoods. As a result, it is critical to enlist their assistance in forest conservation.
Participation of local tribal communities
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Things to Remember
- Forests provide the three essential elements that living creatures require to survive: air, water, and food. As a result, it is reasonable to conclude that forest is a necessary component of human survival.
- As the world's population grows, the pace of deforestation rises dramatically.
- Forests are most significant because they create large amounts of oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis. All animals need oxygen to breathe, and it is essential for human survival.
- Trees also collect carbon dioxide from the air while photosynthesizing. This is one of the most common contaminants in the atmosphere. As a result, woods help to clean the air.
- Forests also help to keep soil pollution at bay by preventing soil erosion.
- Because the topsoil becomes loose as a result of deforestation, it causes widespread soil erosion.
- Forests also play a vital role in the water cycle and regulate our ecosystem's moisture levels.
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Sample Questions
Ques. What is the definition of deforestation? (2 marks)
Ans. The deliberate clearance of forested areas is known as deforestation. Forests have been razed through past and into recent times to make room for agriculture and livestock grazing, as well as to obtain wood for fuel, manufacture, and construction. Deforestation has had a significant impact on landscapes all around the world. The most deforestation is currently taking place in tropical rainforests, supported by major road development into formerly inaccessible areas. Forests can be more easily exploited if roads are built or upgraded into them.
Ques. Make a note on the Forest Conservation Act of 1980. (2 marks)
Ans. Commercial deforestation was an issue in India, and forest cover was rapidly vanishing. As a result, the government passed the Forest Conservation Act of 1980. The act aids in the conservation of forests and the protection of forest land. It prohibits the commercial exploitation of forest land without a thorough regulatory process.
Ques. What role do decomposers play in the forest? (2 marks)
Ans. Decomposers are microorganisms that degrade animal and plant organic remnants. They are at the pinnacle of the food chain. Vultures are decomposers as well as microbes. It feeds on the remains of animals that have died. Although its population has been decimated in recent years as a result of livestock intake of diclofenac to increase milk output.
Ques. What is the difference between a natural and an artificial forest? (3 marks)
Ans. A natural forest is made up entirely of native trees and is not categorized as a forest plantation. Plantation of trees. In the process of afforestation or reforestation, a forest is established via planting or/and seeding. It is made up of invasive species and, in certain circumstances, native species.
Artificial forests are made up of non-native and native tree species, and they differ from natural forests in terms of structure, composition, management intensity, orderliness, and uniformity. In the tropical region, natural habitat loss is the most dangerous to biodiversity preservation.
Ques. What is the definition of a Boreal Forest? (3 marks)
Ans. Boreal woods can be found in the United States' far north. The boreal forests cover much of Canada. Long, frigid winters and short, chilly summers characterize these woodlands. Snowfall is common, with annual precipitation exceeding 200 centimetres. The growing season in the boreal forests is three months long due to the chilly climate.
Evergreen trees, mosses, and lichens make up boreal forests. Mosses are a type of plant that thrives in damp environments. Mosses may also withstand dry seasons by storing water and moisture in their dead leaves and cells. Lichens are fungal filaments in the shape of creatures. In boreal forests, the alga is a type of lichen.
Ques. What is the definition of selective logging? (2 marks)
Ans. Another strategy utilized to suit the needs of both the woods and humans seeking economic resources is selective logging. Selective logging refers to the removal of trees from a stand based on their size. Between and after the selective harvest cycles, this strategy allows for forest regeneration.
Ques. What is the definition of a temperate forest? (3 marks)
Ans. Temperate forests are those that receive a lot of rain. The annual precipitation rate ranges from 20 to 60 inches of rain or snow. Temperate woodlands have temperatures ranging from -22 degrees to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. The Eastern part of the United States is home to temperate forests.
Because of the high amount of rainfall, temperate woods can support a wide range of species. The forest floor is dominated by mosses and lichens, with medium-sized trees such as dogwood trees rising above. Larger trees, such as maple trees, birch trees, and walnut trees, cover the top canopy.
Ques. What is the definition of a controlled burn? (3 marks)
Ans. Fire is a successful strategy to protect forest resources, despite the fact that it can be dangerous if it is not regulated. The technique of controlled fire is used to manage forests. Fire can be quite beneficial to a forest's ecology. It stimulates the germination of tree species while also renewing the forest undergrowth. Seedlings in some tree species, such as the Sequoia, remain dormant until they are broken by fire. As a result, some species are unable to reproduce in the absence of fire.
Ques. What are ecosystems and how does it function? (3 marks)
Ans. All species and the physical environment with which they interact make up an ecosystem (or ecological system). Through nutrient cycles and energy transfers, these biotic and abiotic components are connected. Photosynthesis brings energy into the system, which is then absorbed by plant tissue. Animals contribute to the transport of matter and energy through the system by feeding on plants and each other.
They also have an impact on the amount of plant and microbial biomass. Decomposers help nutrient cycling by transforming nutrients stored in decaying organic matter into a form that plants and microorganisms can utilise.
Ques. What are the threats to forests? (5 marks)
Ans. Foresters believe that deforestation is a hazard to forests. The permanent destruction of forests and woods is known as deforestation. Commercial logging, conversion of woodlands to agricultural land, and tree felling for firewood and building materials all contribute to deforestation. Commercial logging is defined as the harvesting of timber products for profit. Forests are threatened by illegal logging. Illegal logging is the illegal harvesting of timber for financial gain. This practice is dangerous since it obstructs forest planning and maintenance. Forests are being lost as a result of urban development and construction operations. Forests are being lost as a result of urban development and construction operations. When forests are removed for these reasons, foresters are worried about the difficulties that arise. The soil becomes compacted when heavy machinery is used to remove forests or develop the land. The soil particles are squeezed closely together when the earth is compacted. Soil compaction prevents water from being absorbed by tree roots, which can be fatal to tree growth. Flooding can also be caused by soil compaction. Because compacted soil cannot filter groundwater into the soil, water can accumulate on the surface, causing flooding. Another hazard to our woods is the extinction of species.
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