Forests: Our Lifelines
“Forests are poems written by God on earth”
The word ‘forest’ conjures up an image of green hills framed by a blue sky with birds of all colours singing lullabies to the tune of a nearby stream. It warms up the heart to a feeling of nostalgia for the ancient home of all mankind. Beneath this postcard image, forests hide a biological system with distinct, myriad interrelationships of the living part of the environment (plants, animals and micro-organisms) to each other and to the non-living parts (soil, climate, water, organic debris, rocks). This biological system, which occupies nearly 30% of total land, with its complex interrelationships forms an essential element in human existence on this planet.
Classification of Forests
Forests are classified into five basic groups depending on the type of trees
Temperate and Boreal Needleleaf
Temperate and Boreal needleleaf forests occupy sub arctic zones and higher latitudes. The flora mainly consists of evergreen coniferous forests. Boreal forests are also known as Taiga and are found in Canada and Northern Russia.
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed
They are mostly found in humid climes of temperate regions of globe. Western and Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests come under this category. Oaks and rhododendrons predominates this type of forests. Nampadha National park in Arunachal Pradesh falls under this category of forests.
Tropical Moist
This category includes tropical rainforests, deciduous forests and mangroves. Tropical moist forest is a typical characteristic of Indomalaya Ecozone.
Tropical Dry
Tropical dry forests are characteristic of areas in the tropics affected by seasonal drought. The seasonality of rainfall is usually reflected in the deciduousness of the forest canopy, with most trees being leafless for several months of the year.
Sparse Trees and Parkland
Sparse trees and parkland are forests with open canopies of 10-30% crown cover. They occur principally in areas of transition from forested to non-forested landscapes.
Forests – Our Lifelines.
Role in hydrological cycle
Role of forests in hydrological or water cycle is well studied and understood. The cycle of evaporation and condensation are catalysed by presence of lush green forests. Trees extract ground water and release them to atmosphere by evaporation. Forest cover intercepts precipitation and percolates rain water into the soil. This improves the ground water level, prevents soil erosion and flash floods. The roots create micro pores in the soil which aid in the filtration of ground water. The forests play a pivotal role in sustaining a healthy water cycle, which in turn sustains the whole life on this planet.
Soil Erosion
The subterranean half of trees – root have a huge role in preventing soil erosion. Forested areas on slope of hills prevent soil erosion and gully forming. They prevent silting of water bodies and maintain the fertility of the top soil. Thus forests help in maintaining the farm area and increasing the agriculture productivity especially in small holdings.
Home to millions of species
The green blanket of forest is the home for millions of species of animals. Forests provide all essential life support systems for these species to grow and procreate. These complex biomes form critical components of food chains. Decrease in forest cover accentuates process of extinction. More and more species find their way to the endangered list. Large scale extinction will effect a decrease in biodiversity which in turn will erode away the base of the pyramid on which human beings survive.
Spiritual Sanctuary
Forests have played an important and interesting role in Indian spiritual tradition. In ancient India education was imparted in gurukuls usually in deep forest. Students were encouraged to study from nature. Education of Lord Ram under guru Vashisita in Dandakaranya forest and training of Pandavas and Kauravas under guru Drona are examples from Indian mythology. It is also believed that Gautama attained enlightenment became Buddha under a Bodhi tree in forests of Gaya. Forests were also spiritual sanctuary for sages of all ages.
Economic Powerhouse
The silent, sylvan forest plays a pivotal role in economy of developing nations. . The total global trade in forest products was valued at around $379 billion in 2005. A huge part of the population in least developed countries (LDC) depends on timber and other forest products for sustenance. Firewood is a major source of energy for majority of global population. 1% of world gross domestic product (GDP) is through wood production and non-wood products.
Medicines and Herbs
Huge number of plants and plant products from nature are known to be medicinal in nature. Researches are going on to uncover the elixirs hiding in our forests. Indian system of medicine called ayurveda depends on the rich biodiversity of our forests to provide cure for myriad of ailments. Indian epic Ramayan alludes to Mrutsanjeevani which can even resurrect dead shows the importance of forests and forest products in Indian tradition.
Forests and Sustainability
Forests form an integral part of our water cycle, carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, livelihood and economy. So it only makes sense to ensure that these natural resources are used sustainably. Sustainable use quintessentially implies systematic and scientific utilization of resource such that there is enough for the future generations too.
Eco-Tourism
Forests filled with variety of flora and fauna have always enticed travellers. Ecotourism projects encourage tourism and protecting the forests in tandem. Tourism industry provides economic incentives for protecting these forests. It also provides livelihood for people as tourist guides and in hospitality industry. ‘Periyar Tiger Reserve Ecotourism Project’ is a good example of how wildlife protection and forests conservation can been integrated into a thriving tourism industry. The project provides employment to former poachers as trekking guides. It also ensures that these zones are plastic free and minimally affected by human activities.
In ecotourism, protection of bio diversity of forests is aligned to the goal of livelihood of local population. This decreases poaching and felling of trees. It also educates the travellers about using our natural resources wisely so as to leave a minimal footprint on nature. It is estimated that there are 10 million jobs in forest conservation and management in forests all over the world.
Efficient Utilization and Alternatives.
Timber is the most traded commodity from forests. It is used in manufacture of packaging, furniture and paper pulp. Its main advantage is that it is a biodegradable material. Efficient utilization of packaging can decrease deforestation by 10 %. Use of e-mails and other electronic form of communication can reduce the amount of paper used. Decreasing forest cover calls for efficient utilization of available resources. In cases where efficient utilization is not possible alternatives should be introduced.
Solar power is a viable alternative for firewood in remote villages of our country. If thermal power derived from sun is used in place of timbre, the rate of decrease of forest cover can be arrested.
Conclusion
Nature plays an essential part in social, economic and financial realms. As a provider of livelihood to millions and as a source of thousands of medicinal plants forests are literally our lifelines. Deeper understanding of nature and natural laws has opened our eyes to larger role played by forests in sustaining life on this planet. This understanding should translate into forceful conservation efforts and sustainable utilization.
This essay won me prize in SAIL during the World Environment Day Celebrations on June5 2011
