Forests

Forests

Forest

Forests are communities of living organisms characterized by the presence of trees that have symbiotic relationships with each other and the physical environment.

Forests are our valuable resources.

What do we get from forests?

Food

Fodder

Fibers

Timber

Fuel wood

Medicine

Gum

Resins

Bamboo

Total area covered by forest

Approximately 1/3rd of the earth’s total area is covered by forests.

In India forest cover 21.02% of the country's geographical area.

But at present forest area and its quality has been rapidly decreasing.

Depletion of forest area

Forest cover of the world is rapidly depleting.

It is more rapid in developing countries.

Reasons for the depletion of forests

Increasing population

Industrialization

Urbanization

Deforestation

Reckless or large-scale cutting of trees by man for commercial and other purposes is known as deforestation.

Causes of deforestation

Desertification

Environmental pollution

Reduction in soil moisture

Population increase

Shifting cultivation

Forest fire

Effects of deforestation

Decrease in rainfall

Soil erosion

Floods

Wildlife extinction

Decrease in soil fertility

Increase in amount of CO2

Temperature in atmosphere

Changes in regional and global climate

Green house gases reduction

Ways for Conservation of forests

Scientific method should be adopted for harvesting the forests.

Scientific method should be adopted to monitor proper rate of forestation and deforestation.

Forests should be protected from fire.Unauthorized felling of trees should be

prevented.Fast growing trees should be planted.Social forestry should be adopted.

Bishnoi community in Rajasthan

The Bishnoi faith is a religious offshoot of Hinduism founded on 29 principles, most of which promote environmental stewardship. Bishnoi’s strictly forbid the harming of trees and animals.

The Bishnois are famous for cultivating lush vegetation, caring for animals, and collecting drinkable water.

In 1730, the king of Jodhpur wanted to build a new palace.

He sent soldiers to gather wood from the forest region near the village of Bishnoi where they had abundance of khejri (acacia) trees.

When the king's men began to harm the trees, the Bishnois protested in anguish but were ignored by the soldiers, who were under royal orders.

Amrita Devi was a female villager who had decided to literally hug the trees, proclaiming: “A chopped head is cheaper than a felled tree.”

Bishnois from Khejri and nearby villages came to the forest and embraced the trees one by one to protect them from being cut down.

As each villager hugged a tree, refusing to let go, they were beheaded by the soldiers.

This voluntary martyrdom continued until 363 Bishnoi villagers were killed in the name of the sacred Khejarli forest.

The Bishnoi sacrifices became the inspiration for a much larger Chipko movement that is still growing today, in which villagers physically embrace trees to save them from logging.

Government initiatives

The Government of India has recently instituted an ‘Amrita Devi Bishnoi National Award for Wildlife Conservation’ in the memory of Amrita Devi Bishnoi.