BASELIOS MARTHOMA MATHEWS II

TRAINING COLLEGE
KOTTARAKARA

ASSIGNMENT







TOPIC: FORESTS IN INDIA





Submitted to Submitted by
Mrs. Jiby Varghese Saritha Joy
Natural science
Reg no:13350030



Date:12.09.2014
INDEX
Sl
No.
Content Page No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Introduction
Forest in India
Distribution
Forest as resource
Importance of forest
Deforestation
Causes of Deforestation
Conclusion
References

3-5
5-10
10-13
13-14
14-15
15
16-18
18-20
20







INTRODUCTION



The forest is a complex ecosystem consisting mainly of trees that
shield the earth and support innumerable life forms.
A forest is an area, which has a very high density of trees. Trees are
an important component of the environment. They clean the air, cool it
on hot days, conserve heat at night, and act as excellent sound absorbers.
Forests create a special environment, which, in turn, affects the kinds of
animals and plants that can exist. Forests can develop wherever there is
an average temperature greater than about 10 C in the warmest
month and an annual rainfall in excess of about 200 mm annually, except
where natural fire frequency is too high, or where the environment has
been impaired by natural processes or by human activities. In any area
having conditions above this range there exists an infinite variety of tree
species grouped into a number of stable forest types that are determined
by the specific conditions of the environment there.

Forests can be broadly classified into many types, some of the
several types of forest are the Taiga type (consisting of pines, spruce, etc.)
the mixed temperate forests with both coniferous and deciduous trees,
the temperate forests, the sub tropical forests, the tropical forests, and
the equatorial rainforests. The six major groups of forest in India are
moist tropical, dry tropical, montane sub tropical, montane temperate,
sub alpine, and alpine. These are subdivided into 16 major types of
forests.

The scientific study of the different forest species and their
relation with the environment is called forest ecology, while the
managing of forests is known as forestry. Globally only two types of
forests can be identified. One of them is the Natural forests, which
contain only the original patterns of biodiversity. The native species
occurring in established seral patterns. These formations and processes
have not been impacted by humans with a frequency or intensity to
change established seral patterns, and anthropogenic forests, which have
been impacted by humans with a frequency or intensity to change
established seral patterns. Often, they contain elements of exotic species.

Climate, soil type, topography, and elevation are the main factors
that determine the type of forest. India has a diverse range of forests:
from the rainforest of Kerala in the south to the alpine pastures of
Ladakh in the north, from the deserts of Rajasthan in the west to the
evergreen forests in the northeast. Forests are classified according to
their nature and composition, the type of climate in which they thrive,
and its relationship with the surrounding environment.
FORESTS IN INDIA


India is not only famous for its diverse wildlife, architectural marvels and culture, but
also for its dense and vast forest cover. Indian climate befits the variety of flora and
fauna.

Forest is the second largest land use in India next to agriculture. The forest cover of
India is assessed as 67.83 million hectares which constitute 20.64 per cent of the
country's geographical area, ranging from the Himalayan Temperate to Dry Zone
forests. The National Forest Policy stipulates that one-third of area should be under
forest or tree cover. Being a mega-bio diversity country, the nation possesses high level
of endemism.

The forests play vital role in harboring more than 45,000 floral and 81,000 faunal
species of which 5150 floral and 1837 faunal species are endemic. The nation has
established 597 Protected Areas comprising 95 National Parks, 500 Wildlife
Sanctuaries, 2 conservation reserves covering 1.56 million ha area or 4.75 per cent
geographical area of the country. The rising demand for forest based products and
resultant deforestation and encroachment has led to a severe loss of natural resources
and destruction of habitat.

India is likely to face severe shortage of supply of timber to meet its requirement from
both domestic and international front. It is estimated that the demand for timber is likely
to grow from 58 million cubic metres in 2005 to 153 million cubic meters in 2020. The
supply of wood is projected to increase from 29 million cubic meters in 2000 to 60
million cubic meters in 2020. As a result, the nation has to heavily depend on imports
for meeting its growing demand. This could result in loss of high conservation value
forests or loss of biodiversity else where.

The Living Planet Report 2006 ranked India as the third highest gross foot print nation,
followed by US and China. India is presently 4th largest economy in terms of
purchasing power parity and is growing at 8-9 per cent per annum. This fast growth
32coupled with the needs and aspirations of more than one billion people is a challenge
for conservation of forests unless environmentally responsible policies are in place. In
this regard, the new strategy document of the Forest programme incorporated
innovative approaches such as Payment for Forest Ecosystem Services (PES),
Ecological Footprint Analysis and Forest Certification.

The identified priority landscapes for field level activities for strengthening
conservation of forests and biodiversity are Western Arunachal Landscape (WAL) in
Eastern Himalayas and South Western Ghats, Landscape (SWG L) in the Western
Ghats. Besides, the programme continues to provide inputs and support to conservation
programmes in other priority landscapes of WWF-India, including Terai Arc
Landscape, Kanchanjunga Landscape, Sundarbans landscape.

The forests of India can be classified into several types. These are- Taiga type
(consisting of pines, spruce, etc.) the mixed temperate forests with both coniferous and
deciduous trees, the temperate forests, the sub tropical forests, the tropical forests, and
the equatorial rainforests. But there are mainly six groups of forest in India which are-
moist tropical, dry tropical, montane sub tropical, montane temperate, sub alpine and
alpine.

These forests have a great relation with the surrounded atmosphere. The range of forest
of India is very diverse. We can find here from the rain forest of Kerala in the South to
the alpine pastures of Ladakh, from the desert of Rajasthan in the west to the evergreen
forest in the North East.
India is not only famous for its diverse wildlife, architectural marvels and culture,
but also for its dense and vast forest cover. Indian climate befits the variety of
flora and fauna.

Forest is the second largest land use in India next to agriculture. The forest cover
of India is assessed as 67.83 million hectares which constitute 20.64 per cent of
the country's geographical area, ranging from the Himalayan Temperate to Dry
Zone forests. The National Forest Policy stipulates that one-third of area should
be under forest or tree cover. Being a mega-bio diversity country, the nation
possesses high level of endemism.

The forests play vital role in harboring more than 45,000 floral and 81,000 faunal
species of which 5150 floral and 1837 faunal species are endemic. The nation has
established 597 Protected Areas comprising 95 National Parks, 500 Wildlife
Sanctuaries, 2 conservation reserves covering 1.56 million ha area or 4.75 per
cent geographical area of the country. The rising demand for forest based
products and resultant deforestation and encroachment has led to a severe loss of
natural resources and destruction of habitat.

India is likely to face severe shortage of supply of timber to meet its requirement
from both domestic and international front. It is estimated that the demand for
timber is likely to grow from 58 million cubic metres in 2005 to 153 million
cubic meters in 2020. The supply of wood is projected to increase from 29
million cubic meters in 2000 to 60 million cubic meters in 2020. As a result, the
nation has to heavily depend on imports for meeting its growing demand. This
could result in loss of high conservation value forests or loss of biodiversity else
where.

The Living Planet Report 2006 ranked India as the third highest gross foot print
nation, followed by US and China. India is presently 4th largest economy in
terms of purchasing power parity and is growing at 8-9 per cent per annum. This
fast growth coupled with the needs and aspirations of more than one billion
people is a challenge for conservation of forests unless environmentally
responsible policies are in place. In this regard, the new strategy document of the
Forest programme incorporated innovative approaches such as Payment for
Forest Ecosystem Services (PES), Ecological Footprint Analysis and Forest
Certification.

The identified priority landscapes for field level activities for strengthening
conservation of forests and biodiversity are Western Arunachal Landscape
(WAL) in Eastern Himalayas and South Western Ghats, Landscape (SWG L) in
the Western Ghats. Besides, the programme continues to provide inputs and
support to conservation programmes in other priority landscapes of WWF-India,
including Terai Arc Landscape, Kanchanjunga Landscape, Sundarbans
landscape.

The forests of India can be classified into several types. These are- Taiga type
(consisting of pines, spruce, etc.) the mixed temperate forests with both
coniferous and deciduous trees, the temperate forests, the sub tropical forests, the
tropical forests, and the equatorial rainforests. But there are mainly six groups of
forest in India which are- moist tropical, dry tropical, montane sub tropical,
montane temperate, sub alpine and alpine.

These forests have a great relation with the surrounded atmosphere. The range of
forest of India is very diverse. We can find here from the rain forest of Kerala in
the South to the alpine pastures of Ladakh, from the desert of Rajasthan in the
west to the evergreen forest in the North East.

Distribution

Temperate rainforest in Tasmania'sHellyer Gorge
Forests can be found in all regions capable of sustaining tree growth, at altitudes
up to the tree line, except where natural fire frequency or other disturbance is too
high, or where the environment has been altered by human activity.
The latitudes 10 north and south of the Equator are mostly covered in tropical
rainforest, and the latitudes between 53N and 67N haveboreal forest. As a
general rule, forests dominated by angiosperms (broadleaf forests) are more
species-rich than those dominated bygymnosperms (conifer, montane,
or needleleaf forests), although exceptions exist.
Forests sometimes contain many tree species only within a small area (as
in tropical rain and temperate deciduous forests), or relatively few species over
large areas (e.g., taiga and arid montane coniferous forests). Forests are often
home to many animal and plant species, and biomass per unit area is high
compared to other vegetation communities. Much of this biomass occurs below
ground in the root systems and as partially decomposed plant detritus. The woody
component of a forest contains lignin, which is relatively slow
todecompose compared with other organic materials such as cellulose or
carbohydrate.
Forests are differentiated from woodlands by the extent of canopy coverage: in a
forest, the branches and the foliage of separate trees often meet or interlock,
although there can be gaps of varying sizes within an area referred to as forest. A
woodland has a more continuously open canopy, with trees spaced farther apart,
which allows more sunlight to penetrate to the ground between them (also
see: savanna).
Among the major forested biomes are:
rain forest (tropical and temperate)
taiga
temperate hardwood forest
tropical dry forest

Rainforest :

These forests belong to the tropical wet climate group characterized by high
rainfall. They play the role of cooling the air. In fact, it has a vital role in global
climate system. It also supports a very broad array of animals, birds, reptiles etc.
The North-Eastern part of India is famous for the rain forest. The rain forest
stretch of Arunachal Pradesh is considered as one of the largest elephant zone in
India, through which more than 2000 elephants migrate to Arunachal Pradesh
every year.


Tropical Rain Forests In India :

Tropical rain forests are the result of heavy rain forest. Plants like coffee,
bananas, chocolate, mangoes papayas, sugar cane etc came from tropical rain
forest. It is the oldest form of forest in India.

Temperate Deciduous Forests :

These type of forests are available in the area where there is around 100 to 200
cms annual rainfall. The deciduous is also divided into two category: moist and
dry. Except the western and north western region these type of forest can be
found most parts of India.

They are found on the lower slopes of the Siwalik Hills from Jammu to the West
Bengal in the east. These forests include trees like sal and teak, mango, bamboo
and rose wood. The dry deciduous forests are available in the Northern and
Southern part of the India except in the North East. Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat,
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are home to dry deciduous forest,
which include sandalwood, khair, mahua, mango, jackfruit, wattle, bamboo,
semal, sisasm, arjun, sisam etc.


The Dry deciduous forests are found throughout the northern parts of the country.
These provide shelter to many animals, reptiles, mammals, insects, birds and so
many other things. The vast range of national park and wild life sanctuaries in
India bear the witness of the rich lush green forest of India. For better crops and
more rainfall more forest is always required. But now a days deforestation is one
of the acute issue of global warming. So, the Government of India has a special
measure for plantation of trees to cater this issue
FORESTS AS RESOURCE

Forests (also referred to as a wood or the woods) are communities of living
organisms characterized by the presence of trees that havesymbiotic relationships
with each other and the physical environment. The trees of a forest constitute the
larger part of their biomass.
[1]
Different cultures have varying definitions of what a
forest may be, in terms of size and of what the forest is composed of.
[2]
A forest is
usually an area filled with trees, but any tall densely packed area of vegetation may
be considered a forest, even underwater vegetationsuch as kelp forests, or non-
vegetation such as fungi,
[3]
and bacteria. Tree forests cover approximately 9.4% of
the Earth's surface (30 percent of Earth's total land area); in pre-industrial times
they'd covered around 15.6% (around 50 percent of total land area). They function
as habitats for organisms, hydrologic flow modulators, and soil conservers,
constituting one of the most important aspects of thebiosphere.
A typical forest is composed of the overstory (canopy or upper tree layer) and
the understory. The understory is further subdivided into a shrub layer, herb layer,
and moss layer, and also soil microbes. In some complex forests, there is also a well-
defined lower tree layer. Forests are central to all human life because they provide a
diverse range of resources: they store carbon dioxide, aid in regulatingclimate,
purify water and mitigate natural hazards such as floods. Forests also contain roughly
90 percent of the world's terrestrial biodiversity.
[4]

Importance of forests
Forests are very useful in the life of man. They help us in many
ways. They provide us shade and keep the place cool. Without forests
most of the areas would have been deserts.
1. Forests purify the air. The trees break up carbon dioxide into carbon
and oxygen in the presence of sun light. They consume carbon as their
food and release oxygen in the atmosphere. Thus the trees are helpful in
keeping the air clean.
2. Forests provide us fuel and timber. In many parts of India wood is
used as fuel for cooking food and for many other purposes. Timber is
used for making houses, furniture and railway coaches.
3. Hundreds of industries depend on forests, for example, paper industry,
ply wood industry, paint, varnish, rubber goods, match sticks and many
other industries.
4. Forests cause rains. Trees cool down the winds which have water
vapor. -Thus the forests help in causing rainfall. Forest areas have more
rainfall than the other areas.
5. Forests prevent floods. The roots of the trees soak a lot of rain water.
The rain water does not flow down quickly and cause floods.
6. Forests prevent soil erosion. The roots of the trees in the forest areas
hold the soil firmly. They do not allow the rain water to wash it away
easily. Thus the trees help to prevent soil erosion,
7. Forests keep up the natural balance. The trees keep up the balance
between the plant and the animal life. The forests preserve wild animals
like lions, tigers and panthers. These animals depend for their food on
animals like deer, antilopes, stags and other animals. In turn these
animals live on plants. Similarly some birds feed on smaller birds who
live on insects and plants. Thus the forests keep up a balance in nature.
No plant or animal goes out of existence and no plant or animal
overgrows in number than it is required by the nature.
8. Herbs and some parts of certain trees are used for making medicines.
Cincona and Neem are some of such trees
Deforestation

Process of clearing forests. Rates of deforestation are particularly high in
the tropics, where the poor quality of the soil has led to the practice of
routine clear-cutting to make new soil available for agricultural use.
Deforestation can lead to EROSION, drought, loss of biodiversity through
extinction of plant and animal species, and increased atmospheric carbon
dioxide. Many nations have undertaken afforestation or reforestation
projects to reverse the effects of deforestation, or to increase available
timbe

Causes of deforestation

The basic reasons of deforestation are the followings:
(1) Expansion of Agriculture:
With increase in the demands for agricultural products, more and more
land is brought under cultivation for which forests are destroyed,
grasslands ploughed, uneven grounds, leveled, marshes drained and even
land water is reclaimed. Such an expansion is marked with more
ecological destruction. In tropical regions of the world, as much of the
mineral material is lodged in the plant biomass, its removal takes away
large part of nutrients. The soil becomes poorest thus is unable to
support farming for long duration.
(2) Shifting Cultivation:
Shifting cultivation is considered to be another cause for deforestation. In
fact shifting cultivation has occurred due to poor fertility of the soil. In
this cultivation a small patch of tropical forests is cleared, vegetation,
destroyed and burned. Crops are grown as long as the soil is productive,
after which the cultivation is abandoned, and a cultivations move on to
fresh patch of land.
The abandoned land is allowed to lay as such for long periods during
which regret of vegetation took place and natural ecosystem was restored,
shifting cultivations thus worked in harmony with nature. The soil is
unable to regain its fertility before it is put to use again. This causes
degradation of soil and failure of crops after crops. As crops fail more and
more land is cleared of forests to be put to similar over exploitation. The
overall result is that green forests are being gradually replaced by barren
waste land.
(3) Fire Wood Collection:
Majority of rural populations as well as larger number of people living in
small towns and cities of developing countries, the only fuel is wood,
which's burned to cook food and provide heat in chilly winters. Fire wood
collection contributes much to the depletion of tree cover. Denser forests
usually produced a lot of combustible material in the form of dead twigs,
leaves etc.
There is hardly any need of cutting down live trees in densely wooded
localities. However in case of lightly wooded forests, where the pressure
demands is usually higher, a slow thinning of wood lands occurs due to
regular foraging of villagers. However, the dead woods is actually
manufactured, trees are axed their barks girdled and live trees became
personal head loads to find their way to local markets.
(4) Timber Harvesting:
Timber resource is an important asset for the prosperity of county.
Commercial wood is found ready in national as well as international
markets. According to natural forests are being exploited logging or
felling of forest trees for obtaining timber is an important cause of
deforestation.
Live trees with thick and straight trunks are filled and transported to
commercial establishments elsewhere to consumers. In this process large
stretches of forests are damaged. The profits from timber trade are more
enjoyed by Governments, large companies or affluent contractors, local
people get a tiny share in the benefits while axing their own resource
base.
(5) Extension of Cultivation on Hill Slopes :
Though agriculture has always been concentrated on planes and floors of
valleys farming on narrow flat steps cut one after another across the slope
or terrace farming is an age old practice. The ever rushing human
numbers and their necessities have forced many to go up the mountains
slopes for cultivation. More and more slopes are cleared of plants, steps
carved out and against many ads cultivation is attempted. After a few
crops the productivity declines

Conclusion

Sustainability of forest ecosystem is an essential component of the
environmental conservation efforts and any degradation of forests will
have an adverse impact on various systems such as water resources,
agriculture, biodiversity, environment, climate and human health, besides,
the subsistence living of tribals and other communities living in and aro
und forest areas. Therefore, the functions with respect to conservation of
soil, water and biodiversity are vital for the welfare of present and future
generations.

Having about 2.5% of the world's geographic area, India at present is
supporting 16% of the planet's planets human population and 18% of the
cattle population. About 41% of forest cover of the country has already
been degraded and dense forests are losing their crown density and
productivity continuously.

A large number of India's livestock population graze in forests causing
serious damage to regeneration and productivity. The use of forests
beyond its carrying capacity and encroachments are the main cause of
continuous degradation of forests. At present, 70% of the forests have no
natural regeneration and 55% of them are prone to fires.

To reverse the process of degradation and for sustainable development of
forests, the Government of India has prepared the National Forestry
Action Programme, a comprehensive strategic plan to address the issue
underlying the major problems of the forestry sector.

The objective is to enhance the contribution of Forestry and Tree
Resources to ecological stability and people centered development through
qualitative and quantitative improvements in the forest resources. The
exercise has been finIndia is a very big country and it houses different types of
forests and woodlands. These forests include protected forests or reserved forests.
Prior to the independence of the country, the forests of the country were protected
under the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
ancially supported by the UNDP project IND/93/021.
India is a very big country and it houses different types of forests and woodlands.
These forests include protected forests or reserved forests. Prior to the independence
of the country, the forests of the country were protected under the Indian Forest Act,
1927.
Following the freedom of the country, the Indian Government has preserved the
status of the prevailing protected and reserved forests of the country. The protected
forests of India can be broadly categorized into two types - undemarcated protected
forests and demarcated protected forests and this categorization has been made on
whether the boundaries of the forest have been delineated by an official declaration.

The abundant and varied flora and fauna of India are housed in 13 biosphere
reserves, 89 national parks, and more than 400 wildlife sanctuaries located
throughout the nation..
References
.www.ask.com/forests
.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/forests in india
.ces.iis.ernet.in/hpg / cesmg/Indianbio