Topic Defresta t i

01eves Pak Stvdis

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 TMPORTANCE
o They reduce air pollution by absorbing pollutant like
Nitrogen+ Provide us with Oxygen.
o They Provide (Natural) habitat for wildlife (food
nesting sites).
0 They prevent soil erosion as their roots hold soil &
their leaves intercept rain.

D They increase the fertility of soil.

They reduce Flooding by regulating water supply.
o They provide employment to those who work in the
soil department, and to those who work in such
industries which use wood as a raw material.
They attract tourism due to their scenic beautiful.
o Their product are used in chemical industry e.g. resin
for Varnishes.
 the Pasdntby vny irrigate plan
lowering temperature and providing shar wood. Fig.4.2. sh
FiT
toreste with the a

Check
pollution Timber Raw
and clean the for material for

Natural
anvironment foodEnsure
supply construction wood-based
indusiries
Supply
of fruit Provide
habitat for topopulation recreation
wild life by protecting Piants
soil fertility Timber ars used fo Employ
for medicinal ment for Regulate
Regulate transport purposes in people in
water supply
Prevent water supply
to rivers to
vehicles pharmaceutical forest-based to reservoirs
soll industries
ndustry
erosion reduce
flooding

Importance Forests.
 Causes of Deforestation

Growingpopulation means more land is required for housing, so

forests are cleared.

Demand for forest based products like timber for furniture,
ploughs, making beads and rackets , ephedra, paper from pulp ete
has increased. Forests are cut down to fulfil the demand of these
products
Wood is also used to make agricultural implements
To provide room for growing more crops to fulfil demand and also
for grazing animals (cattle ranch)
Construction of roads, railways and airports also clears forests
Overgrazing by cattle and goats reduce the chance of land
regaining its vegetation
In Northern areas which have no gas supplies for cooking and
heating; wood is used
Wildfires also cause a lot of damage to forests along with
corrosive acid rains formed due to polluting industries
EFFECTs OF DEFORESTATION
The most vivid effect of deforestation is on the soil usage. The roots of
trees used to bind the particles of soil together but now during heavy
rainfall, massive soil erosion occurs along with landslides.
0This loss of soil may result in removal of top few inches of soil over
period of some years. These top inches have the most fertile soil of any
layers, and the layer left behind is deficient in nutrients thus it may
not support much plant life and area becomes barren

o Landslides block roads, railways and disrupt communication and

supplies mostly to Northern areas of Pakistan. Power lines may
in
be
washed away by landslides and floods the eroded soil settles the
reservoirs of dams and barrages, and reduces HEP production along
with reducing storage capacity, it also damages power lines
Cheap electricity via HEP helps the economy but now it becomes
scarcerT

Less storage capacity means that less water is available for Rabi and
Kharif crops resultingin low yields
Patterns of rainfall may also change drought conditions as trees
absorb water and transpire it into the air
Muddy water undrinkable/polluted
 Fig.4.15
FORESTED AREA
Fig.4.16 DEFORESTED AREA
Evapo-transpiration
from trees adds Fower trees mean lesss
evapo-transpiration
moisture to the air
Forested slopes, Heavy rainfall (both in
nature in balance amount and intensity
washes away the
or unprotected surface soil
wldite (birds,
animals and
insects)
highways
Fragile soils Lacx oftrees
shielded from creates afuel
heavy rain by trees shortage
Cleanriver usable
Movement of rainwater
through soil regulates
for drinkingD
ver flow, prevents
flooding and stores
water for drier periods
Múddy water No roots to Heavy rainfall causes
Suridrinkable leaching, ruining the sol
hold soil
together results
Silt blocks rivers
in landslides
Tree roots control flow of
water and stabilise the soil., and fills reservoirs
preventinglandslides

cONSIDERABLE ENVIRONMENTAL GAIN cONSIDERABLE ENVIRONMENTAL LOS

How EFFECTS OF DEFORESTATION MAY
REDUCE

Terraces prevent erosion by shortening the long slope into a series of

shorter, more level steps.
oShelterbelts can be planted.
Contour ploughing can be practised to reduce gullies.
Selective logging that is cutting of only mature hardwoods should be
enforced and use of heavy machinery must be limited.
Small check dams can be built on small rivers and streams to reduce
erosion and gullying.
Regions which have large forest cover must be declared national parks.
Gas can be provided to Northernm areas so less forests are cut for firewood.
People of Northern areas must be better educated about importance of
forests
a Afforestation and re-afforestation schemes can be started.
Strip farming can be practiced in which alternate strips of cotton, wheat
and corn crops are planted.
 destroyeu
trees has
cutting of
Unauthorized and
non-selective
protection.
of the forested areas
in Pakistan. (Balochistan
Western Mountains
of soil in
Protection
and unreliable rainfall.
Mountains where there with a drier climate
Protection of soil in Northerm Plateau)
Fig. 4.19 climate and steeper
relief.
is a wetter

Terracing on
tation on
steep slopes
Siopes
Contour ploughing on
reduced by having
planted to act Overgrazing
more gente slopes Resistant bushes smaller better-quality herds
as windbreaks
and shelter beits

Hedgerows replanted Gullies filled in with

soil and replanted

Stone lines laid to trap

Strip cultivation with aternate Crops altemated with grass surface water runoff in soil
area to preveot overqultivabion
crops in same
and soll exhaustion

areas of the Western Mountains and the Balochistan Platen

than dry
eoil is easier in deforested
wetter areas ike
the Northem Mountairns