SIR ADNAN QURESHI PAKISTAN STUDIES-GEOGRAPHY-CHAPTER 4___________________

CHAPTER 4: FORESTS IN PAKISTAN

Forests are one major natural resource that is purely beneficial to the mankind in numerous ways. Apart
from water, the Sun, the wind it is another natural source that can be sustained for a longer period of
time.

Forest area (% of land area) in Pakistan was last measured at 2.13 in 2011, according to the World Bank.
As per book, there is approximately 4.8% of Pakistani area covered with forests (mainly Protective
forests) as compared to some other major countries like shown below:

Square km % of
land
Russia 7,762,602 45.40%
Canada 4,916,438 49.24%
Brazil 4,776,980 56.10%
United States 3,030,890 30.84%
TYPES OF FORESTS:

1. Productive: defined as forestland capable of producing forest products of at least 20 cubic feet. per
acre per year, they are thick forests where the density is high and the forest canopy is closed. These
forests have great commercial value and are used mainly to get timber.

2. Protective: defined as mainly planted by people and are usually linear near road islands, public
parks, and along railway lines. They do not provide timber so they have less commercial value. Their
main job is to protect soil erosion, provide shade and to keep the environment pleasant.

There are 29 National Parks, 99 Wildlife Sanctuaries and 76 Community Controlled Hunting Areas in
Pakistan which also serve as the Protected Forests.
TYPES OF FORESTS:
Types
Alpine
Coniferous
Tropical Thorn Forest (Rakh)
Sub-Tropical Forest
Reverain or Bela Forest
Mangrove Forest
Irrigated Forest
Examples of Area
Dir, Swat, Kohistan
Northern Areas
NWFP (Abbottabad, Mansehra,
Kohistan, Shangla, Swat)
Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Murree.
Balochistan Mountains (Quetta
and Kalat division)
Punjab Plains.
Southern and Western
Balochistan.
Sindh Plains.
Lower hills of Himalayas.
Suleiman and Kirthar Ranges.
Western Mountains (Peshawar,
Waziristan, Kohat, Mardan)
Above the Makran Coastal
Range.
River Indus and its tributaries.
Lower Punjab and Upper
Karachi and Thatta (Sindh coast)
Sonmiani, Hub (Balochistan
coast)
Changa Manga (Lahore), Wan
Bachran (Thal) Chichawatni
(Sahiwal) Guddu Barrage
(Kashmore)
Uses/Importance
Used as fuel wood only.
Timber for making furniture.
Used in paper making.
Environmental protection.
Conserve soil and saves soil
erosion.
Conservation centres for birds
and animals.
Scenic beauty is added.
Promotes tourism.
Used as firewood.
Used as firewood and grazing
pasture for animals.
Watershed protection.
Provide Sheesham and Babul,
two valuable species, which are
used for making furniture,
agricultural implements.
Used as firewood and provide
timber to coastal communities.
Works as a barrier against
Tsunamis and tidal waves.
Provides breeding places for fish
and shrimps.
Soft branches serve as fodder for
animals. Fallen leaves serve as
food for marine life.
Provide timber and firewood.
Provide shade when planted in
linear way.
TROPICAL/ REVERAIN/ BELA FORESTS:

Appearance:

 green / healthy and dense / close together

 plantation / planned / in lines
 varied height
 form a canopy / canopy open / crowns meet / provides shade
 no undergrowth / bare floor
 same species
 Sheesham / Babul

IRRIGATED PLANTATIONS:

Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of
agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and
during periods of inadequate rainfall.

The oldest irrigated plantation I Pakistan id Changa Manga which was established in 1866 for the need
of Sheesham, Shahtoot, Eucalyptus and other trees.
 Advantages And Disadvantages Of Developing More Irrigated Plantations Of Trees In Lowland Areas
Of Punjab And Sindh.
Advantages
 Timber for named use e.g. construction, fencing, firewood -Food for animals / people
 Leaf fall for humus / fertility -Rainfall / humidity
 Shade / shelter/ reduce temperatures -Clean air / more oxygen / absorbs CO2
 Scenic beauty/ promote tourism
 Protection from soil erosion
 Employment / work
 Habitat for wildlife
 Eucalyptus trees can reduce waterlogging and salinity
Disadvantages
 High cost /long term investment / not a quick profit
 Cost of maintenance / care
 Need for irrigation / more demand on water supplies
 Loss of land for housing / farmland / other land use
 Problems caused by roots, leaves etc.

LINEAR PLANTATIONS:

Linear plantations are irrigated plants planted in a line by man. They are mostly found:
 alongside canals/rivers
 alongside roads/railways
 along field boundaries
.
Purpose of Linear Plantation:
 prevents soil erosion
 lowers the temperature of the area.
 provides shade for people/animals
 is a source of fruit/ food
 firewood/timber
 leaves/roofing
 to reduce air pollution/make clean air

MANGROVE FORESTS:

Mangroves are very special plants which can survive in salty and damp areas. They are mostly found in
the deltaic region of River Indus. The plants are shrub type and spreads with its numerous branches. Its
height ranges up to 3 metres. These forests work as a shield against the tidal waves and Tsunamis and
provide ideal breeding nurseries to a variety of aquatic animals.
However, they have been adversely affected due to the following factors:

 Their uncountable cutting for fodder and firewood.

 Sea water pollution.
 The removal of sand from the beaches.
 The reclamation of beaches for construction buildings and roads.

DEFORESTATION:
When a forest area is cut down and no other plantation is done, is called as Deforestation.

About 1% of forest resources are being cut down every year in Pakistan that results in severe effects on
the economy, atmosphere and climate of the country.

Causes of Deforestation:

 Large areas of forest are cleared for mining activities, constructing dams and barrages for meeting
the growing population.
 Increasing urbanization in the country has made outskirts of city forests into densely populated
colonies.
 More population and industrialization has given rise to transport. Many roads are built by chopping
down forest area lines. CPEC is one example of that.
 Many industries use wood as a basic raw material. Sports goods, safety matches, hardboards,
veneer, plywood, pencils etc.
 Wood is also used in construction of buildings, boats, railway coaches, bus bodies etc.
 Since natural gas id expensive and not accessible in many areas, wood is used for cooking and
heating purposes.
 Overgrazing of forests by goats, camels, sheep and other animals.

Effects of Deforestation:

 Degeneration and destruction of environment and loss of natural resources.

 More soil erosion results in surface run-off and by adding silt to our water reservoirs.
 Less capacity of water reservoirs results in decline of Hydro electric power generation.
 Continuous disruption of water affects crops and agriculture and food production is reduced. It may
bring unexpected rains and heavy flooding.
 Mangrove forest deforestation affects the climate of coastal areas and output of fishing industry.
Solution of Deforestation:

 Supplying irrigation facilities and canals to deforested areas.

 Reserving land for fuel wood plantation only and not cutting down valuable species of trees.
 Creating awareness amongst masses to conserve trees.
 Supplying natural gas to the northern areas of the country. It will not only reduce the rate of trees
cutting but will also develop industry there.
 Providing ideas, seeds, and fertilizers to make sustainable forestry possible.

BILLION TREE TSUNAMI PROJECT: ***

The Billion Tree Tsunami was launched in 2014, by the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK),
Pakistan, as a response to the challenge of global warming. Pakistan’s Billion Tree Tsunami restores
350,000 hectares of forests and degraded land to surpass its Bonn Challenge commitment. The
project aimed at improving the ecosystems of classified forests, as well as privately owned waste
and farm lands, and therefore entails working in close collaboration with concerned communities
and stakeholders to ensure their meaningful participation through effectuating project promotion
and extension services. The projected was completed in August 2017, ahead of schedule.

SARSABZ-O-SHADAB PAKISTAN PROJECT: ***

Pakistan Army plants 2 million trees under ‘Sarsabz-o-Shadab Pakistan’ campaign on 13th August
2018. Chief of Army Staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa and his wife initiated the tree plantation
campaign, according to Inter Services Public Relations. Pakistan Army has planned target of 10
million trees during this monsoon under ‘Sarsabz-o-Shadab Pakistan’.

Terracing:
 The method of raising the edges of slopes or terraces on a mountain in order to save water and soil is
called terracing. (Picture: Terrace farming in Hunza Valley)

Contour Ploughing:

Strip farming is used when two or more crops are grown in the same field. Sometime one crop may grow
under the shelter of a taller crop for the sake of protection.

AFFORESTATION:

The process of growing trees on a deserted area is called Afforestation. Small nurseries producing
seedlings are spread throughout the project area. The project officers motivate the local communities to
plant trees.

The Government and NGOs have started Tarbela/Mangla Watershed Management Project and Rachna
Doab Afforestation Project.

Afforestation; A Long Term Investment:

 trees take many years to grow
 many years before financial return/start production/results are seen -high cost of planting
 costs during growth

SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY:

It means that we should manage the forest resources in such a way as to ensure that we will be able to
obtain the things that we want from the forests on a regular basis while conserving the natural
environment. It:

 ensures supplies are there for the future selective cutting

 replants trees that have been cut down/re-afforestation
 maintains/looks after forests
 planting species that do not need irrigation

PAST PAPER QUESTIONS:

a. Study Photograph A, which shows part of the Changa Manga plantation.

(i) What evidence in Photograph A shows that this is a plantation? [2]
 Trees in lines/rows/equally spaced/grid
 Same age/height -Same species

(ii) What is used to line the canals, and why is this necessary? [2]
 Clay/cement/bricks
 To prevent seepage/leakage/water getting out

Q: Study Photograph A,
i. Describe the scene. [4]
 bare ground/rocky/barren -steep slopes
 gullies
 scattered/small amounts of vegetation
 red colour
 mountains/hills and valleys/dissected/ridged -eroded landscape/badlands
 lake

ii. Explain why scenes such as this are caused by deforestation. [4]
 no roots to hold soil together
 runoff erodes soil/soil erosion -no interception
 less infiltration/more runoff -loss of leaf fall
 lack of decomposition -nutrient cycle broken
 loss of fertility
 leaching
 less rainfall
 more exposure to sun and wind
Q: How deforestation can cause soil erosion? [5]
 Soil is exposed / lack of protection from leaves and branches
 Surface water flow carried soil away
 Lack of infiltration into ground
 Less water absorbed by roots / less evapotranspiration/ No roots to
hold soil
 No leaf fall to add humus / fertility
 Leaching of nutrients / nutrients lost
 No new plants grow
Prepared and Compiled by:

Sir Mohammad Adnan Qureshi

0333-2248681

adnanqureshi8096@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/adnan.qureshi.5473