FORESTS

FORESTS
Mining, Primary
Farming,

Fishing.
As raw materials are
obtained from nature
i.e. land

 Forests are continuous areas of land

dominated by trees.
 TYPES
Productive Protection
1/3 2/3
Natural Plantation (by man)
High density equally spaced/linear
High commercial value Mostly low commercial value
e.g.Timber e.g. to prevent soil erosion,

for for pleasant environment

Construction/furniture etc

By lowering by providing
… temperature shade
 Importance
 They reduce air pollution by absorbing pollutants like nitrogen
+provide oxygen

 They provide ( natural) habitat for wild life (food, nesting sites
etc.)

 They prevent soil erosion as their roots hold soil and their leaves
intercept rain

 They increase the fertility of soil by decomposition of leaves

 They reduce flooding by regulating water supply

 They provide employment to those who work in
forest department ……

 And also work in such industries which use wood

as a raw material

 They attract tourism due to their scenic beauty

 Their products e.g. ephedra are used in

pharmaceutical industry

 Their products are also used in chemical industry

e.g. resin for varnishes
 They are used as raw material in wood based industry e.g.
timber is used in construction industry in flooring and in
making cupboards etc
…… in furniture industry for making tables, chairs etc
…… in sports goods industry e.g. bats, racquets etc
…... in transport industry e.g. in making wooden cart, bus
bodies, in making of boats, in railway sleepers

 Wood is used in agriculture e.g. in agricultural implements

like wooden plough

 Mazri,a minor product of forests is used in making packing

materials and baskets

 Wood pulp is used in paper industry.

 FOREST PRODUCTS

main products minor products

Timber Firewood resin mazri ephedra

construction

paper furniture cooking/heating

varnishes packing medicine

material &
Sports goods etc baskets

increase in demand of timber

due to:

High population.
Growth of wood based industries
Demand abroad of sports goods etc.
 CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION
 to grow crops
 for mining
 for construction of dams etc
 Urbanization
 More residential areas
 Growing population
 Over grazing by sheep and goats
 Used as fire wood e.g. in heating, cooking
 Used in wood based industry e.g. paper
industry
 Used in making chipboards
 Used in making safety matches
 Used in transport e.g. railway sleepers
 Used in sports goods industry e.g. bats etc
 Effects of deforestation
 No roots to hold soil
 ….and no leaves to intercept rain
 therefore soil erosion.
 loss of nutrients for agriculture
 Siltation so less water in reservoirs of dams
 So less production of HEP/irrigation
 More floods and thus destruction e.g. loss of life, loss of
livestock. Crops destroyed ,roads washed away etc.
 Silt is deposited on farmland due to flooding ,if fertile better
crop next year
 Low rainfall due to less transpiration
 …….So low crop yield especially in barani areas
 Loss to natural habitat
 So loss of wild life
 Shortage of wood for fuel wood
 People may have to travel more to collect
wood
 Loss of timber for wood based industries
e.g. sports goods industry
 Air pollution ….
 Gullying/ bad land
 Landslips
 Import of timber due to its shortage so
loss of f.e. and negative effect on BOT/
BOP
 Solutions
 Selective cutting
 Heavy machinery be restricted in forests
 Reforestation
 Land reserved for fuel wood plantation
 Forestation on hill slopes through
terracing,contour ploughing and strip farming
which will reduce soil erosion, silting and flooding
 Awareness about the benefits of forests through
media, NGO’s etc
 Supply of natural gas to Northern areas
 Nurseries for more plants
 Forest laws be strictly implemented
AKRSP Rechna
Afforestation Projects Doab
Baltistan Afforestation

Tarbela/ Mangla Project

Watershed
New trees
project
have been
Planted upto
above 80,000 afforestation of privately
owned badland.
New areas of forests
reforestation
Sustainable
of trees from
forestry where they
have been
planting such cut
down
trees which do not need
irrigation

Maintain forests
to ensure forests are available for
future selective cutting
 Long term investment

trees take many years to grow

many years before financial return
high cost of planting
costs during growth
 MAIN FORESTS OF PAKISTAN
 Name
 Features
 Main areas
 Importance/Use
- Stunted growth
- Roots
Spread
Sideways, ALPINE Northern areas Fuel wood
- Upward
branches

To get more nutrients

To get more sunlight

Coniferous forests
 To shed snow
To get benefit from
short growing
season.

- Evergreen
- Conical Northern areas Timber for
- Sloping
Abbotbad -const
branches
Murree, -furniture
Thick and
- sports goods etc.
-leathery leaves
-Needle CONIFEROUS
Mansehra,
Checking floods
Quetta& Conserve Soil
shaped
Kalat Tourism due to
leaves.
For less Scenic-beauty
-Thick bark
transpiration Reduce air pollution
Shallow roots

To tolerate
cold

To absorb water from

melting snow
-planted by man •To reduce
-Linear temperatures
-Equally •Reduce erosion of
Spaced banks
-Same species
-Same size BELA River Indus & •For shade
Its tributaries •To reduce air
-Same height pollution
•To reduce flooding
Mangroves
 •Firewood
For more sunlight •Timber for boats/
construction
•Leaves (food)
for livestock.
• Prevent coastal erosion
•Protection
-Broad leaves. against
-Leathery tsunamis as
leaves MANGROVES Indus delta
they absorb
-survive in Hub delta shockwaves
salty water… •Protection
To reduce against cyclones
transpiration •Habitat / shelter for wildlife
•Breeding
ground for
As their roots filter Fish-----
out salts and •plankton +protection
Their leaves excrete from predators
extra salts
Sub-Tropical
Sub Tropical or Tropical Dry Forest, Sub Tropical or Tropical
Thorn
Forest or Rakh Forest
•Small/medium
height •Protection
•rounded bushes from floods
•hardwood •Fire wood
•Deciduous e.g. for
cooking
•Thorny •Food for
livestock
•They provide
Punjab Plain
Sindh Plains shade
Thar desert •They reduce
Potowar Plateau air pollution
Kharan Desert
 IRRIGATED Plantation, linear, equally spaced, same species,
same age, water regularly supplied.

Thal
Bahawalpur
•Tourism Changa manga
•Wood for railway Chichawatni (sahiwal)
sleepers/ chassis/ carts Guddu &
•Firewood for domestic use Taunsa (barrage)
•growing population(more need for construction etc..)
•more wood needed in wood based industries e.g.
•…..timber for paper/construction/
Furniture etc.
• to reduce timber imports.
•deforestation (too many
trees are being cut down)
•to reduce water logging
•prevent erosion of banks/slopes
 Why is irrigation necessary for new
plantations of trees?

 Low rainfall / high evapotranspiration

 Seasonal rainfall
 Irregular and unreliable rainfall
 Root system needs water to grow
 Explain the advantages and disadvantages of
developing more irrigated
plantations of trees in lowland areas of Punjab and
Sindh.
Advantages (res. 2) Disadvantages (res. 2)
 Timber for e.g. construction,  High cost /long term
fencing, firewood investment / not a quick
 Rainfall / humidity profit
 Shade / shelter/ reduce
temperatures
 Cost of maintenance /
 Clean air / more oxygen care
 Scenic beauty/ promote  Need for irrigation / more
tourism demand on water
 Employment / work supplies
 Eucalyptus trees can reduce  Loss of land for housing /
waterlogging and salinity
farmland
Forestation of hill slopes

Terracing
Contour
Strip

Reduce soil erosion

Reduce silting
Reduce flooding by

regulating water supply

 DETERMINANTS

Low temp

Alpine
Coniferous
Soil Altitude Rainfall Temp

Alluvial above 4000 when high hot temp

In salt water alpine dry rainfall scrubs/tropical

Mangroves l000 – 4000 bushes coniferous

coniferous e.g. deserts

Thin soil on peek of mountains (stunted growth of Alpine )