- India's total forest cover is approximately 21.67% of its total geographical area, though deforestation has decreased the forest cover significantly over time.
- The main drivers of deforestation in India are agriculture, logging, mining, and urbanization. Agriculture alone accounts for about 60% of deforestation.
- Deforestation has severe environmental consequences such as increased carbon emissions, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, droughts, and loss of valuable plant species. Reforestation efforts aim to restore forests and mitigate these impacts.
2. •Deforestation refers to the loss of forest cover, land
that is permanently converted from forest to
agricultural land, cattle pasture, or other land use.
- FAO
3. Present Forest Cover in India
India, being seventh largest country in area and second most populated country.
The National Forest Policy in 1953 suggested for the necessity of overall 33%
forest cover for the country as a whole (25% in plains and 60% in hilly areas).
The total forest area is 4.06 billion hectares, or approximately 5 000m2
The total forest cover in India is 7,12,249 square kilometers which is 21.67% of
the total geographical area.
11.4% of the world’s recorded flora.
7.43% of the global fauna.
India ranks among the top 10 countries in terms of forest area.(Russia, Brazil,
Canada, USA, China Top five countries).
4. Global distribution of forest showing the ten countries with the largest forest area
(million ha and % of world forest)
5.
6. Top 5 states/UTs with most forest
cover area
•Madhya Pradesh: 77,482 sq. km
•Arunachal Pradesh: 66,688 sq. km
•Chhattisgarh: 55,611 sq. km
•Odisha: 51,619 sq. km
•Maharashtra: 50,778 sq. km
7. Since 1990, it is
estimated that 420
million hectares of forest
have been lost through
conversion to other land
uses, although the rate
of deforestation has
decreased over the past
three decades.
Between 2015 and 2020,
the rate of deforestation
was estimated at 10
million hectares per year,
down from 16 million
hectares per year in the
1990s.
8. Causes of Deforestation
• 1. Agriculture: agriculture activities are one of the major
factors affecting deforestation. Due to overgrowing demand
for food production, huge amount of trees are cut down to
grow crops and for cattle
About 50 lakh hectares of forest land (about 7% of the total forest area)of
the country has been brought under cultivation during last 25 years.
POPULATION
DEMAND
FOR
FOOD
FOREST
9. Shifting cultivation
•Many tribes of the north-east burn the forest lands, cultivate
crops and move to other region when the soil fertility is lost.
10. 2. Commercial logging:
• wood based industries like paper, match-sticks, furniture
etc. also need a substantial amount of wood supply. Wood
is used as fuel both directly and indirectly, therefore trees
are chopped for supplies.
11. 3. Mining:
• Oil and coal mining requires
considerable amount of
forest land. Apart from this,
roads and highways have to
be built to make way for
trucks and other equipment.
The waste that comes out
from mining pollutes the
environment and affect the
nearby species.
12. 4. Urbanization :
• Overpopulation is directly affects
forest covers, as with the expansion
of cities more land is needed to
establish housing and settlements.
Therefore forest land is reclaimed.
13. 5. Desertification of land
•Some of anthropogenic factors
causes desertification of land
making unfit for growth of trees.
Many industries I petrochemicals
release their waste into rivers
which results in soil erosion and
make it unfit to grow plants and
trees.
14. 6. Forest fires
•Hundreds of trees are lost each year due to forest fires in
various portion of the world. This happens due to extreme
warm summer and milder winter. Fires, whether caused
by man or nature results in huge loss of forest cover.
15. 7.Overgrazing
Extensive damage to forests is
caused by open grazing of cattle
by local people. These cattle not
only damage the new saplings
but make the soil under their
hoof compact and prevent new
sprouting.
16. 8. construction of roads, dams, and other
infrastructure.
• Large areas of forests have also been cleared for building roads,
railways, dams, and other infrastructure and for constructing housing
and settlements for the human population. To keep pace with the
growing global population, the use of forest land is expected to
expand further and put significant pressure on the vulnerable tropical
forests.
17. Agriculture is the root cause of 60% of deforestation. Logging accounts for
another 14% and the cutting of trees for use as wood fuel account for 6%.
According to the secretariat of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change),
60%
15%
4%
15%
6%
agriculture logging fires over grazing others
18. •LOSS OF SPECIES
The forest is a habitat for many plants and
animals. When the forest is depleted, or totally
lost, the habitat of these living these are
consequently lost.
Starvation and Scarcity of food for wild life
and also causes the death of animals.
Deforestation causes the indirect loss in
certain species of the wildlife population, and
this causes the loss of biodiversity.
SEVENT percent of the worlds plants and animals live in forest and are losing their
habitats to deforestation. Loss of habitat can lead to species extinction.
19. Carbon emissions
Greenhouse gases are emitted during combustion
of forest biomass and decomposition of
remaining plant material and soil carbon.
As of 2019, deforestation is responsible for about
11% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Healthy forest helps absorb greenhouse gasses
and carbon emission that are caused by human
civilization and contribute to global climate
change. Without tress, more carbon and
greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere.
20. SOIL EROSION
The roots of trees hold soil tightly and
prevent the soil from erosion. If we cut
trees the roots leave the soil and so that
the soil will erode. When forest is cut
down, nothing will be there to protect
the soil
Without tree roots to anchor the soil and with increased exposure to sun, the soil
can dry out, leading to problem like increased flooding and inability to farm.
21. Cause on soil and water
• The increase of atmospheric
Temperature as a consequence of
deforestation, causes changes in
soil properties.
• clearing forests changes the
environment of the microbial
communities within the soil, and
causes a loss of biodiversity in
regards to the microbes since
biodiversity is actually highly
dependent on soil texture.
22. CAUSES DROUGHT
•Deforestation leads to reduced humidity and a decline in
groundwater levels. The hot weather and the changing
rainfall pattern make the area too dry, resulting in drought,
desertification, and crop failures.
23. Loss Of Valuable Medicines
•Several medical compounds are derived from plants
that are found in the tropical rainforests. The
widespread destruction of these forests due to
deforestation results in the loss of several valuable
species of medicinal plants. If deforestation continues
at this rate, then the potential cures for many deadly
diseases may become extinct, even before they have
been discovered and analyzed by scientists
As of December 2019, a total of 20334 tree species had been
included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2019a),
of which 8056 were assessed as globally threatened (Critically
Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable)
25. Framework for forest management
• National Forest Policy, 1988: target of 33% forest & tree cover.
• Biological Diversity Act, 2002
• Forest Right Act,2006: Translate NFP into action.
• Indian Forest Act ,1927: Forest protection
• Wildlife Protection, Act 1972: Wildlife protection and
management
• Forest Conservation Act, 1980: Regulatory Act, no use of forest
land for non forestry use without permission of Govt. of India
26. SAVE SILENT VALLEY” PROTEST.
1934 In Kerala
Feminist movement in Kerala.
Save silent valley” project.
Dharna against Athirappilly hydro electric project.
Activist: Sugathakumari
31. Reforestation
• Reforestation is the natural or intentional
restocking of existing forests and woodlands that
have been depleted.
• It is the reestablishment of forest cover either
naturally or artificially.
• Reforestation can also help mitigate the effects of
soil degradation and pollution.
reforestation can be done through large-scale industrial plantations, the
introduction of trees into existing agricultural systems, small-scale plantations by
landowners, establishment of woodlots on communal lands, and rehabilitation of
degraded areas through tree planting or assisted natural regeneration
32. Afforestation
•Afforestation is the planting of trees where there was no
previous tree coverage.
•Degradation of forests ultimately leads to a decrease in oxygen
and a sufficient increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In
order to make up for the loss, more trees are being planted.
33. The following strategies must be implemented by the
administrative authorities to combat deforestation:
1.Implementation of strict laws and security measures to prevent illegal
logging.
2.Carefully plan the construction of roads, dams, and other infrastructural
projects to minimize the loss of forest area.
3.Helping the farmers to use new eco-friendly agricultural practices and
banning the use of inefficient agricultural practices.
4.New reforestation campaigns must be launched for the restoration of
deforested lands.
5.Proper awareness must be created among all citizens and the consumers
must be encouraged to use more recycled products.
6.Individuals can help to spread awareness about the negative consequences
of deforestation and participate in tree-planting campaigns.
34. GO PAPERLESS
• Every 3000 A4 Size Paper Cost One Tree.
• 40% of the world’s commercially cut timber is used for
the production of paper.
• Over 30 million acres of forest are destroyed annually.
• An A4 paper requires 10 liters of water per sheet.
facts
