2. Forest
• Forest is defined as a plant community
predominantly of trees and woody
vegetation, usually with closed canopy.
• Legally it is defined as an area proclaimed
to be forest under forest law.
• Also it is defined as area set aside for the
production of timber and other forest
produce, or maintained under woody
vegetation for certain indirect benefits.
10. Point of economy :
Forest lands can be utilized as grazing
grounds for livestock. Great demand for timber
which resulted into development of commercial
forestry. Many products like charcoal wood,
pulp and matchwood, canes, rose wood, sandal
wood, lac, resins, honey, herb, fruits, dyes, tans,
kendu are obtained from forest which highly
commercial value both conservation and
development of forest resource is as important
as agriculture and industry.
12. Forest Types :
Terrain, climate, soil and water conditions
greatly influence the character and type of
vegetation. The Himalayan region, possesses a
variety of vegetation with a distinctive character of
alpine type at higher altitudes and this region is
clearly distinguished from the rest of the country.
Climatic factors mainly temperature and rainfall
determine which plant community can flourish in a
specific habitat. Soils and drainage considerably
introduce modifications, and thus we have edaphic
types such as the tidal forests.
30. Tropical thorn forest
• Dry peninsular India, M.P. Semi and arid
areas of Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujrat, Up
and MP
• Acacia catechu, Acacia nilotica, Albizzia,
Prosopis
31. Tropical dry evergreen forest
• Coastal belt from Tirunelveli to nellore
• Azadiracta indica, Canthium, Syzygium
41. Importance of natural vegetation and forests :
Forest constitute one of the most important basic
natural resources of the country.
Ecological view :
Forests help in occurrence of rainfall, promote soil
conservation in catchment areas, regulate runoff, improve
moisture holding capacity of the soils and maintain
ecological balance.
42. Distribution of Forest Lands :
According to 2000-01 statistics, the
forest land occupied about 675538 Sq.K.m. which
accounts for 20.55% per cent of the total
geographical area of the country. The largest
area forest land 77265 Sq.K.m. is seen in Madhya
Pradesh while the lowest 1745 Sq.K.m is in
Haryana.
Highest concentration of forest land
is registered I Arunachal Pradesh state with 62.1
per cent of its geographical area while the lowest
concentration is in Haryana state with 3.8 per
cent. The Andaman and Nicobar islands are also
found with high concentration of forest cover.
43. Development of Forests :
Problems:
The continuous chaotic growth of population
and greed of the present man’s short sighted and
unplanned commercial and subsistence gathering
activities like indiscriminate lumbering, charcoal
burning, firewood collection, over grazing and
jhumming type of cultivation and annual forest fires
have been causing considerable damage to forest
wealth system in our country. Forests in India have
been degenerated and degraded into barren and
unproductive lands. To alleviate this serious concern,
the development of different kinds of forests on war-
foot lines is an important means at this end.