Forest Resource

‘The best time to plant a tree was

twenty years ago.
The second best time is now.’
Anonymous
What is the state of world’s forests
World Commission of Forests and Sustainable Development
(WCFSD) and Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the UN

•The world's remaining forested areas amounted to about 3.6

billion hectares in 1999 from 6 billion 8000 yrs ago

•56 countries have lost between 90-100% of their forests

•Over last two decades of 20 cen, 15 million hectare of forests lost

mostly in tropics

•14 million hectares of tropical forests lost each yr since 1980 due
to conversion
•This decline threaten genetic diversity of flora and
fauna. 12.5% of world plant species and 75% of
mammals species threatened.
•In developing countries about $45 billion lost by poor
forest management
•Europe forest decline due to heat, pest and air
pollution. Fall from 69% to 39% of healthy trees.
Major FAO findings Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000

•The worlds forest cover in 2000 was about 3.9 billion hectares'.
About 95% of forest cover was natural and 5% in forest plantation

•Deforestation in 1990’s -14.6 million hectares per year

•Loss of forest cover in tropics is high. Increase in plantation

establishment and natural expansion of forest have not
compensated the loss

•New forest plantations areas established in China, India, Russia ,

Us, Japan and Indonesia

•12.4% of world forest protected according to categories defined

by World Conservation Union (IUCN)
 India’s Loss of Forest cover (FSI,feb 2012)
Losers
• AP ( 282 sq km)
• North East (549 sq km)
• Kerala (24 sq km)
• Chhattisgarh (4 sq km)
• Maharashtra (4 sq km)
• UP ( 3 sq km)
• Gujarat (1 sq km)
• Chandigarh (0.22 sq km)
Gainers
• Punjab (100 sq km)
• Jharkhand (83 sq km)
• Tamil Nadu (74 sq km)
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands
( 62 sq km)
• Rajasthan (51 sq km)
• Odisha ( 48 sq km)
• Bihar (41 sq km)
• J &K,Harayana,H.P,Goa,
Karnataka, Uttarakhand and
W. Bengal
 Reasons
Andhra Pradesh, the survey says, the forest cover has decreased
due to harvesting of short rotation crops followed by new
plantation and forest clearance in the encroached areas .

In the Northeast, the decrease in forest cover has been

attributed to shortening of shifting cultivation cycle and biotic
pressure .
The reason for increase in forest cover in Punjab, Odisha,
Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar and Tamil Nadu is enhanced plantation
in and outside forests and effective protection measures
 2018
Gainers
• Andhra (2,141 square km),
• Karnataka (1,101 square
km)
• Kerala (1,043 square km).
• Assam registered an
increase of 567 square km,
• Manipur it was 263 square
km.
Losers
• NER is 171,306 square km
• Mizoram (531 sq km)
• Nagaland (450 sq km)
• Arunachal Pradesh (190 sq
km)
• Tripura (164 sq km) and
Meghalaya (116 sq km).
Forest Classification from exploitation
point of view
Three categories of forest: Old growth, second growth and
plantations

Old growth- uncut forest not seriously disturbed by human

or natural activities
Second growth- result from secondary succession and
undisturbed for long periods
Plantations- managed forests of commercially valuable trees.
Monoculture. Less diverse and prone to disease and
disturbance.
Most plantations less than 15 years old. 60% in Asia
 Products and services offered by
Forests
Industrial Wood and fuel wood

Global production of wood reached 3335 million cu.m-1999.

half of fuelwood produced and consumed in developing
countries. Other half of industrial wood 80% from
industrialized countries.

Non-wood products (NWFP’s)

Food ,honey, fiber, medicinal plants important source of

income and critical component of food security and well-being
Ecosystem services
Soil generation, soil and water conservation, purification of air
and water, habitat for animals, absorption of carbon. Highest
species diversity and endemism

Other contributions
Employment and income generation, education, scientific
study, protection of natural and cultural heritage, spiritual
solace.
 How much wood goes into making
paper
40% of wood is used for paper making & will reach 60%
by 2050.

India has 600 paper mills capacity of 8.5 million tons.

39% from wood and bamboo, 31% from agricultural

residues and 30% from waste paper.
Reforestation not in pace with world demand for paper.

Industrialized countries- 50% for packaging,30% writing,

12% newsprint and 8% paper tissue and towels.
 Ways forest are destroyed
Commercial Logging- along with selected species
non-target species are also destroyed.

Infrastructure like roads provide easy access to

interiors of forest

Depletion of forest based wildlife due to commercial

harvesting and trade of bushmeat

Construction of dams
 Impact of Deforestation
1. Exposes soil and shade species to wind, sunlight, evaporation
and erosion.

2. No regulation of the flow into rivers. Floods and droughts in

affected areas.

3. Deforestation, degradation and fragmentation affect species

and extinction of some.
4. Local and global climate change - 97% of water absorbed by
roots , evaporates and falls back as precipitation.

5. Global warming releasing carbon stored in the trees.

6. Affects local communities- lose culture and way of life

 Forest fires
Combustion frees the minerals locked in the dry
organic matter. The mineral rich ash necessary for
growth of plants.
Vegetation flourishes
Removes plant cover and expose soil
Controls pathogens and harmful
Insects
Burn dry organic matter and
prevent more destructive fires
 Forest Fires
Year Forest Fires
2018 58,083 wildfires
2017 71,499 wildfires

Source- The National Interagency Fire Center

About 8.8 million acres were burned in the 2018, compared with 10
million in 2017.
 Relationship between forest and
climate change.
• Forest influence and are influenced by climate
change
• Role in carbon cycle and its management
affect global warming
• 50% of carbon is stored in terrestrial
vegetation and soil organic matter.
Deforestation contributes to net emissions of
carbon
• Impact of global warming on forest though
regionally varies, dramatic and long lasting.
•Kyoto Protocol on climate change- country with
forest earns emission credits. These credits
tradable
•Industrialized country can invest in afforestation
and reforestation projects in developing
countries
 International and National Initiatives
• Sustainable Forest Management- Earth
summit (1992) due to differences – set of non-
binding principles.
• International Tropical Timber Organisation
(ITTO) 1983 under United Nations Commission
for Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• 1985- FAO,UNDP, World Bank and World
Resources Institute – Tropical Forestry Acton
plan- National Forest Action Programme
Kyoto Protocol, Convention on Biological
Diversity and Convention to Combat
Desertification.
UN Forum on Forest (Oct 2000) permanent
high-level intergovernmental body with
universal membership
UNESCO Man and Biosphere
Sustainable Forest management (SFM)
• Use of the world’s forest in such a way that they
continue to provide resources in the present,
without depriving future generations of their use.
• Involve local community
• An element of climate change negotiations
• 2009, 149 countries in 9 international initiatives
to develop, and implement criteria and identify
indicators for SFM covering 85% world’s forest
• Certifications of timber from sustainable forest
(FSC)
 How can local communities be
involved in forest conservation
• Increase in population and poverty, migrations
to forest area and over exploitations.
• Government began protecting forest
• Local people be viewed s partners
• Involve in planning, decision making and
implementation
• Provide labour, help in conservation and
guides in eco tourism ventures
Extractive reserves
Protected forest in which local communities are
allowed to harvest products, in ways that do not
harm forest.
Objective- improve lives of the people and conserve
biodiversity.
 How are communities involved in
forest conservation
• Joint forest management
1980 ,Government of India
Involved in planning conservation programme.
Controlled access to forest area and
permitted to harvest resources in
sustainable manner.
Guardians of forest
Tamil Nadu Afforestation Project (TAP)
• With Japanese Aid
• First phase (1995-2003) RS 63 billion spent,
one million acres of degraded forestland
upgraded. 400,000 people in 1800 villages.
• In TAP villages,2500 self-help groups
comprising 25,000 women were formed. Basic
need of the people were met by integrating
developmental schemes of several
departments
 Social forestry
• Planting trees often involving local community
in unused and fallow land, degraded
government forest areas, in and around
agricultural fields, along railway lines,
roadsides, river and canal banks
 Efficient usage of wood
• Inefficient use as construction material
• Excessive packaging
• Excessive junk mail
• Inadequate paper recycling
• No reuse of wooden containers
Tree free paper
China- 60% tree free pulp
 How to Save
• Stop deforestation
• Use rich resources to improve lives of poor
and forest dependent communities
• Put public interest first. Involve people in
decisions of forest use
• Get the price of forest right. Stop subsidies
• Apply SFM approach to forest
• Develop new ways of measuring forest capital
•Plan for use and protection of whole landscapes
not forest in isolation

•Make better use of knowledge about forest

•Accelerate research and training
•Take bold political decisions and develop new civil
society