Methodology of awareness about forest conservation
Answers
The following steps should be taken for the conservation of forests:
Regulated and Planned Cutting of Trees:
One of the main reasons of deforestation is commercial felling of trees. According to an estimate, about 1,600 million cubic metres of wood have been used for various purposes in the world. Although trees are considered as perennial resource, when exploited on a very large scale, their revival cannot be possible.
Therefore, cutting should be regulated by adopting methods like:
(i) Clear cutting,
(ii) Selective cutting, and
(iii) Shelter wood cutting.
The clear cutting method is useful for those areas where the same types of trees are available over a large area. In that case, trees of same age group can be cut down in a selected area and then marked for replantation.
In selective cutting only mature trees are selected for cutting. This process is to be followed in rotation. Shelter wood cutting is where first of all useless trees having been cut down followed by medium and best quality timber trees.
The time gap between these cuttings is helpful in re-growth of trees. In regulated cutting only one-tenth of the forest area is selected for use and rotational system is always followed for their protection.
The forest can be managed in such a way that a timber crop may be harvested indefinitely year after year without being depleted. This technique is called the ‘sustained yield’ method adopted by many countries of the world.
Control over Forest Fire:
Destruction or loss of forest by fire is fairly common; because trees are highly exposed to fire and once started it becomes difficult to control. Sometimes, the fire starts by natural process, i.e., by lightning or by friction between trees during speedy winds, while in most cases it is started by man either intentionally or unintentionally.
According to an estimate, during the period from 1940 to 1950, in the US alone, fires consumed an average of 21.5 million acres of timber yearly and as many as 1,175,664 cases of forest fires occurred during 1955 to 1964 period.
Throughout the world, forest fire is common and in most cases they were begun by man. As John D. Guthrie, former fire inspector of US Forest Service has written: “To stage a Forest Fire you need only few things – a forest, the right atmospheric conditions, and a spark either from a lightning bolt or a match in the hands of a fool or a knave. The formula is simple – the larger the forest, the drier the air, the bigger the fool, the bigger the fire you will have”.
In order to save forests from fire it is necessary to adopt latest techniques of firefighting. Some of the fire suppression techniques are to develop three metre wide five lanes around the periphery of the fire, back fires, arrangement of water spray, fire retardant chemicals should be sprayed from back tank and if possible by helicopters. There must be a trained staff of firefighters to control the fire.
The existing forests should be protected. Apart from commercial cutting, unorganised grazing is also one of the reasons. There are several forest diseases resulting from parasitic fungi, rusts, mistletoes, viruses and nematodes which cause the destruction of trees. The forests should be protected either by use of chemical spray, antibiotics or by development of disease resistant strains of trees.
we should protect our environment by stopping this deforestation, hunting animals. we should start afforestation
our environment should be protected.
Our environment is our true home.
It is our duty to protect it. Plants should be planted across the globe.