What is the role of industrialisation in forest
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Answer:
We depend on forests for our survival, from the air we breathe to the wood we use. Besides providing habitats for animals and livelihoods for humans, forests also offer watershed protection, prevent soil erosion and mitigate climate change.
Old-growth forests or virgin forests are areas of naturally occurring forests that have had the time to fully mature. Usually, the time it takes to reach the point of being coined an old-growth forest is about 120 years (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, n.d.). These virgin forests are of major ecological importance. Some of the species that rely on virgin forests include many species of birds, small mammals, arthropods and young plants. The forest provides shelter, nesting grounds, travel corridors, microclimates, nitrogen fixation and an abundance of organic matter that helps new plants grow successfully.
Before colonizers came to the United States, the Native Americans tended to the land in a way that allowed virgin forests to continue to thrive. Some methods that were used to successfully live in harmony with these forests included pruning, weeding, soil aeration, scattering seed, and controlled forest fires (Anderson, 153). In using these methods, the Natives were able to keep biodiversity rates high along with being able to maintain a happy and healthy tribe.
In the 1600s, wood had not yet been commodified in the capitalist society. Because of this, the number of virgin forests that existed during this time was expansive. With expansive forest comes a larger amount of biodiversity. This means that there was a lot more of a natural environment for species to thrive in.
In the year 1620, The United States was not even founded yet. Westward expansion to California, Washington and Oregon had not occurred. Rapidly growing populations and corporate greed had not become a major issue