Chapter 4 :Forests

Types of Forests
Productive
These are natural forests
They usually have a closed canopy, which blocks out the light reaching the
forest floor. So, the forest floor has little vegetation
These forests have high tree density and trees are highly valued due to their
timber

Protection
These forests are planted by man
These forests are evenly spaced out and usually the forest floor also has some
vegetation
Tree density is not very high
They don’t have much commercial value and are instead planted to control soil
erosion, provide shade and lower the temperature
Forestation at different Altitudes

Types of Forests in Pakistan

ALPINE FORESTS

CORNIFEROUS
 Tropical thorn forests

Sub tropical scrubs

Irrigated
Reverine BELA

Distribution of forests in Pakistan

Determinants of Forests

Forests in Pakistan ranges from Alpine in the north to Mangrove in the south .The
density depends on rainfall temperature ,altitude,and soil .
Factors determine the type and density of forests are
• Different altitudes have different forests
• Arid areas have Thorny bushes and scrubs
• High precipitation in north leads to growth of corniferous tree
• Type of soil also define the type and density of forests in different areas

Mangrove
Q:How do Mangroves survive in salty water ?
• They have highly impermeable roots, which limit the amount of salt
entering the plant
• The salt which eventually enters the plant is stored in old leaves when they
are to shed away
• They have thick leathery leaves which can control the size of their pores
(stomata), effectively limiting the amount of water the plant transpires
Uses
• They are used for timber, fuel wood, leaves for camel fodder, branches for
roofs along with mud, and for extraction of honey
• They also reduce soil erosion in coastal areas due to tidal action, thus they
extend time for ports after which dredging is required to make them deep
again
• They form important breeding and protection grounds for fish
• They reduce the impact of tsunami and tropical cyclones by acting as
barriers to their brute force
 • They are found in Indus delta (Karachi and Thatta districts) and Hab delta
(Gwadar district)
Threats
• Cutting of Mangroves for fodder and firewood
• Sea water and river pollution
• Removal of sand from beaches
• Construction of roads and buildings at beaches
• Municipal waste and sewage dump into mangrove area poisons them

Linear Plantations
They are planted by man .These are plantations alongside roads, parks,
railways, motorway etc
Deforestation

Causes of Deforestation

• Growing population means more land is required for housing, so forests are
cleared.
• Demand for forest based products like timber for furniture, ploughs,
ephedra, paper from pulp etc has increased. Forests are cut down to fulfil
the demand of these products
 • To provide room for growing more crops to fulfil demand and also for
grazing animals (cattle ranch)
• Construction of roads, railways and airports also clears forests
• Before open cast mining starts an area is cleared of its vegetation
• Farmers tend to clear a patch of land and to use it for growing crops. (Over-
Cultivation)
• Overgrazing by cattle and goats reduce the chance of land regaining its
vegetation
• In Northern areas which have no gas supplies for cooking and heating;
wood is used
• Wildfires also cause a lot of damage to forests
• Corruption amongst forest officials, who allow illegal cutting
• Industrial waste and effluent discharge in the Indus Delta has caused
damage to Mangroves

Effects of Deforestation
• During heavy rainfall, massive soil erosion occurs along with landslides
• This loss of soil may result in removal of top few inches of fertile soil over
period of some years.
• Landslides block roads, railways and disrupt communication and supplies
mostly to Northern areas of Pakistan.
• Power lines may be washed away by landslides and floods
• The eroded soil settles in the reservoirs of dams and barrages, and reduces
HEP production along with reducing storage capacity, it also damages power
lines

• Patterns of rainfall may also change leading to drought conditions as trees

absorb ground water and transpire it into the air
• Cutting of trees may also affect tourist destinations leading to loss of tourists
as the case with Murree
Reducing Affects of Deforestation
• Terraces prevent erosion by shortening the long slope into a series of shorter,
more level steps.
• Contour ploughing can be practised. It reduces soil erosion
• Selective logging that is cutting of only mature hardwoods should be enforced
and use of heavy machinery must be limited
• High yielding varieties of crops can be used which give more yield per unit area
and are resistant to pests etc so less forests are cleared for growing crops
• Regions which have large forest cover must be declared national parks, where
logging and hunting is prohibited by law
• Gas can be provided to Northern areas so less forests are cut for firewood
• People of Northern areas must be better educated about importance of
forests. They could be better trained in management of forest resources
• Afforestation and re-afforestation schemes can be started
• Strip farming can be practiced in which alternate strips of cotton, wheat and
corn crops are planted. This forms a formidable barrier against wind erosion

What is Afforestation?
Afforestation is the process of planting trees, or sowing seeds, in a barren land
devoid of any trees to create a forest.
What is reforestation?,
It is the process of specifically planting native trees into a forest that has
decreasing numbers of trees. While reforestation is increasing the number of
trees of an existing forest, afforestation is the creation of a ‘new’ forest.

Contour ploughing
When crops are planted on parallel contours at the side of the hill .it reduces soil
drain off and turns o gentle slope into a field in order to grow crops

Terraced farming
Terrace farming is a method of farming whereby “steps” known as terraces are
built onto the slopes of hills and mountains. When it rains, instead of rain carrying
away the soil nutrients and plants down the slope, they flow to the next terrace.
Every step has an outlet which channels water to the next step. This helps in
keeping some areas dry and others wet. On very high altitudes, other crops apart
from rice can be grown.

Importance of Forests to Pakistan

• Roots help to prevent soil erosion; if this does happen then the soil can be
eroded by wind and then taken to lakes and rivers. Thus rivers can become
muddy whose water would become unsuitable for drinking
• Area under forests must be increased so as to reduce imports of timber. This
will saves us precious foreign exchange
• To retain beauty of tourist sites like Murree etc, where a lot of local earning is
dependent upon tourism
• To relieve waterlogging and salinity as some trees lower the water table as
their roots absorb a lot of water
• Mangroves prevent erosion in Indus delta as they reduce the impacts of tidal
waves by serving as a barrier. Less erosion means less deposition occurs at
ports of Bin Qasim and port of Karachi, which need not to be re-dredged for a
longer period of time. This saves huge sums of money.
• Mangroves also form important breeding and protection grounds for fish

SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY
Sustainable forestry means that forestry is done in such a way that present
demands can be met, while not compromising on the ability of future generations
to derive their demand from the resources they will have.
So forest management becomes very important, where only a few hardwood
species are cut down every year. For every tree cut, 5 trees are re-planted, to
make sure that damage is catered for well.
These trees take a lot of time to grow back (long term investment) and thus the
pay-off comes late. It costs a lot to sow the plant, water it and maintain forests
while keeping illegal loggers out of the area (looking after the forests)