3. The scientific study of forest
species and their interaction
with the environment is
referred to as forest ecology
4. A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a
high density of trees. As with cities, depending on various cultural
definitions, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in
size and have different classifications according to how and of what
the forest is composed. These plant communities cover
approximately 9.4 percent of the Earth's surface (or 30 percent of
total land area), though they once covered much more (about 50
percent of total land area), in many different regions and function
as habitats for organisms, hydrologic flow modulators,
and soil conservers, constituting one of the most important aspects
of the biosphere. Although forests are classified primarily by trees,
the concept of a forest ecosystem includes additional species (such
as smaller plants, fungi, bacteria, and animals) as well as physical
and chemical processes such as energy flow and nutrient cycling.
5.
6.
7. Forest management is
a branch of forestry concerned with the
overall administrative, economic, legal
and social aspects and with the
essentially scientific and technical
aspects,
especially silviculture, protection, and
forest regulation.
8. This includes management for
aesthetics, fish, recreation, urban
values, water, wilderness, wildlife, wood
products, forest genetic resources and
other forest resource values. Management
can be based on conservation, economics, or
a mixture of the two. Techniques include
timber extraction, planting
and replanting of various species, cutting
roads and pathways through forests, and
preventing fire.
9. There has been an increased public awareness of
natural resource policy, including forest
management. Public concern regarding forest
management may have shifted from the
extraction of timber to the preservation of
additional forest resources,
including wildlife and old growth forest,
protecting biodiversity, watershed management,
and recreation. Increased environmental
awareness may contribute to an increased public
mistrust of forest management professionals
10.
11.
12. Deforestation, clearance or clearing is the removal of a forest
or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a
non-forest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion
of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use.
Deforestation occurs for many reasons: trees are cut down to
be used or sold as fuel or timber, while cleared land is used
as pasture for livestock, plantations of commodities, and
settlements. The removal of trees without
sufficient reforestation has resulted in damage
to habitat, biodiversity loss and aridity. It has adverse impacts
on bio-sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Deforestation has also been used in war to deprive an enemy of
cover for its forces and also vital resources. A modern example
of this was the use of Agent Orange by the United States
military in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Deforested
regions typically incur significant adverse soil erosion and
frequently degrade into wasteland.
13.
14. Wildlife means area where
undomesticated animals living in th
e wild, including those
hunted for food, sport, or prof it.
15. The wildlife in India is a mix of species of different types of
organisms.[1][clarification needed]Apart from a handful of the
major famed animals such as cows, buffaloes, goats, poultry and
sheep, India has an amazingly wide variety of animals native to
the country. It is home to lions, tigers, leopards, snow
leopards, black
panthers, cheetahs, wolves, foxes, bears, crocodiles, rhinoceroses,
camels, dogs, monkeys, snakes, antelope species, deer species,
varieties of bison and not to mention the mighty Asian elephant.
The region's rich and diverse wildlife is preserved in 89 national
parks, 13 Bio reserves and 400+ wildlife sanctuaries across the
country.[2] Since India is home to a number of rare and
threatened animal species, wildlife management in the country is
essential to preserve these species.[3] According to one study,
India along with 17 mega diverse countries is home to about 60 -
70% of the world's biodiversity.
16.
17. The need for conservation of wildlife in India is often
questioned because of the apparently incorrect priority in the
face of direct poverty of the people. However, Article 48 of the
Constitution of India specifies that, "The state shall endeavor
to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the
forests and wildlife of the country" and Article 51-A states
that "it shall be the duty of every citizen of India to protect
and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes,
rivers, and wildlife and to have compassion for living
creatures.
