This document provides an overview of forests and biodiversity. It begins with definitions and classifications of forests, describing the different types of forests based on location and climate. It then discusses the many uses and benefits of forests, including providing fuel, fodder, habitat for wildlife, and regulating climate and rainfall. The document also covers causes and consequences of deforestation, as well as measures to conserve forests. It introduces biodiversity, defining it and describing the different types. It discusses the distribution of biodiversity globally and in India, threats to biodiversity from natural and human-caused factors, and approaches to conserving biodiversity through protected areas, education, and environmental legislation.

1. Kaushik Deb
Forest & Bio-diversity Management

2. Introduction to Forest:
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the
woods, is an area with a high density of
trees. A forest is usually an area filled
with trees but any tall densely packed
area of vegetation may be considered a
forest. Tree forests cover approximately
9.4 percent of the Earth's surface though
they once covered much more. They
function as habitats for organisms,
hydrologic flow modulators, and soil
conservers, constituting one of the most
important aspects of the biosphere.

3. Classification of Forest
Forests can be classified in different ways and to different degrees of specificity.
One such way is in terms of the "biome" in which they exist, combined with leaf
longevity of the dominant species. Another distinction is whether the forests are
composed predominantly of broadleaf trees, coniferous (needle-leaved) trees,
or mixed.

4. Classification Continued:
Forests come in all shapes and sizes. The
many different types of forest are
generally classified according to location
and climate.
1. Tropical rainforests
2. Sub-tropical forests
3. Mediterranean forests
4. Temperate forests
5. Coniferous forests
6. Montane forests
7. Plantation forests

5. Uses of forests:
1. Fuel Wood - For the rural population, wood is an important source of
energy for cooking and heating.
2. Fodder- Fodder from the forest forms an important source of food for
cattle and other grazing animals in the hilly and the arid regions and
during a drought.
3. Fencing- Fences created with trees and shrubs are used in many parts
of the world.
4. Soil Erosion Check- The roots bind the soil and prevent erosion by
wind or water.
5. Soil Improvement- Some trees have the ability to return nitrogen to
the soil through root decomposition or fallen leaves.
6. Honey- For animals and humans.
7. Oxygen- Necessary for every living being.
8. Fruits- To eat.
9. Natural Habitat for Wildlife- A natural home for animals to live.

6. Benefits of Forests
1. Produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide.
2. Moderate temperature and rainfall.
3. Provide food, medicine, shelter and warmth.

7. Forest products trade and
marketing:
The 21st century continues a trend of rapid growth in both international trade
of forest products and a concern for forests. These two trends are connected.
Forces causing trade growth are linked to the loss of native forest resources in
some countries and the accumulation of non-native forest resources in other
countries.
Factors increasing trade include relaxation of trade barriers, income
growth, and improvements in wood growing, harvest, and manufacturing
technologies. But environmental concerns are increasing as consumer
preferences change, and as native forests recede and plantation forests
become more prominent.
Increasing trade in forest products has supported economic growth and
eradication of poverty in a number of emerging countries. But trading out of
poverty has proven difficult and it has led to further marginalization and
events of misconduct in some countries. Safeguards must be firmly put in
place to ensure that trade is based on legal and sustainable forest use, fair
labour conditions and equitable sharing of benefits. Good governance is
essential in setting the rules for sustainable production and trade.

8. Continued:
FAO is supporting country efforts to develop the sustainable and legal trade
of forest products, with the following objectives:
 Producers in emerging countries gain improved access to quantitative and
qualitative analyses on forest products trade and marketing issues
including tariffs, impediments for market access and other trade
restrictions.
 Policymakers and the private sector benefit from a wider coverage and a
structured interpretation of forest products trade statistics and a higher
degree of market transparency feeding into their forest decision making.
 Producers in emerging countries are better up-to-date on forest
certification and legality verification, and understand more profoundly
their implications for sustainable forest product trade, market access and
product promotion.

9. Continued:
 National and sub-national governments, local organizations,
communities and other rights holders have the capacity to capture
opportunities from forest carbon markets.
 Producers in emerging countries know how to apply proven marketing
strategies and practices in their local situations, including green
marketing in the low-carbon economy, branding and ethical/fair trade
tools, and enter into electronic marketplaces and social media networks.

10. Forest Destruction
Forests have probably been subject anthropogenic destruction, or
deforestation, since the earliest days of Homo Sapiens and its predecessor
species. The initial need for fuel wood and construction materials continued to
increase as population expanded and as industrial construction, discovery of
mineral resources in the forested area, and eventually roadways and highways,
and new and successively large settlement increased the demand for the forest
products.

11. Causes of Deforestation
 Tropical rain forests have been particularly subject to destruction since the
1950’s due to increased export of tropical hardwoods to Europe, Japan, and
United States.
 In drier area, tropical rainforest are being exploited for the collection of
fuel wood that, along with charcoal, is the main energy source for a large
number of the poor in the third world.
 Agricultural practices have also taken their toll on tropical forest.

12. Consequences of Deforestation
 One of the immediate effects of deforestation is an acceleration of soil
erosion.
 Consequence of tropical rain forest destruction are the long-term and global
effects.
 Impact on global climate.

13. Conserving and Protecting Our
Forests
Over the past two decades, there has been great change in the management of
natural resources in and around the world. As has occurred in many locations,
Ontario's forest policy has shifted to a more balanced ecological approach.
This means the forest is viewed as part of a larger ecosystem which is actively
managed to protect and conserve a whole range of values and uses.
 Through legislation.
 The ‘Room to Grow’ framework sets out ways that increased wood supply
for the forest industry to support jobs and growth, also allows for an
increase in new parks and protected areas.

14. Measures to Conserve
Forest:
1. By avoiding deforestation
2. By reducing pollution
3. By not practising overgrazing and if
necessary rotational grazing can be
adopted .
4. Plant trees on hillsides and abandoned
land.
5. Cut only matured or damage trees.
6. Re-plant to insure future supplies.
7. Put out camp fires before leaving the
camp and don't throw away lighted
cigarettes.

15. Forest Loss and Management
The scientific study of forest species and their interaction with the environment is
referred to as forest ecology, while the management of forests is often referred to
as forestry. Forest management has changed considerably over the last few centuries,
with rapid changes from the 1980s onwards culminating in a practice now referred to
as sustainable forest management. Forest ecologists concentrate on forest patterns and
processes, usually with the aim of elucidating cause-and-effect relationships. Foresters
who practice sustainable forest management focus on the integration of ecological,
social, and economic values, often in consultation with local communities and other
stakeholders.
Anthropogenic factors that can affect forests include logging, urban sprawl,
human-caused forest fires, acid rain, and the slash and burn practices of swidden
agriculture or shifting cultivation. The loss and re-growth of forest leads to a distinction
between two broad types of forest, primary or old-growth forest and secondary forest.
There are also many natural factors that can cause changes in forests over time
including forest fires, insects, diseases, weather, competition between species, etc. In
1997, the World Resources Institute recorded that only 20% of the world's original
forests remained in large intact tracts of undisturbed forest. More than 75% of these
intact forests lie in three countries—the Boreal forests of Russia and Canada and the
rainforest of Brazil.

16. Continued
•
In the United States, most forests have historically been affected by
humans to some degree, though in recent years improved forestry
practices has helped regulate or moderate large scale or severe
impacts. However, the United States Forest Service estimates a net
loss of about 2 million hectares (4,942,000 acres) between 1997 and
2020; this estimate includes conversion of forest land to other uses,
including urban and suburban development, as well as afforestation
and natural reversion of abandoned crop and pasture land to forest.
However, in many areas of the United States, the area of forest is
stable or increasing, particularly in many northern states. The
opposite problem from flooding has plagued national forests, with
loggers complaining that a lack of thinning and proper forest
management has resulted in large forest fires.

17. What can we do to preserve our
forest?
A few things we can also do to help:
1. Share Information.
2. Join organizations.
3. Reduce the use of artificial items, recycle more and re-use items.
There is a fun way to remember the most important points in forest
preservation called TREES which means
Teach others about the importance of the environment and how they can
help save rainforests.
Restore damaged ecosystems by planting trees on land where forests have
been cut down.
Encourage people to live in a way that doesn't hurt the environment
Establish parks to protect rainforests and wildlife
Support companies that operate in ways that minimize damage to the
environment

18. Introduction to Biodiversity
The term Biodiversity was first
coined by Walter G. Rosen in 1986.
The Biosphere comprises of a
complex collections of innumerable
organisms,
known
as
the
Biodiversity, which constitute the
vital life support for survival of
human race.
Biological diversity, abbreviated
as biodiversity, represents the sum
total of carious life forms such as
unicellular fungi, protozoa, bacteria,
and multi cellular organisms such as
plants, fishes, and mammals at
various biological levels including
gens, habitats, and ecosystem.

19. Definition of Biodiversity
As defined in convention on Biological diversity signed at Rio De Jenerio
(Brazil) in 1992 by 154 countries, the Biodiversity defined as “the variability
among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial,
marine, and other aquatic eco-systems and the ecological complexes of
which the area part- this include diversity within species, between species
and of ecosystem.”

20. Types of Biodiversity:
1. Diversity of Species.
2. Diversity of Ecosystem.
3. Diversity of Genes.

21. Distribution of Biodiversity
Flora and fauna diversity depends on:
1. Climate
2. Altitude
3. Soils
4. Presence of other species
5. Most of the biodiversity
concentrated in Tropical region.
Biodiversity Hotspots:
6. A region with high biodiversity
with most of spices being
Endemic.
7. India has two Biodiversity
Hotspots- East Himalayan Region
and Western Ghats.

22. Biodiversity and Balance of
Nature
•. Tropic Level
•. Complex Ecosystem
•. Keystone Species

23. Benefits of Biodiversity
Consumptive value:
1. Food/Drink
2. Fuel
3. Medicine
4. Industrial Material.
Non-Consumptive Value:
5. Recreation
6. Education and Research
7. Traditional value
Ecological services:
1. Balance of nature
2. Biological productivity
3. Regulation of climate
4. Degradation of waste
5. Cleaning of air and water
6. Cycling of nutrients
7. Control of potential pest and
disease causing species
8. Detoxification of soil and sediments
9. Stabilization of land against
erosion
10. Maintenance of Soil fertility

24. Threats of Biodiversity
Natural causes:
1. Narrow geographical area
2. Low population
3. Low breeding rate
4. Natural disasters
Anthropogenic causes:
5. Habitat modification
6. Overexploitation of selected species
7. Innovation by exotic species
8. Pollution
9. Hunting
10. Global warming and climate change
11. Agriculture
12. Domino effect

25. Recent Issues on Biodiversity
1. Some 75 per cent of the genetic diversity of crop
2. Plants been lost in the past century.
3. Some scientists estimate that as many as 3 species per hour are going
extinct and 20,000 extinctions occur each year.
4. Roughly one-third of the world’s coral reef systems have been destroyed
or highly degraded.
5. About 24 per cent of mammals and 12 per cent of bird species are
currently considered to be globally threatened.
6. More than 50 per cent of the world’s wetlands have been drained, and
populations of inland water and wetland species have declined by 50per
cent between 1970 and 1999.

26. Conservation of Biodiversity
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Biodiversity inventories
Conserving Biodiversity in protected HabitatsIn situ conservation
Ex situ conservation
Seed Bank, Gene Bank, Pollen Bank, DNA Bank.
Restoration of Biodiversity
Imparting Environmental Education
Enacting, strengthening and enforcing Environmental Legislation
Population Control
Reviewing the agriculture practice
Controlling Urbanization
Conservation through Biotechnology

27. Biodiversity in India

28. Biodiversity Conventions
1. The first convention on biodiversity organized at Rio De Jenerio, capital
of Brazil from June 5 to 16, 1992 named as United Nation Conference On
Environment and Development (UNCED), better known as Rio Summit to
maintain ecological balance and enrich biodiversity. The agreement on
biodiversity signed by 150 countries including three programs
a. To ensure conservation of biodiversity
b. Sustainable use of biodiversity
c. Rational and equitable share of profit to accrue from use of genetic
resources.

29. Convention Continued:
2. The second convention organized at Johannesburg in 2002 called
World Summit On Sustainable Development (WSSD) where the
Biodiversity and Sustainable Ecosystem Management was the issue.
3. The International Conference held on Biodiversity in Relation to Food
& Human Security in a warming planet 15-17 February, 2010 in Chennai.
4. International Conference on Wildlife & Biodiversity Conservation held
on 3 to 5 June, 2010 at Dal lake, Srinagar, Kashmir.
5. Indian Biodiversity Congress (IBC) & Indian Biodiversity Expo(IBE)
will be held on 27-31 December at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

30. Conclusion
Biodiversity is our life. If the Biodiversity got lost at this rate then in near
future, the survival of human being will be threatened. So, it is our moral
duty to conserve Biodiversity as well our Environment. Long-term
maintenance of species and their management requires co-operative
efforts across entire landscapes. Biodiversity should be dealt with at scale
of habitats or ecosystems rather than at species level.

31. Thank You 