2. Forest: It is a natural resource. Forest covers about 1/3rd of the earth’s land surface of which about 50% is occupied by
tropical forest. Forests are important in two ways ecologically and economically important. Increased urbanization,
industrialization and mining have entailed indiscriminate felling of trees and denudation of forests. The depleted forest
wealth would simply deprive the man of economic and environmental values offered by forest Thus, forest ecology is a
highly diverse and important branch of ecological study. The presence of trees makes forest ecosystems and their study
unique.