Significance of forests
Planting trees does not creation a forest. A forest, with its varied vegetation, animals and microorganisms, is an ecosystem which has evolved over thousands, may be millions of years. It is impossible to recreate a forest once it is destroyed.
Some economic and environmental uses of forests are as follows.
a) Forests are sources of timber, fuel, bamboo, cane, essential oils, resins, tannin, latex, medicines, honey and many other things. For the tribal and others living nears forests, they re the main source of live hood.
b) They regular the climate by brining down temperature and increasing rainfall. They maintain the gaseous balance in air and control pollution by absorbing dust.
c) They check soil erosion, control floods and help recharge groundwater.
d) Forests are home to innumerable species, many of which we do not yet know about. All our crop plants and domesticated animas were once a part of forests. Their wild relations and all the other species that inhabit forests may hold possibilities that we cannot yet imagine. The same is true of medical plants. There may be many we do not know of. To destroy them would be a great loss.
Conservation of forests
a) The telling of forest trees must be regulated. Also, sapling must be planted to replace the felled trees.
b) Shifting cultivation is the practice of clearing a part of a forest for cultivation and the moving on to a new part when the soil loses its fertility. This practice must be discouraged.
c) Adequate protective and preventive measures should be taken against forest fires.
d) Grazing in forests should be discouraged as it destroys seedling and small plants.
Plastic waste is increasing. The problem regarding their disposal is a serious one!
Plastics are very useful. They are light, strong and cheap. They can be easily molded into any shape. They don’t discolor or rot. They do not break when dropped. The only problem is that cannot get rid of them! Almost everything we throw away is taken care of by natural forces. Wood rots, paper decomposes, metal rusts and powders, leaves crumble, excrement mixes with the soil and fertilizes it: which means all these are re-cycled naturally and they re-enter the world of life. Plastics do not occur in nature. It is an artificial form that will not re-cycle naturally so, say no, to plastics.
Environment facts
Some environment terms
Pollutants are anything that pollutes or dirties the air, water or ground and thereby causes harm to the living things.
Pesticides are chemicals used to control pests. Too much of it can poison the food supply and environment.
Biodegradable substances are those that can be changed back to a harmless natural state that will not damage the environment.
Ecology is the study of natural relationships of living things to their environment
