Importance of Forests:
Forests are a valuable rersource; like a river system, it is a multiple resource. Forests provide mankind with a number of products. Forests have greatly influenced human activities. Modern civilisation depends more and more on forests.
Following are the direct and indirect advantages of forests:
- Forests provide many things to meet our food requirements like wild fruits, nuts, berries, etc. Many tribes are dependent on gathering of these products in forests.
- Forests are a source of timber for house building, furniture making, ship building, etc.
- Forests supply about 40% of fuel of the world. Wood has been the major source of fuel in houses, smelting industries and running locomotives.
- Softwoods supply raw materials for wood pulp, paper, rayon industries.
- Many products like rubber, pitch, gum, tanning materials, cork, camphor, fir, herbs, etc. are gathered from forests.
- Forests provide plywood and fibre wood for packing purposes.
- Forests help in rainfall by capturing moisture in the air. These affect the climate of an area,
- Forests prevent Soil erosion and floods.
- Forests increase the fertility of soil, help agriculture and maintain ecological balance.
- Forests provide shelter to wild animals and help recreation, wild life and hunting.
- They check the advance of deserts.
