Lec.1 ROLE OF FORESTS
Forests serve two roles viz., a) Productive role and B) Protective role
a) Productive role b) Protective role
1. Food 1. Climate amelioration
2. Fuel 2. Soil and water Conservation
3. Shelter 3. Wildlife habitats
4. Clothing
5. Timber
6. Industrial wood
7. NTFP
a) Productive role
It is estimated that the forest products contribute about 1% of world gross domestic
product (GDP). The annual turnover of timber and other wood products from forests is
valued at more than US$200 billion. The demand for commercial timber and other
products is ever increasing, and expected to rise by 50% by 2010. Apart from that, non-
timber products like rubber, cotton, medicinal products, food and so on represent
significant economic value.
1. Food
a) Rhizome : Amarphous campanulatum, Cyprus rotandus
b) Root and aerial : Dioscorea , Moringa oleifera Caryota urens, Bauhinia
variegata
,c) Buds : Dillenia pentagyna, Phoenix sp
d) Sap, and latex, : Borassus flabellifer, Cissus rapanda
Bark
e) Stems : Cycas pectinata, Dendrocalamus strictus
f) Leaves : Tamarindus indica, Moringa oleifera
g) Flowers : Ficus glomerata, Madhuca indica, Bambax ceiba, Tamarindus
indica
h) Fruits : Aegle marmelos, Anacardium occidentale, Anona squamosa.
Artocarpus heterophyllus,Borassus flabellifer, Capparis
decidua, Diospyros melanoxylon, Emblica officinalis, Ferronia
elephantum, Morus alba, Zizyphus spp
i) Seeds : Anacardium occidentale , Juglans regia, Prunus amygdalus,
Tamarindus indica, Dendrocalamus strictus
2. Fuel
Wood is used as fuel for thousands of years, until the advent of coal, oil, gas, electricity,
etc. Wood constitutes as chief source of fuel. Even today more than half of the total world
consumption of wood is for fuel-wood. Wood remains the major source of domestic fuel in
India. Approximately 175 mm3 of wood is used as fuel in the country. It is estimated that by
2010, most of the 3 billion people who depend on it for their daily living will find it hard to
obtain. Already, rural families spend precious hours in collecting firewood instead of other
productive work, something that causes losses to the tune of US$ 50 billion to the world
economy.
, Eg., Acacia spp, Casuarina equisetifolia, Prosopis, Neem, Leucaena leucocephala, etc.,
3. Shelter
Wood is used for construction of buildings.
Eg., Palmyra, Teak, Jack, etc.,
4. Clothing
Rayon cloth eg., Eucalyptus spp
5. Timber
Timber is a major forest produce and is used extensively for various purposes. In India
most of the wood produced is used for construction of houses, agricultural implements,
bridges, sleepers etc., In India 12 mm3 of timber is produced from our forests.More than
1500 species of trees are commercially exploited for timber in different parts of India. It is
used in timber-based industries such as plywood, saw milling, paper and pulp, and particle
boards.
Many species like teak, sal, deodar, babul, sissoo, chirpine, adina, axlewood, rosewood,
dipterocarpus, and etc.yield valuable timber.
6. Industrial wood
1) Forest provide raw material to large number of industries eg: paper and pulp, plywood
and other boards, packing cases, matches, toys etc.,
Paper and pulp : Bamboos, Eucalyptus, casuarina
Plywood : Teak, Rose wood, Terminalia etc.,.
Packing cases : Pinus sp, Silver oak, Fir,
Matchwood : Ailanthus, Simaruba, Bombax
Toys : Adina, Redsanders, rose wood
7.NTFP
i) Fibre and flosses
Fibres are obtained from bast tissue of certain woody plants, which are used for making
ropes. Flosses are obtained from Ceiba pentandra and fibres are obtained from Agave sisalana,
Sterculia urens
ii) Grasses and bamboos
, A large variety of grasses are found in the forests. About 30% of the 416 million
livestock population graze in the forests. Among valuable grasses eg: Sabai (Eulaliopsis binata)
is harvested annually 6.5 million tones and 80,000 tonnes of bamboo are harvested from forest
every year.
iii) Essential oil
India produced about 1500 tonnes of essential oils during 1980, which was utilized in
making soaps, detergents and chemicals eg. Eucalyptus, Bursera, Cymbopogan, Santalum album
etc.,
iv) Oil seeds
Many tree species of Madhuca indica, Pongamia pinnata, Shorea robusta, Azadirachta
indica, Schleichera oleosa, Vateria indica etc., produce oil-bearing seeds, which are
commercially important. Presently these seeds are used in the soap industry. There is a potential
production of about 1 million tonnes of oil every year from forests tree seeds.
v) Tans and dyes
Important tannins are extracted from myrobolan nuts, bark of wattles (A.mearnsii,
A.decurrens, A.dealbata) and Cassia auriculata , leaves of Embelica officinalis and Anogeissus
latifolia, bark of Cleistanthus collinus, fruits of Zizphus xylophora, Cassia fistula, Terminalia
alata, T.arjuna etc., katha and cutch are obtained from Acacia catechu.
vi) Gums and resins
Gums and resins are exuded by trees as a result of injury to the bark or wood. Gums –eg:
Sterculia urens, Anogeissus latifolia, Lannea coromandalica, Acacia nilotica, Ptercapus
marsupium, Butea monosperma etc.,
Resin is obtained from Pinus roxburghii
vii) Drugs, Spices and Insecticides
Important spices yielding drugs are Rauvolfia serpentina, Hemidesmus indicus,
Dioscorea spp, Atropa spp, Datura innoxia etc,
Spices : Seeds of Carum carvi, barks of Cinnomomum zeylanicum, dried capsules
of Elletaria cardomomum.
Insecticides : Pyrethrum and neem
Forests serve two roles viz., a) Productive role and B) Protective role
a) Productive role b) Protective role
1. Food 1. Climate amelioration
2. Fuel 2. Soil and water Conservation
3. Shelter 3. Wildlife habitats
4. Clothing
5. Timber
6. Industrial wood
7. NTFP
a) Productive role
It is estimated that the forest products contribute about 1% of world gross domestic
product (GDP). The annual turnover of timber and other wood products from forests is
valued at more than US$200 billion. The demand for commercial timber and other
products is ever increasing, and expected to rise by 50% by 2010. Apart from that, non-
timber products like rubber, cotton, medicinal products, food and so on represent
significant economic value.
1. Food
a) Rhizome : Amarphous campanulatum, Cyprus rotandus
b) Root and aerial : Dioscorea , Moringa oleifera Caryota urens, Bauhinia
variegata
,c) Buds : Dillenia pentagyna, Phoenix sp
d) Sap, and latex, : Borassus flabellifer, Cissus rapanda
Bark
e) Stems : Cycas pectinata, Dendrocalamus strictus
f) Leaves : Tamarindus indica, Moringa oleifera
g) Flowers : Ficus glomerata, Madhuca indica, Bambax ceiba, Tamarindus
indica
h) Fruits : Aegle marmelos, Anacardium occidentale, Anona squamosa.
Artocarpus heterophyllus,Borassus flabellifer, Capparis
decidua, Diospyros melanoxylon, Emblica officinalis, Ferronia
elephantum, Morus alba, Zizyphus spp
i) Seeds : Anacardium occidentale , Juglans regia, Prunus amygdalus,
Tamarindus indica, Dendrocalamus strictus
2. Fuel
Wood is used as fuel for thousands of years, until the advent of coal, oil, gas, electricity,
etc. Wood constitutes as chief source of fuel. Even today more than half of the total world
consumption of wood is for fuel-wood. Wood remains the major source of domestic fuel in
India. Approximately 175 mm3 of wood is used as fuel in the country. It is estimated that by
2010, most of the 3 billion people who depend on it for their daily living will find it hard to
obtain. Already, rural families spend precious hours in collecting firewood instead of other
productive work, something that causes losses to the tune of US$ 50 billion to the world
economy.
, Eg., Acacia spp, Casuarina equisetifolia, Prosopis, Neem, Leucaena leucocephala, etc.,
3. Shelter
Wood is used for construction of buildings.
Eg., Palmyra, Teak, Jack, etc.,
4. Clothing
Rayon cloth eg., Eucalyptus spp
5. Timber
Timber is a major forest produce and is used extensively for various purposes. In India
most of the wood produced is used for construction of houses, agricultural implements,
bridges, sleepers etc., In India 12 mm3 of timber is produced from our forests.More than
1500 species of trees are commercially exploited for timber in different parts of India. It is
used in timber-based industries such as plywood, saw milling, paper and pulp, and particle
boards.
Many species like teak, sal, deodar, babul, sissoo, chirpine, adina, axlewood, rosewood,
dipterocarpus, and etc.yield valuable timber.
6. Industrial wood
1) Forest provide raw material to large number of industries eg: paper and pulp, plywood
and other boards, packing cases, matches, toys etc.,
Paper and pulp : Bamboos, Eucalyptus, casuarina
Plywood : Teak, Rose wood, Terminalia etc.,.
Packing cases : Pinus sp, Silver oak, Fir,
Matchwood : Ailanthus, Simaruba, Bombax
Toys : Adina, Redsanders, rose wood
7.NTFP
i) Fibre and flosses
Fibres are obtained from bast tissue of certain woody plants, which are used for making
ropes. Flosses are obtained from Ceiba pentandra and fibres are obtained from Agave sisalana,
Sterculia urens
ii) Grasses and bamboos
, A large variety of grasses are found in the forests. About 30% of the 416 million
livestock population graze in the forests. Among valuable grasses eg: Sabai (Eulaliopsis binata)
is harvested annually 6.5 million tones and 80,000 tonnes of bamboo are harvested from forest
every year.
iii) Essential oil
India produced about 1500 tonnes of essential oils during 1980, which was utilized in
making soaps, detergents and chemicals eg. Eucalyptus, Bursera, Cymbopogan, Santalum album
etc.,
iv) Oil seeds
Many tree species of Madhuca indica, Pongamia pinnata, Shorea robusta, Azadirachta
indica, Schleichera oleosa, Vateria indica etc., produce oil-bearing seeds, which are
commercially important. Presently these seeds are used in the soap industry. There is a potential
production of about 1 million tonnes of oil every year from forests tree seeds.
v) Tans and dyes
Important tannins are extracted from myrobolan nuts, bark of wattles (A.mearnsii,
A.decurrens, A.dealbata) and Cassia auriculata , leaves of Embelica officinalis and Anogeissus
latifolia, bark of Cleistanthus collinus, fruits of Zizphus xylophora, Cassia fistula, Terminalia
alata, T.arjuna etc., katha and cutch are obtained from Acacia catechu.
vi) Gums and resins
Gums and resins are exuded by trees as a result of injury to the bark or wood. Gums –eg:
Sterculia urens, Anogeissus latifolia, Lannea coromandalica, Acacia nilotica, Ptercapus
marsupium, Butea monosperma etc.,
Resin is obtained from Pinus roxburghii
vii) Drugs, Spices and Insecticides
Important spices yielding drugs are Rauvolfia serpentina, Hemidesmus indicus,
Dioscorea spp, Atropa spp, Datura innoxia etc,
Spices : Seeds of Carum carvi, barks of Cinnomomum zeylanicum, dried capsules
of Elletaria cardomomum.
Insecticides : Pyrethrum and neem
