Importance of Forest
Forest is a wide area of land with different types of trees, herbs, shrubs, and bushes. Forests are an important feature provided to mankind by our mother nature. It provides us with different essential services and fulfils our needs.
It is also a home to different living organisms and also too many of the tribes. Life in forests is run by various factors like air, water, and sunlight. There are plants that rely on animals for processes like seed dispersal and pollination.
There are many forests that are spread to large areas across the globe. Forests further are classified into evergreen, partly evergreen, tropical, dry, and deciduous forests.
These forests are based on the climatic conditions and the type of trees present in the forest. Forest compromises non-living components like lakes, soil, rocks, ponds, etc.
Forests help in maintaining the oxygen and temperature levels of the atmosphere. Plants during photosynthesis release oxygen whereas it consumes carbon dioxide. Forests are a huge reserve of trees and plants. They help by playing a significant role in balancing the oxygen level of the entire atmosphere.
Forests help in maintaining the water cycle on earth. The water through the soils is absorbed by plants through their roots. The release of excessive water by the plant into the atmosphere in the form of water vapour is called the transpiration process.
Forests also help in preventing the global warming levels of the earth. The increase in the amount of carbon dioxide which is a greenhouse gas into the atmosphere results in the greenhouse effect on the earth. Trees of the forest absorb carbon dioxide and decrease the effect of global warming.
Forests are playing the role of natural purifiers by absorbing the greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Forests are the second largest reservoir of carbon dioxide gas after the oceans.
Forests are responsible for the reduction of soil erosion, as the roots of the trees are helping in the proper binding of the surface layer of the earth, thus helping in prospering the fertility of the soil.
Forests are a source of employment for the masses. Many people are actively involved in directly or indirectly making their living by the forest products, either timber or non-timber products. Along with providing up with the habitat, forests help in earning livelihood too.
Forest is a resource that is of very much importance to human beings. It provides us with our basic entities. It is continuously paying to us instead of gaining anything from us. We are and always will be in debt to our mother nature. We should take a step forward in conserving our forest resources.
Trees are the beauty of our environment and ecosystem. We need to protect them for the survival of every organism. The proper forest and forest product management policies must be implemented, along with punishments and penalties for ones who are not following the same.