Forest
Content
Forest
A forest is a large area of land covered with trees or other woody vegetation. [1] Hundreds of
more precise definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as
tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing and ecological function. [2][3][4]According to the
widely-used[5][6] United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization definition, forests covered
an area of four billion hectares (15 million square miles) or approximately 30 percent of the
world's land area in 2006.[4]
Forests are the dominant terrestrial ecosystem on Earth, and are distributed across the
globe.[7] Forests account for 75% of the gross primary productivity of the Earth's biosphere, and
contain 80% of the Earth's plant biomass.[7]
Forests at different latitudes form distinctly different ecozones: boreal forests near the poles
tend to consist of evergreens, while tropical forests near the equator tend to be distinct from
the temperate forests at mid-latitude. The amount of precipitation and the elevation of the
forest also affects forest composition.
Human society and forests influence each other in both positive and negative ways.[8] Forests
provide ecosystem services to humans, but also impose economic, environmental, health and
aesthetic costs. Human interactions with the forest, including harvesting forest resources,
affect the forest ecosystem.
Types of Forests
Tropical rainforests
Hugely dense, lush forest with canopies preventing sunlight from getting to the floor of the
forest.
All year high temperatures and abundant rainfall.
Located near the equator.
A vital storehouse of biodiversity, sustaining millions of different animals, birds, algae and
fish species.
Sub-tropical forests
Located at the south and north of the tropical forests.
Trees here are adapted to resist the summer drought.
Mediterranean forests
Located at the south of the temperate regions around the coasts of the Mediterranean,
California, Chile and Western Australia.
The growing season is short and almost all trees are evergreen, but mixed with hardwood
and softwood.
Temperate forests
Located at Eastern North America, Northeastern Asia, and western and eastern Europe.
Mix of deciduous and coniferous evergreen trees.
Usually, the broad-leaved hardwood trees shed leaves annually.
There are well-defined seasons with a distinct winter and sufficient rainfall.
Coniferous forests
Located in the cold, windy regions around the poles.
They come in both hardwoods and conifers.
The hardwoods are deciduous.
The conifers are evergreen and structurally adapted to withstand the long drought-like
conditions of the long winters.
Montane forests
Known as cloud forests because they receive most of their precipitation from the mist or fog
that comes up from the lowlands.
Usually found in high-elevation tropical, subtropical and temperate zones.
Plants and animals in these forests are adapted to withstanding the cold, wet conditions and
intense sunlight.
Trees are mainly conifers.
Plantation forests
Has around 7% of global forest cover (140 million hectares).
Produces more sustainable timber and fibre than natural forests.
Plantations produce around 40% of industrial wood.
Plantation forests are on the increase.
Uses of Forest:
forest are one of the renewable natural resources on this earth. about one-third of the world's
land surface is covered with forest. forest are an important components of our environment
and economy. besides economy,forest provide fuel wood,coal,furniture,checks air pollution,soil
erosion,saves the hill-slopes from landslides.
COMMERCIAL USES:
Man depends heavily on a larger number of plants and animal products from forest for his daily
needs.they provide us a large number of commercial goods.
NAME OF THE PRODUCTS USES
1. Forest supply wood used as fuel.
raw materials as pulp,paper,board,timber etc.,
2.minor forest products like gums, resins,dyes etc.,
3.Many plants are utilized in preparing medicines and drugs.
4.provide variety of animal products honey,ivory,hides etc.,
5.many forest lands are used as mining,grazing,recreation and for dams.
ECOLOGICAL USES:
1.production of oxygen
2.reducing global warming
3.soil conservation
4.regulation of hydrological cycle
5.pollution moderators
6.wildlife habitat
Tropical rainforests
Subtropical Forest
Mediterranean
Temperature
Coniferous
Montane
Plantation
A forest is a large area of land covered with trees or other woody vegetation. [1] Hundreds of
more precise definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as
tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing and ecological function. [2][3][4]According to the
widely-used[5][6] United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization definition, forests covered
an area of four billion hectares (15 million square miles) or approximately 30 percent of the
world's land area in 2006.[4]
Forests are the dominant terrestrial ecosystem on Earth, and are distributed across the
globe.[7] Forests account for 75% of the gross primary productivity of the Earth's biosphere, and
contain 80% of the Earth's plant biomass.[7]
Forests at different latitudes form distinctly different ecozones: boreal forests near the poles
tend to consist of evergreens, while tropical forests near the equator tend to be distinct from
the temperate forests at mid-latitude. The amount of precipitation and the elevation of the
forest also affects forest composition.
Human society and forests influence each other in both positive and negative ways.[8] Forests
provide ecosystem services to humans, but also impose economic, environmental, health and
aesthetic costs. Human interactions with the forest, including harvesting forest resources,
affect the forest ecosystem.
Types of Forests
Tropical rainforests
Hugely dense, lush forest with canopies preventing sunlight from getting to the floor of the
forest.
All year high temperatures and abundant rainfall.
Located near the equator.
A vital storehouse of biodiversity, sustaining millions of different animals, birds, algae and
fish species.
Sub-tropical forests
Located at the south and north of the tropical forests.
Trees here are adapted to resist the summer drought.
Mediterranean forests
Located at the south of the temperate regions around the coasts of the Mediterranean,
California, Chile and Western Australia.
The growing season is short and almost all trees are evergreen, but mixed with hardwood
and softwood.
Temperate forests
Located at Eastern North America, Northeastern Asia, and western and eastern Europe.
Mix of deciduous and coniferous evergreen trees.
Usually, the broad-leaved hardwood trees shed leaves annually.
There are well-defined seasons with a distinct winter and sufficient rainfall.
Coniferous forests
Located in the cold, windy regions around the poles.
They come in both hardwoods and conifers.
The hardwoods are deciduous.
The conifers are evergreen and structurally adapted to withstand the long drought-like
conditions of the long winters.
Montane forests
Known as cloud forests because they receive most of their precipitation from the mist or fog
that comes up from the lowlands.
Usually found in high-elevation tropical, subtropical and temperate zones.
Plants and animals in these forests are adapted to withstanding the cold, wet conditions and
intense sunlight.
Trees are mainly conifers.
Plantation forests
Has around 7% of global forest cover (140 million hectares).
Produces more sustainable timber and fibre than natural forests.
Plantations produce around 40% of industrial wood.
Plantation forests are on the increase.
Uses of Forest:
forest are one of the renewable natural resources on this earth. about one-third of the world's
land surface is covered with forest. forest are an important components of our environment
and economy. besides economy,forest provide fuel wood,coal,furniture,checks air pollution,soil
erosion,saves the hill-slopes from landslides.
COMMERCIAL USES:
Man depends heavily on a larger number of plants and animal products from forest for his daily
needs.they provide us a large number of commercial goods.
NAME OF THE PRODUCTS USES
1. Forest supply wood used as fuel.
raw materials as pulp,paper,board,timber etc.,
2.minor forest products like gums, resins,dyes etc.,
3.Many plants are utilized in preparing medicines and drugs.
4.provide variety of animal products honey,ivory,hides etc.,
5.many forest lands are used as mining,grazing,recreation and for dams.
ECOLOGICAL USES:
1.production of oxygen
2.reducing global warming
3.soil conservation
4.regulation of hydrological cycle
5.pollution moderators
6.wildlife habitat
Tropical rainforests
Subtropical Forest
Mediterranean
Temperature
Coniferous
Montane
Plantation
