What is the importance of forests

Economic Reasons:

1. Food: Tribals obtain most of their food requirements from the forests, e.g., fruits, tubers, fleshy roots, leaves.
2. Nuts: Pine Nut (Chilgoza), Almond, Walnut and Cashewnut are obtained from forests trees.
3. Spices: Cardamom, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Cloves are spices obtained from forest plants.
4. Commercial Products: A number of forest products are of commercial importance, g., rubber, resin, tannins, tendu, lac, cork, camphor, essential oils, soap pod and drugs.
5. Fuel Wood: Nearly two billion persons depend upon forests for fuel wood.
6. Timber: Wood for the manufacture of furniture, household fitments and several other articles mostly comes from forests. Bamboo is called poorman’s timber as it is used in thatching huts, preparing baskets and a number of other articles including furniture.
7. Paper: It is prepared from cellulose rich plants like bamboos, Boswellia, Eucalyptus, grasses and several

Protective Functions:                                                                                  i

1. Forests provide shelter to wild animals. Over 40 million tribals and villagers live in forests.
2. Plant roots hold the soil firmly. Vegetation protects the soil from action of wind and water. Forests, therefore, protect the soil from erosion and landslides.
3. Pollution. Forests reduce atmospheric pollution by absorbing gases, collecting suspended particles and reducing noise.

Regulative Functions:

1. Absorption and Retention of Water. Forests reduce run off, hold water like a sponge and allow slow percolation to form perennial springs and rivulets.
2. Forests increase atmospheric humidity, increase frequency of rainfall and moderate temperature.
3. Atmospheric Gases. Forests absorb large quantity^ of C02 from the atmosphere, reducing the threat of global warming. They also release a lot of oxygen.