Forest Resources

A forest , a biotic community with

predominance of trees is an
important Renewable natural
resource.
Benefits of Forests
Protective Function
Forest Provide protection against Soil erosion, Droughts,
floods, noise, radiations

Productive Function
Forest Provide various products like, gum resins, medicines,
Katha, honey, pulp, bamboo, timber, and fruits

Regulative Function
The Forest regulates the level of Oxygen and carbon
dioxide in atmosphere. The forests also help in regulating
temperature conditions

Accessory Function
Forest provides aesthetics, habitat to various flora and
Uses of Forest Resources

Direct Uses

Indirect Uses
Over-Exploitation of Forest:

Deforestation
Deforestation is removal or reduction in forest cover.

Causes:

•Encroachment of forest land for agricultural purposes

•Expansion of cities.
•Construction of dams, canals and highways
•Establishment of industrial areas
•Demand for firewood
•Mining
•Shifting Cultivation
•Forest Fires
Effects of Deforestation

Large scale of destruction of forests leads to a number of

adverse environmental effects.

•Loss of natural habitat of wild animals and plants

•Increased intensity and frequency of natural disasters
•Land Degradation
•Loss of forest products
•Change in climatic conditions
•Siltation of rivers and canals
•Loss of revenue
•Change in water cycle and reduced rainfall
•Increase socio economic problems
Control of Deforestation

•Mining activities should be prohibited

•Bane on cutting of trees
•Environmental laws and legal provisions should be
strictly enforced
•Public awareness regarding medicinal, economical
environmental importance of forest
Related links

Importance of forests

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdeBW_Z-6ug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4osIBchx7k

Deforestation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VgybjZOLnc

Causes and impacts due to mining

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0S8iayJDhQ

Control.
http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-sustainable-forest-
management-definition-and-examples.html

Sustainable Forest Management

http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-sustainable-
forest-management-definition-and-examples.html
1. Conversion of bare or cultivated land into forest
(a) Deforestation (b) Afforestation (c) Farming (d) Soil erosion

2. Causes of Desertification are

(a) Continuous cutting of trees (b) Excessive evaporation (c) Overgrazing
(d)All of these

3. Deforestation is caused due to

(a) Soil formation (b) Plantation of trees (c) construction of roads (d) Rainfall

4. Which of the following is indirect function of Forests?

(a) Timber (b) Edible products (c) Medicinal plants (d) Regulating O2 in
atmosphere

5. Which of the following is responsible for desertification?

(a) Deforestation (b) Overgrazing (c) Mining (d) All of these
Water Resources
SOURCES OF WATER- Most important source of
water is rainfall.
Only 3 % of total reserved water is fresh which is also locked
up in polar ice caps.
Only 0.003 % is available to us as ground water and surface
water.

Ground water-
Most usable groundwater occurs upto a depth of 750 m.

Surface water-
After precipitation, the amount of water that does not
percolate down into the ground or does not return to the
atmosphere as evaporation or transpiration and enters the
rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, wetland etc constitutes the
surface water.
 Importance of water
• Life began with water and it is the basic component of
every living cell.
•Two kinds of water: Salt water and fresh water
•Water moves through different biotic and abiotic
components of the earth in a water cycle known as
hydrological cycle.
•Also classified as hard water and soft water.
•Hard water consists Ca and Mg salts and is unsuitable
for bathing, drinking, washing and cooking.
•Major requirement for agriculture.
•Use in industries for cooling purposes.
•Provides habitat to aquatic animals.
Fresh Water Use
Gleick, P. H., 1993, Water in Crisis, A Guide to the World’s Fresh Water Recourses,
OUP, New York.
Effects of Over Utilization of Ground water
Reduced surface water flow
Sharp decline in water table
Loss of vegetation and wildlife habitat.
Salinity problems.
Ground subsidence.
Water Calamities: Floods and
Droughts
Floods

Floods refer to the presence of unusually large

amount of water at any place or more water that
can be handled by the drainage of the area. The
various types of floods are

Flash Floods- Due to the sudden heavy rainfall, dam failure and river
obstructions

River floods- Precipitation over large area or/and by melting snow

Coastal Floods- Due to cyclone activities like hurricans, wind

induced storms.
Drought

A drought is a condition in which a region suffers from

a severe scarcity in its water availability.

The various kinds of drought are

Meteorological Drought- When actual rainfall in an area is

significantly less than climatological mean of that area. Country as a
whole may have normal monsoon but different meteorological districts
and subdivisions can have below normal rainfall. Eg Jaiselmer in INDIA
Hydrological Drought- When there is running down of surface
water leading to very low stream flow and drying of lakes , rivers and
reservoirs
Agricultural Drought- When there is inadequate soil moisture
resulting in acute crop stress and fall in agriculture productivity.
Water conflicts

More than 200 water bodies are shared by two or more countries.

Hotspots:

Nile Water Conflict: Egypt vs. Ethiopia, Brahmaputra Water Conflict:

China, India, Bangladesh etc.

Inter-state disputes (e.g., Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over Caveri water)

Industries vs. Communities (.........Coca-Cola Beaverage company in Kerala.......

Related links

Importance of water: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxqbpPWTl6A

Water cycle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al-do-HGuIk

https://pmm.nasa.gov/education/videos/water-cycle-animation

Sources of water : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4WBbSv_N7U

1. Use of surface and groundwater: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lK_fs3p7yc

2. Over-exploitation of surface and ground water:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1gsyhuHGgc

3. Floods
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPdT-osZNkE
http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-are-floods-causes-types-prevention.html

4. Droughts
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/droughts?source=relatedvideo

5. Conflicts over water

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v8MEaejTok
1. Water resources are important because
a. Water forms a large part of all living creatures
b. It is essential for agriculture
c. It is essential for all life
d. All the above

2. Where does the energy that powers the water cycle come from?
a. Plants
b. Animals
c. Electrical outlets
d. The sun

3. Most of the Earth's water is in this form.

a. Salt water
b. Ice
c. Rivers
d. Fresh water

4. All of the following are adverse consequences of groundwater overuse EXCEPT:

a. Increased agricultural production.
b. Reduced stream and spring flow.
c. Saltwater intrusion.
d. Increased Subsidence

5. The main reserve of fresh water on earth surface is

(a) Sea (b) Polar ice caps and glaciers (c) Lakes (d) Rivers
Energy Resources

All living creatures on the earth, either it is a plant, an

animal or a microbe need energy to perform their vital
functions. The earth is a vast storehouse of energy. The
fossil fuels beneath its surface, the wind and water on
its surface, the plants growing on it, the sunlight falling
upon it, these are all sources of energy.