Forest: (unit 4)

By Sir Bilal Sarwar from DMC fsd (03228659670)

Q What are linear plantation (Protective forest)? (4) 
Ans: Linear plantation means the tree planted along the
road, canals and railway lines. Trees hold the soil and
protect the soil erosion, beside provide shadow, reduce
pollution and increase afforested area.
Q What are productive forest?
Ans: Productive forest is mainly natural forest. Tree
density is high, have commercial value, source of timber
and fire wood.
Q State two domestic use of wood. (2) J2007
Ans: Fire wood is used for construction of houses, for
furniture, doors and windows.
Q Explain how wood is used in industry and transport.
Ans: Industry: Wood is raw material for furniture making,
paper, matches, and pencils, sports goods like hockey
sticks, bats and rackets. Resin which is a fluid in tissues
of chirr plant is used for making varnishes. Mazri is used
for making mats and baskets. Ephedra is a shrub used
in pharmaceutical (medicine) factories. 
Transport: In transport wood is used in making truck
bodies, railway carriages and sleeper, animal carts,
boats and bridges.
Q What is sustainable forestry? (3)
Ans: Sustainable forestry means the forest are utilized
(used) in such a way that they remain productive for
long time. When mature trees are cut new one are
planted.
Q What is snow line? (1)
Ans: The altitude (height 4500 Meters) above which
snow remains throughout the year on mountain peaks
vegetation cannot grow above it.
Q What is snow field? (1) J2007
Ans: Snow field is a large area covered with snow all
over the year. 
Q Explain why a large part of northern area is covered
with snow field. (2)
Ans: Snow field exists over 4500 meters because of low
temperature during long winter, high snow fall take place
in these areas, during short summer little amount of
snow melts next winter bring more snow falls, snow
goes on piling up, turns into hard ice.
Q Explain the importance of forest for the conservation
of the environment in Pakistan? (3) N99
Ans: (1) Forest checks soil erosion and floods. (2)
Forest adds to oxygen in air and reduces air pollution.
(3) Forest provide home to wild life. (4) Forest reduces
temperature and causes rainfall. (5) Forest adds to
natural beauty.
Q What is difference between afforestation and
reforestation? (4)
Ans: Afforestation means to grow forest on an area
where there was no forest. Reforestation means growing
forest on deforested area.
Q Why is afforestation called a long term investment?
(2)
Ans: Trees take 10 to 20 years to reach maturity to
become economically valuable.
Topic: Alpine forest.
Q At what altitude Alpine trees are found? (1)
Ans: From 4000 to 4500 meters.
Q Describe the features of Alpine trees.
Ans: Alpine trees are found in Dir, Chitral, Swat and
Kohistan. Due to extreme (harsh) weather conditions
Alpine trees do not grow to full height and have stunted
(undersized) growth. Alpine forest grows over small area
and has little economic value. Silver Fir, Junifer and
Birch are types of Alpine trees. Alpine forest provides
only fire wood. (Alpine trees are actually coniferous
trees grow above 4000 meters).
Topic: Coniferous forest.
Q At what altitude coniferous trees are found? (1)
Ans: From 1000 to 4000 meters.
Q Name the types of coniferous trees.
Ans: Fir, Silver Fir, Spruce, Birch, Deodar, Pine, Larch
and Junifer.
Q Name the places where coniferous trees are found in
Pakistan.
Ans: Abottabad, Mansehra, Swat in K.P.K. Rawalpindi,
Islamabad and Muree in Punjab. Quetta and Kalat in
Balochistan.
Q How coniferous adopted themselves according to the
climate of northern areas? (3) J2006.
Ans: Coniferous trees have thick bark to protect them
from low temperature, needle like leaves reduce
transpiration, sloping branches slides snow, long
shallow roots provide strength against winds and absorb
water. Evergreen leaves of coniferous trees save
energy. 
 Topic: Tropical thorn forest.
Q Describe the features of tropical thorn forest.
Ans: These are low height, thorny hardwood trees. They
are also known as Rakh. These trees have long roots so
they can live on very small amount of water. These trees
are 6 to 10 meters high. Acacia and salvadora are
common types of trees found in tropical thorn forest
used as firewood.
Topic: Sub-Tropical Scrub Forest.
Q Name the places where Sub-Tropical Scrub Forest
are found?
Ans: These forests are found in Sulaiman range, Kirthar
range and foot hills of lower Himalayas. These trees are
also found in western mountains (Peshawar, Kohat and
Mardan). 
Q What are the main features of Sub-Tropical Scrub
Forest?
Ans: Sub-Tropical Scrub Forest are broad leafed thorny
trees. Sub-Tropical Scrub Forest are used as grazing
place and provide fire wood.
Topic: Riverain trees or Bela Forest.
Q At what altitude riverain forest found?
Ans: Below 1000 meters.
Q Describe the features of riverain forest.
Ans: Riverain forest is found along the banks of river
Indus and its tributaries locally known as Bela. It mostly
covers active flood plain. Babul, Shisham, Willow, Dhrek
and Jhand are common types of trees used as firewood.
wood of Shisham trees is used for making furniture.
Topic: Mangrove forest.
Q Name the type of mangrove trees.
Ans: Timar, Kirani and kunni.
Q Why this type of forest are found along coastal areas?
Ans: Mangrove forest grows in coastal areas, which are
drained by both fresh river water and salty sea water.
These trees can live in Salty sea water. The roots of
Mangrove trees can filter the salt. Trees have stunted
(slow) growth due to water pollution. Trees can grow up
to 8 meters in case of favorable (good) conditions.
Q Name the areas where Mangrove trees are found.
Ans: Indus and Hub delta.
Q What are advantages of Mangrove trees?
Ans: (1) Mangrove trees supply fire wood (2) material to
make huts (3) Mangrove trees provide breeding place
for fish and shrimps. Fallen leaves of Mangrove provide
nutrients (food) to fish. (4) Roots of Mangrove trees
protect small fish from predators (big fish). (5) Camel
and live stock feeds on leaves of Mangrove trees. (6)
Mangrove protects coasts from erosion and high sea
waves. (7) Mangrove trees reduce carbon-di-oxide from
atmosphere.
Q Why area of Mangrove forest has decreased in recent
years?
Ans: Careless cutting of trees for firewood and timber,
overgrazing, oil spills and water pollution damages
Mangrove trees. Deforestation of mangrove is done to
make roads and housing.
Topic: Irrigated forest.
Q Why Pakistan needs to increase the area of irrigated
forest?
Ans: In Pakistan less than 5% of area is covered with
forest. There is shortage of wood in Pakistan. Rainfall is
low in Indus plain. To fulfill the needs of firewood and
timber irrigated forest are grown with the help of
irrigation facilities.
Q Describe the main features of irrigated forest.
Ans: valuable types of trees like Shisham, Babul, Jhand,
and Euclyptus are grown to provide firewood and timber.
Q Name the places where irrigated forest are grown.
Ans: Changa Manga near Lahore, Chichawatni,
Khanewal, Bahawalpur, Taunsa Barrage and Ghuddu
Barrages.
Q Explain the advantages and disadvantages of
developing more irrigated plantation in Indus Delta? 
Ans: Advantages: Provide timber for furniture,
construction and firewood for fuel, Fodder for animal,
honey and fruit for people, leave fall adds humus to the
soil, protect soil erosion, eucalyptus trees reduce water
logging and salinity, provide natural home for wild life,
decrease pollution, provide oxygen, adds to scenic
beauty.
Disadvantages: High cost and it is long-term investment,
cost of looking after are high, need irrigation and
farmland can be used for growing crops and problems
are caused by roots.
Q Why irrigation necessary for new plantation?
Ans: (1) Rainfall is low and evaporation-transpiration
rate is high in Indus Plain (2) rainfall in only seasonal,
(3) irrigation keep the soil wet prevent soil erosion (4)
Plants need water to grow.
Topic: Deforestation.
Q State the causes of deforestation.
Ans: (1) Deforestation is done for firewood and timber
(2) land is cleared for farm land (3) urbanization or
construction of dams (4) for establishment of road or
mining activity (5) deforestation for raw material for
industry (6) overgrazing by live stock, droughts (7) forest
fire and flash flood also reduce forest area.
Q How soil can be preserved in deforested areas?
Ans: By making hill terracing: Steps are made along
slopes of hills, edges of terraced fields are lined with
stones to preserve soil. (2) On gentle slopes crops are
cultivated known as contour ploughing helps to reduce
erosion. (3) In strip farming small crop is grown between
large crops to cover soil. (4) Afforestation also helps to
check soil erosion.
Q What problems are caused by deforestation in
mountain areas for (a) communication (b) farming in
valley (c) hydro-electricity?
Ans: Communication: Deforestation causes land sliding.
Roots of vegetation bind (hold) soil. In the absence of
tree cover landslides and blocks roads, damage poles of
telephone and electricity.
Valley farming: Surface runoff increases because
flooding in valley also causes soil erosion make it unfit
for farming. Muddy water is undrinkable for farm animals
and people.
Hydro-electricity: deforestation causes soil erosion and
siltation of dams which reduces water storage capacity
and electric production, may block tunnels and
machinery of dams.
Q How deforestation can cause soil erosion?
Ans: Soil is exposed due to deforestation and there are
no roots to hold soil so it is washed away by rain. Loss
of nutrients is caused due to erosion and humus is not
added because no leaf fall, little chance of growth of
new plants.
Q Explain why dry climate of Balochistan increases the
risk of soil erosion? (3)
Ans: The land of Balochistan is bare of vegetation,
overgrazing is common and re-growth of vegetation is
slow, dry soil is blown away by wind.
Q Where does eroded soil go to?
Ans: Wind blows it into dunes or foothill, water take it in
rivers or ditches. It may drain in dam or lake.
Q Describe the distribution of natural and irrigated
forest. (4)
Ans: Coniferous forest is found in northern and north-
western mountains. Gilgit, Chitral, Swat, Murree,
Abbotabad, Mansera, Nathiagali, and Khaghan.
Coniferous Forest is also found in Waziristan, Quetta,
Pishin and Ziarat. Below 1000 meters sub-tropical dry
forest in Rawalpindi, Attock, Peshawar, Mardan and
Kohat. Mangrove forest is found in Indus and Hab delta.
Irrigated forest is found in Changa Manga, Khanawal,
Taunsa, Bahawalpur, Guddu barrage and Hyderabad.