CHAPTER 4 FORESTS

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:Timber 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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.