Where have all the forests gone?

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Where have all the forests gone?
Land Degradation Deforestation
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The GENERAL OBJECTIVE of this presentation is to
provide an overview of the problem of LAND
DEGRADATION with particular emphasis on the
problem of DEFORESTATION
TARGET GROUP Classes IX - XII Ages 13 -18
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After interacting with this software the learner
will be able to
DEFINE

• Land degradation and deforestation

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IDENTIFY

• Factors responsible for land degradation and
  deforestation

STATE

• Effects of deforestation on the environment

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ASSESS

• Consequences of deforestation on human population

EVOLVE

• Strategies to combat effects of deforestation

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Land degradation is the over exploitation and
depletion of land resources, such as, soil,
forests, and pasture land.
It happens as a result of deforestation and
desertification.
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FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR LAND DEGRADATION

• Deforestation
• Soil Erosion
• Mining activities
• Solid waste disposal
• Agricultural practices

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WHAT IS A FOREST?
It is a plant community consisting of trees and
woody vegetation with a more or less closed
canopy.
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It is a renewable resource with rich flora and
fauna

• It provides fuel wood, timber and other forest
  produce.

• Cleans the air

• Protects the soil

• Influences the environment to make it habitable

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What is Deforestation?
Deforestation is the permanent conversion of
forests to other uses such as

• pastures,

• shifting cultivation,

• agricultural land ...

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Shifting Cultivation is preceded by slash and
burn of forests leading to massive deforestation
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or for other activities, like
Setting up industries
Building roads and railway tracks
Road building in the Amazon forest
Constructing dams
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Effects of deforestation on the general
environment

• loss of genetic material,

• Loss of flora and fauna

• decline in agricultural productivity due to
  massive soil erosion and landscape degradation

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• Increase in levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide
  leading to the melting of polar ice caps and thus
  causing the sea level to rise.

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IMPACT OF DEFORESTATION ON HUMAN POPULATIONS

• Under development
• Low Quality of Life
• Poverty

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MEASURES TO CHECK DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS --

• Proper management of forests

• A forest sensitive development policy

• Extensive afforestation in degraded areas

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Agricultural practices by these we mean
practices which have an adverse
impact on soil fertility and productivity,
e.g. unskilled irrigation- leading to
salinity and water logging, use of
chemical fertilizers and pesticides,
and the practice of shifting
cultivation.
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Desertification A process by which land
becomes increasingly infertile and
unproductive until almost no vegetation
grows on it, making it a desert.This
could happen due to soil erosion,
increasing salinity or water logging.
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Mining Activities the two types of mining
activities open cast and underground mining,
lead to the deposition of ore on
adjacent sites.This not only causes
unwanted occupation of land, but when
this ore is washed out to agricultural
fields the debris blocks drainage channels
and results in water logging. The other
environmental problem is run off of
acids and toxic substances into nearby
surface water and soil erosion.
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Overgrazing it results in the absence of
ground vegetation, which causes soil
erosion, gradual depletion of soil
organisms, ultimately leading to the
transformation of land into wasteland.
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Soil erosion It is a natural and normal
process, by which the earths crust
is constantly eroded under the forces of
weathering Solid waste disposal any
unwanted or discharged non-liquid waste
material generated from domestic,
commercial, industrial and agricultural
activities
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WHAT IS AFFORESTATION?
Afforestation involves plantation in wastelands,
degraded government lands, private and village
panchayat land, road sides, canal banks, along
railway lines etc. the purpose is to grow trees
and other vegetation to provide green cover which
may be of commercial importance.
see an example of successful afforestation at
Kudremukh, Karnataka where iron ore mines had
ravaged the landscape
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Kudremukh
At kudremukh a massive yet brisk afforestation
programme unfolds a
serene spectacle of over 7.5 million
trees to restore the the mined
mountain scape to its
original splendour. The green silence of the
hills, comes alive with life, bird sanctuary,
wildlife sanctuary and picnic spots supported by
KIOCL adorn the region enhancing scenic beauty.
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GOVERNMENTS ROLE IN PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT -
The government has enacted several laws such as
The Environmental (Protection) Act,
(1986) Forest Conservation Act, 1980 The
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
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STUDENT QUIZ
ARE YOU ABLE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?

• What is land degradation?
• What is deforestation?
• What are the underlying causes of deforestation?
• Describe the effect of deforestation on the
  environment and on people?

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STUDENT PROJECT
Research and document information on at least two
ongoing peoples movements to conserve or stop
the destruction of forests in the
country. Present your findings in the form of a
multimedia presentation.
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CREDITS
Presentation developed by Reeta Kapur Snehlata
Gupta
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• Looking Back to Think Ahead - GREEN India 2047 by
  TERI, New Delhi.
• Man and Environment - M.C. Dash and P.C. Mishra
  (Macmillan India Ltd.)
• Indian Economy - a textbook for class XI,
  N.C.E.R.T.
• Encarta Encyclopaedia

www.terin.org