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Forests are natural renewable resources to the mankind on planet earth. The total forest cover of the country has been estimated to be 19.39% of the geographical area. Forests comprise mainly trees which provide wood that may be converted into solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels. They are important for the climate of the Earth, they act as filters of carbon dioxide, they are habitats and shelters to millions of species, and they are also important for their aesthetic appeal. Forests provide raw material for various wood-based industries, viz., pulp and paper, composite wood, rayon and other man-made fibers, sport goods, furniture, boat building, matches etc. Timber is an important material in building construction.
Miscellaneous products, like bamboos, resins, gums, some oils, fibers, medicines, katha, lac, shellac etc. are obtained from forests.
The forest cover of the country has been estimated to be 637,293 Sq.Km. which is 19.39% of the geographic area of the country. This is below the requirement which should be 30% of the total land area. The dense forest, open forest and mangrove constitute 11.48%, 7.76% and 0.15% of the geographic area respectively.
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