ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES(ES)

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Lesson 13: Types of ecosystems

Forest Utilization

1. Direct uses:
   
   • Provide food like fruits, roots and herbs.
     
   • Provide medicines
     
   • Fuel wood is used for cooking food
     
   • Small timber is used for building huts and houses
     
   • Wood for farm implements
     
   • Bamboo and cane for baskets
     
   • Grass for grazing and stall feeding livestock
     
     
2. Indirect uses:
   
   • Provide building material for construction and furniture for the urban sector
     
   • Medicinal products collected and processed into drugs
     
   • Gums and resins processed into a variety of products
     
   • Raw material for industrial products and chemicals
     
   • Paper from bamboo and softwoods

Threats to the forest ecosystem

Mining, construction of dams, rapid population growth, urbanization, industrialization, increasing use of consumer goods lead to the over utilization of forest produce. The forest cover is rapidly being reduced to meet the need of agriculture land. India’s forest cover is declined from 40% to 19%.