Importance of Forest in Environmental Chemistry and Ecosystem Balance

A forest is defined as the area of land that is covered by trees. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations defined forest as “Land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in this situation”. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban use. 

By using this definition, Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 has concluded that the total forest lands cover about 4.06 million hectares or 10 million acres of land which sums up to 31% of the total land on the Earth’s surface in the year 2020. 

Forests are important for the survival of all living beings. They are vital for our life as they provide oxygen, food, shelter, fuel, and means of livelihood for the tribal people living in and around the forest area. Forests are home to 80% of the global terrestrial biodiversity and are the source that fulfills all basic needs for adjacent human settlements. Everything from the oxygen we breathe to the wood used from fuel to use in construction comes from forests. It is a self-nourishing system, which is a host to a number of organisms. The ecosystem of every forest includes both biotic (living) and non-biotic components. The biotic components include plants, trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, mosses, algae, fungi, insects, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and microorganisms. 

Forests are Made of Four Main Layers as Shown Below. 

1. Emergent Layer: The tallest trees in the forest are around 200 feet from the emergent layer. These trees have broad leaves and get abundant sunlight. 

2. Canopy Layer: The canopy layer is just below the emergent layer. It is thickened by a maze of smooth oval leaves and branches. It is the primary layer of the forest.

3. Understory Layer: Sunlight cannot reach the layers below the canopy layer and hence the plants develop larger leaves to absorb it. 

4. Forest Floor: Sunlight cannot reach the forest floor and hence, it is dark and humid in this layer. It offers a rich source for the growth of fungus. Dead leaves, branches, and dead animals decay in this layer. 

There are three major forest zones based on the distance from the equator, which are

1. Tropical, 

2. Temperate, and 

3. Boreal forests. 

Tropical rainforests have different subcategories as follows:

• Evergreen

• Seasonal

• Dry

• Montane

• Tropical and subtropical 

Subcategories of temperate forests include moist conifer, evergreen broad-leaved, dry conifer, Mediterranean, and temperate broad-leaved rainforest. Boreal forests grow in higher latitudes, where the temperatures reach the freezing point.

Types of Forests

Forests are primarily referred to as the terrestrial ecosystem of the Earth. They are widely spread all over the surface of the Earth. The majority of the forest land is concentrated in just 5 major countries and those are Brazil, the United States, China, Canada, and the Russian Federation. About 45% of the forest land that is the largest forest share is in the tropical zone followed by temperate, boreal, and subtropic domains. Thus, the forests are divided into three major types as follows.

1. Tropical Forests: Tropical forests generally lie between 23.50 N and 23.50 S latitudes. The temperature that prevails in this forest is around 680 and 770 Fahrenheit throughout the year.  They normally experience 100 inches of rainfall every year and thus do not have any winter season. This type of forest avails broad leaves trees that are in majority in this forest and they normally grow 82 to 115 feet tall. Vines, ferns, mosses, orchids, and palms are the alternative variations that are found here. The various categories of tropical forests are evergreen, seasonal, dry, montane, tropical and subtropical, coniferous, and subtropical. 

2. Temperate Forests: The temperate forest is further divided into two subcategories and those are temperate deciduous forests and temperate coniferous forests. Temperate deciduous forests are mostly found in Japan, China, Europe, and a few parts of Russia as well as in the eastern part of the United States and Canada. 

In this forest, precipitation occurs all year long and it experiences distinctive seasons. Precipitation comes in the form of rain in spring, summer, and fall and it snows heavily in winters. Temperate deciduous forest saves a range of about 30 to 60 inches annually and thus the soils are very fertile here. The floor of this forest is covered with ferns, mosses, and wildflowers. Oak, apples, and birch trees are the dominant trees of this forest.

Temperate forests are mostly found in coastal regions that have heavy rainfall and very mild winters. Thus, they are also found in the regions of inland mountains that have very mild climates. The regions include New Zealand, Southern Japan, Pacific Northwest in the United States and Canada, South-Western South America, and a few parts of North-Western Europe. They have a prolonged growing season with very high precipitation. They are also characterized by moist climates. The rainfall received by this forest is around 50 and 200 inches of rain per year. The soil of this forest is very rich with a thick layer of decaying matter. The conifers are the dominant trees of this forest. These trees grow very tall and are credited to the high precipitation level and moderate temperature.

3. Boreal Forests: Boreal forests are also known as taiga forests, better found between 50 and 60 degrees north latitude. Siberia, Canada, North Asia, and Scandinavia are a few of the areas that have boreal forests. About 65% of the boreal forests are concentrated in Scandinavia. These forests are characterized by very long winters and very short summers. They receive between 15 and 40 inches of precipitation annually, most of which is snow. They have an undermined rate of decomposition and a very thin layer of soil because of the very cold temperature. The trees that are found in these forests are mostly evergreen trees. Some of the examples of these trees are pine, spruce, and fir. Due to its very dense canopy, it has very limited vegetation.

What is the Importance of Forests?

Forests are natural habitats for many animals. The trees supply oxygen to the atmosphere. They affect the rainfall in a particular region. They also provide us with wood, medicines, food, perfumes, paper, clothes, etc. 

Trees are the world’s largest storehouses of carbon which is important to maintain global temperatures. The rise in carbon levels is believed to be the main reason behind global warming. In spite of the advantages of forests, deforestation has become very rampant in the modern era causing several problems like pollution, soil erosion, and climate change. Here are some of the reasons that explain the importance of forests for all living beings (See figure 1) and why they should be preserved proactively. 

Uses of Trees to Absorb Greenhouse Gases

Forests maintain the ecosystem by absorbing greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide that are believed to be the reason for climate change. Carbon is stored in the biomass within the forests. Tropical forests alone harbor a huge amount of carbon (around a quarter of a trillion tons) that can be disastrous if it is released into the atmosphere. 

Importance of Trees to Provide a Natural Habitat

Forests provide a sustainable environment for the survival of millions of animals. It is home to several species including snakes, turtles, crocodiles, insects, birds, butterflies, monkeys, and other wild animals. It provides an ecosystem for the animals to thrive. The forest floor is also a rich medium for microorganisms, which are essential for the conversion of dead matter into nutrients. Forests are also home to indigenous people who depend on them for their livelihood. 

Importance of Forests as Watershed Regions

Forest-based water tables, rivers, streams, and lakes are critical sources of water. The green cover preserves the water reserves from sun radiation. The Amazon forest is home to the world’s largest watershed and river system. 

Importance of Forests to Support Biodiversity

Globally, around 90% of the species including various plants and animals thrive in forests. They offer the necessary habitat and support biodiversity. They are home to the genes of biodiversity. 

Importance of Forests to Purify the Air

Photosynthesis is a critical function of plants to generate food and energy. Plants, shrubs, and trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during the daytime and release oxygen. According to an estimate, an acre of mature trees can provide oxygen for 18 people. They act as giant lungs purifying the air in the atmosphere by removing carbon dioxide and maintaining balanced levels of oxygen that we breathe every day. Trees absorb odours and pollutant gases like ammonia and sulphur dioxide out of the air. These toxins are trapped in the leaves and barks. 

Importance of Trees to Regulate Global Temperatures

Forests provide green cover which absorbs the Sun’s radiation and keeps the temperature down. They regulate atmospheric temperature through evapotranspiration and breeze. Forests also promote rainfall that helps in maintaining the water table and a cool climate. Deforestation has the opposite effect causing the global temperature to rise dramatically. 

Importance of Forests to Enrich the Soil

Dead leaves and broken branches ultimately are converted to soil through the decomposition process and this conversion enriches the soil with nutrients. Microorganisms present in the soil convert the biodegradable material to simpler particles that can be utilized by the plants again. Trees have very strong roots that hold the soil intact in cases of floods or any other reasons that cause soil erosion. They are very critical in hilly areas or stream slopes as they slow the runoff and keep the soil intact. Uncontrolled soil erosion can destroy the fertile soil leading to barren conditions. 

Importance of Forests to Regulate the Water Cycle

Forest is an important component of the water cycle process. They regulate evaporation, condensation, and precipitation of the water. They also nourish the aquifers thereby replenishing groundwater supplies. Trees allow the rainwater to flow down the trunk into the soil thereby preventing the stormwater from carrying pollutants to the ocean. They act as giant sponges that filter water and recharge the water table. 

Importance of Forests in Our Life 

Forests are rich in herbs, plants, and trees of medicinal value. The extracts, seeds, leaves, and bark from these plants and trees treat several diseases while being non-toxic to the human body. Some examples include quinine, curare, rosy periwinkle, wild yams, extracts of willow trees, calabar bean, and samambaia. 

Forests Provide Economic Benefits

Forests have a lot to offer to human beings. Every component of a tree including leaves, branches, stem, bark, fruits, seeds, and root are useful. Forests provide wood, timber, raw materials, vegetables, and fruits, which have significant economic value. The timber is used in construction and making furniture. Wood is also essential in the production of paper.  The rubber extracted from trees is used to make several products. Even green waste has economic significance. 

Millions of trees are chopped off every year to support the increasing need of human beings. We have to take proactive measures to preserve forests and increase the green cover in the interest of millions of living beings that depend on them.

Thus, there are two types of benefits of forests on an economic front and they are direct benefits and indirect benefits. For instance, the contribution of forests towards the national income of India is increasing gradually. About 0.86 % of the forest wealth of India was contributed towards the gross domestic product in the year 1970-71. It has increased gradually to 1.8% in 1990-91. All the direct benefits are accounted for by forest resources that contribute around 2.9 % to the net domestic product for the country as a whole. Also, about 179 million cattle, 58 million buffaloes, and 120 million other livestock are provided for by the forests of the country. The forest has been declared the home of 500 types of animals.

About 15 lakh people are engaged as woodcutters, sawyers, Carters, and craftsmen and in other related forest industries and therefore are full-time employed because of the presence of forests. They are also homes for the submerged class in the country; for instance, there are about 38 lacs of tribals that found homes in various forests. 10,000 is considered as an ecological and economical part and parcel of the forest environment. There are about 5000 species of wood out of which 450 are commercially valuable and are specially used for extracting acetic acid methyl alcohol acetone, certain oils, and valuable drags like sulphonamide and chloroform. The total volume of timber which is one of the most economically viable wood in the country is about 85,696 M3 of which 93% and non-coniferous and only 7% of coniferous.

The indirect economic benefits consist of rendering the climate that increases the relative humidity of the atmosphere and therefore the precipitation increases by the forest. Sustainable feeding offspring water supply and reduction in violent floods are regulated by the forest and also makes the floor of the water in the river continuous.

This forest also channels the land by protecting it from the evil of erosion and climate access that in the end performs as a valuable and more expressible service that generates revenue than those rendered by the defense force of the country. Various worms, insects, and various miniature organisms feed on the humans and the tunnel in the soil, thus, making it suitable as a portion of food for the plants. Forests also act as a natural defense against aerial attack by covering the entire land with its canopies.