Afforestation Essay: Key Benefits and How It Protects Nature

Afforestation is a term that refers to the process of planting new trees on previously barren land or the land which is occupied by the forest. This process involves cleaning the site and non-compacting the soil so the land can become fruitful for cultivation. The next step is increasing the count of trees in the forest; it doesn't matter the type of trees but only their number. The conservation of soil by retaining its fertility by growing native trees is achieved. 

In other words, afforestation is the process of planting trees in regions that haven't had any tree cover in the recent past in order to build a forest. Zones that have become desert (due to desertification), regions that have been used for grazing for a long time, abandoned agricultural fields, and industrial areas are all such regions. 

Essay on Afforestation - 500 Words

Afforestation's major aims are to lower CO₂ levels in the atmosphere, improve soil quality, and either prevent or reverse desertification. Afforestation also provides a habitat for local species, creates windbreaks, supports soil health, and may even aid in improving water quality. It can occur in areas that may or may not have previously been covered with trees. There may be no evidence of a forest being in the area designated for afforestation, or deforestation may have happened on lands hundreds of years ago.

Significance of Afforestation  

Afforestation offers several advantages, which is why communities and governments choose to invest in it. 

Soil is essential for two reasons - the first is that it can absorb three times as much carbon as the atmosphere, making it important in the climate change problem. Plants, animals that eat them, and insects all benefit from healthy soil as a natural water filtering system and a source of nourishment. 

Forests can help to enhance soil over time. Afforested regions fix nitrogen at greater rates, and they have also been demonstrated to neutralize the soil pH. (reducing acidity in acid soils and alkalinity in alkaline soils). 

A shelterbelt is an afforestation project in an arid or semiarid region that tries to provide wind protection for fields or crops while also reducing soil erosion. An afforestation project in China, for example, was particularly planted to prevent dust storms.  A portion of a shelterbelt might potentially be used as a supply of wood for the local community's fuel or revenue. Walnut and fruit trees were planted in Kyrgyzstan as part of an afforestation effort to provide food and revenue to the local inhabitants.

The quantity of soil is too high that it can even vanish the village below. News of Malingav was thorny. Malinga is a place near Pune, Maharashtra. The village was hit by the landslide and suffered heavy loss of life and property. There are thousands of valleys exposed to the cruelty of landslides. Trees plantation is the frontier preventive measure to this accident. As the count of forests goes on increasing, the impact of this unpredictable disaster goes on decreasing. 

Forests are the solution to every climatic problem. Plants exhale essential oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide. This process stabilizes the environmental conditions. The amount of oxygen released from the human body is to a great extent as the count of the population is too high. Also, the population is increasing every day, while the area of forests is decreasing. 

Imagine you are travelling on the roads surrounded by the trees on its banks. The trees’ shadows create a pleasant cool effect on spectators. If 10-20 trees have such an impact, imagine the scenario when you are surrounded by thousands of trees. This will provide a protective layer from UV rays, a significant full meal and calmness.

We all are aware of the natural therapy technique used before curing critical illnesses. Natural therapy is the technique used to heal a patient with only naturopathic medicine. Even, plenty of research says, living in nature assists in the diversion from the pain. Hoot, chirps, caw, cluck, shriek and many more sounds let the experiencer feel the beauty of nature and divert him from the pain. The fact is unavoidable that the cure from Ayurveda has no side effects on the human body. The technique of Ayurveda is a little bit slow but it shows lifelong results, and it is also true that slow and steady wins the race! This technique uses medicines that originate from a variety of medicinal plants rarely found. Frequently the manufacturers of these medicinal products hunt the jungles for the required ingredients. 

Short Essay Afforstation 

Planting native trees are the simplest approach since you can easily disperse their seed. Direct sowing is the most cost-effective and superior to nurseries. Other trees that require more assistance may be important as well. Look into various alternatives and see if there are any trees that may be classified invasive. It may be worthwhile to raise vulnerable trees until they are old enough to live on their own in some instances.

This article clearly shows the necessity of forests for human survival; still, no one takes efforts for forest conservation. Forests will kick out all the troubles from human life and give a healthy prosperous life in return. The NGOs are making people aware of forest growth but not taking any initial actions to generate it. ‘One plant per one person in a year’ technique will only be a fruitful one! 

With the increasing population, the demand for timber and charcoal is increasing at a rapid rate. A lot of commercial sites or companies indulge in afforestation to grow trees to source timber and charcoal. Apart from that, afforestation also provides more job opportunities to the laborers and helps local businesses with an increased supply of its products. This not only caters to the local needs but also benefits the local economy, thus, making afforestation helpful in coping with the increasing demand for timber and coal.