Forest

Forests are extensive, continuous areas of land dominated by trees. The desired level of forests is 20-30 % of the total area of a country. In Pakistan only about 4.8% of the total area is forested which is very low. There are two types of forests in Pakistan productive forests and protection forests. Productive forests are natural. The trees density is high and the forest canopy is closed. They have great commercial value and they are mainly used for extraction of timber and other products. Protection forests are mainly planted by people and usually linear. Planted mainly along roads, in parks and along railway lines. They are not having any commercial value there main function is to protect soil and prevent it from eroding. The forest play a very important role in nature. They help to maintain a balance in the environment by checking pollution and protecting the soil from erosion by wind or water. By preventing soil from erosion the trees on the slopes of hills also regulate the supply of water to the reservoirs there by reducing floods. Decomposition of leaves helps in humus formation, which maintains the fertility of the soil. From commercial and industrial point of view forests provide raw materials to various industries example can be of timber and pharmaceutical. Forests also have recreational value, promote tourism and provide employment in the forest department.  There are different types of forest in Pakistan. The alpine forest are trees having stunted growth due to low temperature and less sunlight and are located in Northern areas of Pakistan. The coniferous forests are known as evergreen forests and are conical in shape. They are also located in Northern areas apart from it in Islamabad, Muree and KPK. The tropical thorn forest (Rakh) are located in Punjab plains and Sindh plains. Which are dominated by thorny hardwood. The Sub-Tropical Scrub Forest are located in hills and foothills of lower Himalayas and are sources for supplying firewood. The Riverain or Bela forest are found near river Indus and its tributaries. The mangroves are situated near coastal areas of Sindh and Baluchistan. Which are the breeding ground for fish and shrimps. Moreover protect coastline from erosion, storm damage and wave action. The irrigated forests are in Changa Manga near Lahore, Wan Bachran in Thal area and Chichawatani in Sahiwal district and Guddu Barrages.