CONSERVATION OF FOREST

AND WILDLIFE
BY : GOVT. SEC. SCHOOL VERKA (BOYS)
AMRITSAR
PROJECT BY :
ARJUN SINGH ** SAROJ KUMAR ** DEEPAK KUMAR
 WHAT IS CONSERVATION
 The year 1938 witnessed several events of interest and
importance to conservation and its problems. On the
constructive side the U. S. Department of Agriculture may
take credit for the greatest amount of tangible progress toward
the goals of conservation, but as usual the manifold activities
of this Federal department are less spectacular than the more
destructive activities of nature. Other governmental agencies,
both Federal and state, have taken new steps to conserve
resources, and it would require a lengthy article to review
everything which has been accomplished in the twelve-month
period. In this brief review, completeness and chronology will
be sacrificed to the exposition of events and activities which
seem to have especial and lasting significance.
 The Role of Forest
 Forests provide habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals and perform many other important functions
that affect humans. Photosynthesis is the chemical process in the leaves that uses sunlight and carbon dioxide to
produce energy-supplying sugars for the tree. In the process the foliage gives off pure oxygen for breathing. The
forest canopy (the treetops) and root systems provide natural filters for the water we use from lakes and rivers.
When it rains the forest canopy intercepts and re-distributes precipitation that can cause flooding and erosion,
the wearing away of topsoil. Some of the precipitation flows down the trunks as stemflow, the rest percolates
through the branches and foliage as throughfall. The canopy is also able to capture fog, which it distributes into
the vegetation and soil. Forests also increase the ability of the land to store water. The forest floor can hold as
much as five times its weight in water and a tree contains water in its roots, trunk, stems, and leaves. Because of
all this stored moisture, forests help to maintain an even flow of water in rivers and streams in times of flood or
drought. The roots of the trees and other vegetation hold the soil in place and control erosion from wind and
rain, preventing flooding and clouding of streams and rivers
 Deforestration and Erosion

 After the lush vegetation of a rain forest is removed, an area rarely recovers. This deforested Costa Rican
stream valley is eroding away because there is no longer a good root system to anchor the topsoil or
decaying plant matter to replenish its nutrients. If the cycle continues, the area may eventually resemble a
desert.
 Fire Detection and Fighting
One of the most important aspects of forest-fire control is a
system of locating fires before they are able to spread. Land-
based forest patrols and lookouts have been largely replaced
by surveillance aircraft, which detect fires, map their
locations, and monitor their growth.

Ground fires, once established, are difficult to extinguish.

When the humus layer is not very deep, a ground fire may be
extinguished with water or sand. Most ground fires,
however, are controlled by digging trenches around the
burning area and allowing the fire to burn itself out. Surface
fires are limited by clearing the surrounding area of low
vegetation and litter, or digging emergency furrows to
confine the area. Crown fires are difficult to extinguish.
They may be allowed to burn themselves out, they may be
halted by streams, or they may be limited by backfired areas.
Backfiring consists of carefully controlled burning of a strip
of forest on the leeward side of the blaze, so that when the
fire reaches the burned area it can go no farther.
 Fire Prevention
 Most forest fires result from
human carelessness or deliberate
arson. Fewer fires are started by
lightning. Weather conditions
influence the susceptibility of an
area to fire; such factors as
temperature, humidity, and
rainfall determine the rate and
extent to which flammable
material dries and, therefore, the
combustibility of the forest.
Wind movement tends to
accelerate drying and to increase
the severity of fires by speeding
up combustion.
 National Wildlife Federation
National Wildlife Federation, private, nonprofit
conservation-education organization. Founded in 1936,
the mission of the organization is “to educate, inspire, and
assist individuals and organizations of diverse cultures to
conserve wildlife and other natural resources while
protecting the earth's environment to promote a peaceful,
equitable, and sustainable future.” The organization
maintains 10 regional offices throughout the United
States.
African Elephant Killed By Poachers
Elephant populations are on the
brink of extinction due to
poachers who kill elephants for
their ivory tusks. An
international ban on ivory trade,
instituted in 1989 by the
Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),
has diminished the illicit ivory
trade and reduced the killing.
Over 120 countries support the
ban
 Impact
Through its enforcement powers,
funding initiatives, scientific
methodology, and other provisions, the
ESA gives conservation interests a
voice on issues that are often
dominated by economic and political
pressures. The act has helped wildlife
advocates and government officials
understand and educate the public
about endangered species in the United
States.
 SPECIAL THANKS TO

COMPUTER DEPARTMENT
GOVT. SEC. SCHOOL VERKA (B)
AMRITSAR