Conservation Of Forest And Wildlife_verka(b)_amritsar

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

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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. Landbased 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