Forest: (unit 4)

Q What are linear plantation (Protective forest)? (4)

Ans: Linear plantation means the tree planted along the road, canals and railway lines. Trees hold the
soil and protect the soil erosion, beside provide shadow, reduce pollution and increase afforested
area.
Q What are productive forest?
Ans: Productive forest is mainly natural forest. Tree density is high, have commercial value, source
of timber and fire wood.
Q State two domestic use of wood. (2) J2007
Ans: Timber is used for construction of houses, for furniture, doors and windows.
Q Explain how wood is used in industry and transport.
Ans: Industry: Wood is raw material for furniture making, paper, matches, and pencils, sports goods
like hockey sticks, bats and rackets. Resin which is a fluid in tissues of chirr plant is used for making
paints. Mazri is used for making mats and baskets. Ephedra is a shrub used in pharmaceutical
(medicine) factories.
Transport: In transport wood is used in making truck bodies, railway carriages and sleeper, animal
carts, boats and bridges.
Q What is sustainable forestry? (3)
Ans: Sustainable forestry means the forest are utilized (used) in such a way that they remain
productive for long time. When mature trees are cut new one are planted.
Q What is snow line? (1)
Ans: The altitude (height 4500 Meters) above which snow remains throughout the year on mountain
peaks vegetation cannot grow above it.
Q What is snow field? (1) J2007
Ans: Snow field is a large area covered with snow all over the year.
Q Explain why a large part of northern area is covered with snow field. (2)
Ans: Snow field exists over 4500 meters because of low temperature during long winter, high snow
fall take place in these areas, during short summer little amount of snow melts next winter bring
more snow falls, snow goes on piling up, turns into hard ice.
Q Explain the importance of forest for the conservation of the environment in Pakistan? (3)
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Ans: (1) Forest checks soil erosion and floods. (2) Forest adds to oxygen in air and reduces air
pollution. (3) Forest provide home to wild life. (4) Forest reduces temperature and causes rainfall. (5)
Forest adds to natural beauty.
Q What is difference between afforestation and reforestation? (4)
Ans: Afforestation means to grow forest on an area where there was no forest.
Reforestation means growing forest on deforested area.
Q Why is afforestation called a long term investment? (2)
Ans: Trees take 10 to 20 years to reach maturity to become economically valuable.
Topic: Alpine forest.
Q At what altitude Alpine trees are found? (1)
Ans: From 4000 to 4500 meters.
Q Describe the features of Alpine trees.
Ans: Alpine trees are found in Dir, Chitral, Swat and Kohistan. Due to extreme (harsh) weather
conditions Alpine trees do not grow to full height and have stunted (undersized) growth. Alpine
forest grows over small area and has little economic value. Silver Fir, Junifer and Birch are types of
Alpine trees. Alpine forest provides only fire wood. (Alpine trees are actually coniferous trees grow
above 4000 meters).
Topic: Coniferous forest.
Q At what altitude coniferous trees are found? (1)
Ans: From 1000 to 4000 meters.
Q Name the types of coniferous trees.
Ans: Fir, Silver Fir, Spruce, Birch, Deodar, Pine, Larch and Junifer.
Q Name the places where coniferous trees are found in Pakistan.
Ans: Abottabad, Mansehra, Swat in K.P.K. Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Muree in Punjab. Quetta and
Kalat in Balochistan.
Q How coniferous adopted themselves according to the climate of northern areas? (3) J2006.
Ans: Coniferous trees have thick bark to protect them from low temperature, needle like leaves
reduce transpiration, sloping branches slides snow, long shallow roots provide strength against winds
and absorb water. Evergreen leaves of coniferous trees save energy.
Topic: Tropical thorn forest.
Q Describe the features of tropical thorn forest.
Ans: These are low height, thorny hardwood trees. They are also known as Rakh. These trees have
long roots so they can live on very small amount of water. These trees are 6 to 10 meters high.
Acacia and Salvador are common types of trees found in tropical thorn forest used as firewood.
Topic: Sub-Tropical Scrub Forest.
Q Name the places where Sub-Tropical Scrub Forest are found?
Ans: These forests are found in Sulaiman range, Kirthar range and foot hills of lower Himalayas.
These trees are also found in western mountains (Peshawar, Kohat and Mardan).
Q What are the main features of Sub-Tropical Scrub Forest?
Ans: Sub-Tropical Scrub Forest are broad leafed thorny trees. Sub-Tropical Scrub Forest are used as
grazing place and provide fire wood.
Topic: Riverain trees or Bela Forest.
Q At what altitude riverain forest found?
Ans: Below 1000 meters.
Q Describe the features of riverain forest.
Ans: Riverain forest is found along the banks of river Indus and its tributaries locally known as Bela.
It mostly covers active flood plain. Babul, Shisham, Willow, Dhrek and Jhand are common types of
trees used as firewood. wood of Shisham trees is used for making furniture.
Topic: Mangrove forest.
Q Name the type of mangrove trees.
Ans: Timar, Kirani and kunni.
Q Why this type of forest are found along coastal areas?
Ans: Mangrove forest grows in coastal areas, which are drained by both fresh river water and salty
sea water. These trees can live in Salty sea water. The roots of Mangrove trees can filter the salt.
Trees have stunted (slow) growth due to water pollution. Trees can grow up to 8 meters in case of
favorable (good) conditions.
Q Name the areas where Mangrove trees are found.
Ans: Indus and Hub delta.
Q What are advantages of Mangrove trees?
Ans: (1) Mangrove trees supply fire wood (2) material to make huts (3) Mangrove trees provide
breeding place for fish and shrimps. Fallen leaves of Mangrove provide nutrients (food) to fish. (4)
Roots of Mangrove trees protect small fish from predators (big fish). (5) Camel and live stock feeds
on leaves of Mangrove trees. (6) Mangrove protects coasts from erosion and high sea waves. (7)
Mangrove trees reduce carbon-di-oxide from atmosphere.
Q Why area of Mangrove forest has decreased in recent years?
Ans: Careless cutting of trees for firewood and timber, overgrazing, oil spills and water pollution
damages Mangrove trees. Deforestation of mangrove is done to make roads and housing.
Topic: Irrigated forest.
Q Why Pakistan needs to increase the area of irrigated forest?
Ans: In Pakistan less than 5% of area is covered with forest. There is shortage of wood in Pakistan.
Rainfall is low in Indus plain. To fulfill the needs of firewood and timber irrigated forest are grown
with the help of irrigation facilities.
Q Describe the main features of irrigated forest.
Ans: valuable types of trees like Shisham, Babul, Jhand, and Euclyptus are grown to provide
firewood and timber.
Q Name the places where irrigated forest are grown.
Ans: Changa Manga near Lahore, Chichawatni, Khanewal, Bahawalpur, Taunsa Barrage and Ghuddu
Barrages.
Q Explain the advantages and disadvantages of developing more irrigated plantation in Indus
Delta?
Ans: Advantages: Provide timber for furniture, construction and firewood for fuel, Fodder for
animal, honey and fruit for people, leave fall adds humus to the soil, protect soil erosion, eucalyptus
trees reduce water logging and salinity, provide natural home for wild life, decrease pollution,
provide oxygen, adds to scenic beauty.
Disadvantages: High cost and it is long-term investment, cost of looking after are high, need
irrigation and farmland can be used for growing crops and problems are caused by roots.
Q Why irrigation necessary for new plantation?
Ans: (1) Rainfall is low and evaporation-transpiration rate is high in Indus Plain (2) rainfall in only
seasonal, (3) irrigation keep the soil wet prevent soil erosion (4) Plants need water to grow.
Topic: Deforestation.
Q State the causes of deforestation.
Ans: (1) Deforestation is done for firewood and timber (2) land is cleared for farm land (3)
urbanization or construction of dams (4) for establishment of road or mining activity (5)
deforestation for raw material for industry (6) overgrazing by live stock, droughts (7) forest fire and
flash flood also reduce forest area.
Q How soil can be preserved in deforested areas?
Ans: By making hill terracing: Steps are made along slopes of hills, edges of terraced fields are lined
with stones to preserve soil. (2) On gentle slopes crops are cultivated known as contour ploughing
helps to reduce erosion. (3) In strip farming small crop is grown between large crops to cover soil.
(4) Afforestation also helps to check soil erosion.
Q What problems are caused by deforestation in mountain areas for (a) communication (b)
farming in valley (c) hydro-electricity?
Ans: Communication: Deforestation causes land sliding. Roots of vegetation bind (hold) soil. In the
absence of tree cover landslides and blocks roads, damage poles of telephone and electricity.
Valley farming: Surface runoff increases because flooding in valley also causes soil erosion make it
unfit for farming. Muddy water is undrinkable for farm animals and people.
Hydro-electricity: deforestation causes soil erosion and siltation of dams which reduces water storage
capacity and electric production, may block tunnels and machinery of dams.
Q How deforestation can cause soil erosion?
Ans: Soil is exposed due to deforestation and there are no roots to hold soil so it is washed away by
rain. Loss of nutrients is caused due to erosion and humus is not added because no leaf fall, little
chance of growth of new plants.
Q Explain why dry climate of Balochistan increases the risk of soil erosion? (3)
Ans: The land of Balochistan is bare of vegetation, overgrazing is common and re-growth of
vegetation is slow, dry soil is blown away by wind.
Q Where does eroded soil go to?
Ans: Wind blows it into dunes or foothill, water take it in rivers or ditches. It may drain in dam or
lake.
Q Describe the distribution of natural and irrigated forest. (4)
Ans: Coniferous forest is found in northern and north-western mountains. Gilgit, Chitral, Swat,
Murree, Abbotabad, Mansera, Nathiagali, and Khaghan. Coniferous Forest is also found in
Waziristan, Quetta, Pishin and Ziarat. Below 1000 meters sub-tropical dry forest in Rawalpindi,
Attock, Peshawar, Mardan and Kohat. Mangrove forest is found in Indus and Hab delta. Irrigated
forest is found in Changa Manga, Khanawal, Taunsa, Bahawalpur, Guddu barrage and Hyderabad.