Conservation and management of forests

Aware of the threat of disappearance of tropical forests all efforts must be made to conserve the existing forests and to create new ones. The following measures should be adopted.
Reafforestation schemes. Land which has been cleared of trees should be replanted with new ones. Special nurseries should be established to raise seedlings for this purpose.
Afforestation. New trees or forests can be established m areas where forest vegetation has never existed. Unproductive shrub and grasslands should be planted with trees to create more sources of wood and its products.
Governments should set up regulations to control use of forest resources. These can include:
•    Restrictions on cutting down trees for agricultural expansion and building.
•    Orders to restrict overuse of forests by industry. Timber companies should be given fixed quotas annually.
•    Licences to restrict hunting and fishing activities in forest areas. The use and dumping of chemicals m rivers flowing through forests should also be prohibited.
Pests and diseases which damage and destroy valuable wood and young trees should be controlled by Spraying with pesticides, and burning of diseased or infested parts.
Accidental fire outbreaks can be controlled by:
•    Putting up warning notices at forest margins to regulate the activities of charcoal burners, tourists and other forest users.
•    Provision of fire beaters near to paths in the forest. These are special, weapons, feather or fan-like, with long handles for putting off fire.
•    The use of fire lines, for example, roads or specially cleared strip of forest, to avoid spreading of fire throughout the forest.     
•    Education of the public about the dangers of wild fires.
•    Installing look-out towers from which fire, outbreaks can be sighted and reported to fire fighters. Air patrols can also be used.  
•    Setting fire regulations to prevent the wanton setting of fire in and close to forest areas.
Wastage of valuable wood material in form of saw dust should be minimised and if possible completely avoided. Saw mills and other wood processing plants should extract timber, pulp and veneers by treating logs with chemicals to avoid any possible wastage,
Use should be made of the several alternative sources of energy and fuel in order to spare millions of trees which would be cut to provide fuel wood and charcoal. Tropical countries should look to their solar potential as an automatic alternative source of power.
Agro-forestry i.e. deliberately growing trees together with agricultural crops or livestock should also be adopted so as to ease the pressure put on natural forests to provide fuel and other products of wood.
Every effort should be made to stabilize the size of the population in all tropical countries.   This will maintain a balance between population and forest resources.
Every country should establish local forestry services to assist with forestry work at the community level, and particularly to encourage farmers to plant trees.
Larger blocks of forests should be gazetted as forest reserves and remain under the control of centrally organised forest Departments in all tropical countries.
Every country should vigorously pursue research into all aspects of forest ecology and utilization in order to minimize and, or prevent misuse and overuse of forest resources.
IDevice Icon Activity

25(a)  Draw an outline map of Ghana on it:-

(i)      Shade the Equatorial rainforest zone.

(ii)          Mark and name  any three places  where the Saw mills are located.

(iii)        Mark one important route used for transportation of logs and timber.

     b.(i)        Name any two species found in the  zones which are suitable     for timber production.

(ii)          Describe how trees are felled and  transported to the Sawmills.

c.(i)What problems face the forestry  Industry in Ghana?

(ii)          How has Ghana Government solved  the  problems?

          (iii) Name the products of the forest Industry.

 

POSSIBLE ANSWERS

Sketch map of Ghana showing Equatorial Rainforests, Sawmills and transportation routes.

 

a.       (ii) The Saw mills are located in Sekondi, Takoradi, Accra, Tema,        Axim.

The routes are Awaso to Sekondi,  Tokoradi, Kumasi to Accra or   to Tema.

b.(i)    The  types of species are Mahogany, Ebony, African Walnut, Sapele, Dhoma, Fuarea.

·        -Trees are cut down using axes and at times they use power driven  saws or chain saws.

·        -Caterpillar, Tractors or bull dozers are used for dragging logs to collecting point or river.

·        -Then there is chopping of trucks into logs.

·        -River transport is used to take logs to the sawmills.

·        -Road and Railway transport also assist in the log transportation.

c.(i)   The problems facing the forest Industry are:-

1.    There are few commercial important species.

2.    The trees of valuable species do not grow one stand.  They are scattered.

3.    There is a difficulty in locating the few and scattered species due to the impenetrable forest.

4.    Ghana has a low technology in logging.

5.    Some trees species are dense to float on rivers hence becoming expensive if they hauled by road or Railway.

6.    Ghana still imports large quantities of manufactured wood products.

7.    Uncontrolled felling of trees leading to deforestation.

8.    As the trees fall they destroy young ones.

9.    There is a problem of pests and diseases.

10. The shortage of capital to purchase machinery, vehicles, spare arts.

11. Poor management of forest resources.

12. The problem of illegal falling of trees.

13. Hardwood trees take a very long time to mature.

14. There is a small local market.

 

The Ghana government has tried to solve the problems by:-

1.    Making use of modern methods of cutting for example powered saws, caterpillars, for dragging exporting unprocessed logs towards creation of timber, Industries producing wood products.

2.    Improving on management of forests.

3.    By borrowing funds or grants from World Bank to support the Industry forests.

4.    Undertaking afforestation and Re-afforestation.

5.    Undertaking the felling of trees on a rotational basis.

6.    Construction of feeder roads is being under taken.

(i)           The products of the forest Industry are sawn, timber, Chipboard, Plywood, Veneer, Floor tiles, Charcoal, Firewood, Herbs, Fruits e.t.c

QUESTION TWENTY SIX

Study the map Gabon showing forestry and answer the questions that follow:

 

(a) Name the :

(i)           river marked 1

(ii)          towns marked 2 and 3

(iii)        ocean marked C

(iv)        country marked 4

(b) Identify the factors which have influenced the development of forestry activities in areas marked

(i)           A                               (ii) B

(c) Explain the

(i)           problems which have resulted from the forestry activities in area marked A

(ii)          steps being taken to solve the problems in (c) (i) above.

(d) Outline the contribution of forestry industry to Gabon

 

QUESTION TWENTY SEVEN

Study the table below showing land use in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) and answer the questions that follow:

 

Land Use type

Land Area (‘000 hectares

Crop Land

Permanent pasture

Forest and woodland

Others

     7,893

   15,000

  173,860

    29,952

Total

  226,705

Source: World Resources: A Guide to the global environment: The urban environment Oxford 1996-1997, p216

 

(a) Draw a pie chart to show the different land use types in the DRC (Zaire)

(b) State the land use type which is:

(i)           most dominant

(ii)          least dominant

(c) Explain the contribution of the most dominant land use type stated in (b) (i) above to the development of the DRC (Zaire)

(d) Identify the factors that have influenced land use in the DRC

 

POSSIBLE ANSWERS

36 A pie chart showing land use types in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 

Crop land

 

7893 x 360 = 12.5°

226705

Permanent Pasture:

 

15000 x 360 = 24°

226705

 

Forest and Woodland

173860 x 360 = 276°

226705

 

Others

 

129952 x 360 = 47.6°

226705

 

b)(i)   The most dominant land use type is Forest and woodland

(ii)      The least dominant form of land use type is cropland.

 

c)  Contribution of Forest and woodland to the development of the Democratic Republic of Congo is as follows;

·        They provide valuable timber for construction and making of good furniture.

·        Forests act as catchment areas for rivers

·        They are a habitat for wild animals.

·        They act as a source of fuel i.e charcoal.

·        Provide employment opportunities to people through lumbering.

·        Are a tourist attraction hence earn income for the government.

·        The timber obtained is used as raw materials in the saw-mills.

·        Provide medicine in form of herbs which are obtained from the leaves, barks and roots of trees.

·        Factors which have influenced land use in the Democratic Republic of Congo include:-

·        Favourable climate which enables trees to grow i.e. Equatorial climate.

·        Abundant land, which leaves large areas under forests.

·        Fertile soils which favour the growth of trees.

·        Sparse population in the forested areas supports Forest growth.

 

 



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