Basic Knowledge in Agriculture #45 : Forest.

manuelhooks (72)in Steem-Agro • 4 days ago (edited)

_{^{A large portion of land growing different trees Image from Pixabay.com}}

Forests

Any large portion of land growing a lot of different trees and other woody vegetation, and the trees are the dominant feature, or the place could well qualify as a forest.
Depending on their location and nature, forests are classified as

Tropical rainforests
Boreal forests (taiga)
Temperate forests
Deciduous forests
Evergreen forests

◉ Importance of forests.

The Forests serve as a home to a large number of plant and animal species, especially wild animals. But to humans, we get our oxygen from the forest and our air is cleaned by the forest also through photosynthesis. These trees grow into big timber trees, and the animals in the forest could be hunted for food by the hunters in my village. Some plants in the forest act as medicine while the forest itself protects the soil, avoiding desertification and erosion, so let's call that soil conservation, besides water filtration and functions still unknown to us at this time, like ecosystem management and support of biodiversity.

_{^{Under the canopy of a dence forest. Image from Pixabay.com}}

◉ Types of forests.

I will start with the naturally occurring forest, a forest that springs up as volunteers on their own over a long period of time, our fathers did not plant them.

Tropical Rainforests:
These are the local forests we have here in Nigeria, forests that grow along the equator with high temperatures, a lot of rainfall resulting in dense vegetation like the Amazon Rainforest and the Congo Basin.

Temperate Forests:
These are forests that grow in temperate regions with moderate temperatures and rainfall like the forests of North America and those in Europe.

Boreal Forests (Taiga):
These are the forests in subarctic regions where the temperature is cold with short growing seasons, and coniferous trees, some good examples being the forests in Alaska and Canada.

Deciduous Forests:
The forests in eastern North America and Europe have a large number of trees that will lose their leaves in particular seasons, such as the oak, maple, and beech.

Evergreen Forests:
This is another good description of our local forests, the opposite of a deciduous Forest because it keeps its leaves all year-round, like the pine, spruce, and fir.

Mangrove Forests:
These are forests found in the coastal areas and have more mangrove trees that can tolerate saltwater.

_{^{this is a cloud forest. Picture from Pixabay.com}}

◉ Wildlife conservation.

Due to the destructive nature of some human activities, some forest and wildlife needs to be protected, otherwise they will be destroyed. The preservation and protection of these animals and their homes is wildlife conservation.

◉ Effects of deforestation

_{^{Picture from Pixabay.com}}

Deforestation is the clearance or removal of a forest for whatever reason may be. There are only a few true cases of deforestation that are natural, but most cases forest removal are man-made, and it comes with numerous negative effects on the environment, wildlife, and human communities.

Loss of Biodiversity:
The forests are a home to a vast array of plant and animal species, and when a forest is removed, these animals and plants lose their home.

.Climate Change:
Large forests have huge effects on the surrounding climate of the area and removing the forest leads to a change in the climate

Soil Erosion:
Forest provides cover that prevents the type of erosion created by wind, and the roots of trees and plants prevent erosion from running water. Without these trees, the soil is left unprotected.

Cycle Disruption:
Once a forest is cut down, it affects the oxygen cycle that comes from photosynthesis. It also plays an important role in regulating the water cycle. And rainfall patterns in the area.

Conclusion and Invitation

Forest have important benefits to us, and as such, we need to protect these forests and the animals that make them their home. We really do not do this for the animals, we do it for us and for our children.

I am inviting @bossj23, @okere-blessing and @lhogic to have a say on this topic.