Forest, component of Nature at our Service

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”

                                               -Albert Einstein (1879-1955).

Earth, the living place of human, and the place where we live and extract all the resources we need to execute our fundamental needs. For this motive we depend on the nature of this earth. Nature plays a vital role and has a deep impact on the lives of all organisms; it can be a friend or a foe. From the time a being comes into existence, it almost immediately, becomes aware of the necessary connection with the outside world. The creature begins by exploring all parts of the new surrounding, making all the essential adaptations. As the life form grows, it becomes more and more dependant on nature, realizing how important the trees, grass, and even the sky really are. Forest, an important part of the nature; is an area with a high density of trees & sometimes wild animals as well. Forest is the place from where we are having diverse life saving materials those are essential for our existence and these make the earth more beautiful themselves. But now a day’s we the human being, endlessly destroying our nature and forests to accomplish our basic needs and those have awfully devastating effects on us.

Ecology or the study of nature and the environment involves us in the conservation of the earth. We are at a point in the history of civilization where awareness of our fragile relationship to nature and the environment is high. We are losing 3,000 acres of rain forest and four species of plants and animals per hour around the world. More plants, insects, birds and animals became extinct in the 20th century than in any era since the Cretaceous disaster more than 65 million years ago the led to the extinction of the dinosaurs

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“In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.”

-John Muir.

The 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment categorizes nature services as:

·         Provisioning services are goods that people use from nature such as seafood, water, timber and medicines. 

·         Regulating services control natural processes and the overall capacity of ecosystems to regulate our climate.  

·         Supporting services provide the foundation for all other services, and include breakdown of organic waste, water purification, and nutrient cycling. 

·         Cultural services are the religious, spiritual and tourism benefits people obtain.

Forests are of Provisioning service that is provided by the nature. The plant communities cover approximately 9.4% of the Earth's surface or 30% of total land area, though they once covered about 50% of total land area, in many different regions and function as habitats for organisms, hydrologic flow modulators, and soil conservers, constituting one of the most important aspects of the biosphere. Forests also contain roughly 80% of the world terrestrial biodiversity. Not only animals live in the forests, they make our world alive & we find the true meaning of life.

Trees are essential for our survival. Through photosynthesis trees produce the most important gas we cannot live without: oxygen (O₂)_. The rain forests generate about 40 per cent of the world's oxygen. One healthy tree provides enough oxygen (450 lbs) in one growing season to keep one person breathing for one year.

As a resource, forests provide many important natural resources, such as timber, fuel, paper and medicinal plants. Forests also help sustain the quality and availability of freshwater supplies. More than three quarters of the worlds accessible freshwater comes from forested catchments.

Forests play a key role in our battle against climate change; storing carbon and sucking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and locking it into their biomass. The nature also acts as the natural barricade so that storms can’t affect us straight. As sunderbons (30.2% of total forests in Bangladesh) situated at the southern part of our country acts as natural barricade & helps to reduce devastating effects of storms, tornados, tsunami’s etc.

They also provide homes, security and livelihoods for 60 million Indigenous peoples, whilst contributing to the livelihoods of 1.6 billion people worldwide.
The impact of forests reaches even further. In many developing countries more than 80% of total energy consumed by people and industry derives from forests. Trade in timber and other forest products, is estimated at almost 330 billion US Dollars/year. The Forestry sector contributes about 5% of the total of Bangladesh.

Use of the genetic diversity within forests enables the development of new medicines; progress in healthcare and science.

Forests play an important role in maintaining biological diversity, modulating precipitation, increasing scientific knowledge of humans. Waste-free carpet inspired by the forest floor, Light-but-strong products inspired by spiral structures in trees, A fossil-free future inspired by leaves, Generous cities’ inspired by forest ecosystems are blessings of forests.

Tourism has increased economic support, allowing more revenue to go into the protection of the territory. It is impossible to capture on film, or to explain to those who have never had the awesome experience of standing in the heart of forest. We are not so far from being selected for new natural wonder of the world through sundarban (World heritage). It has placed at top 14 of 28 finalists of the whole world.

If managed properly, the rainforest can provide the world's need for these natural resources on a perpetual basis. We should not cut the forest just for the value of its timber. Because-

“A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.”

-William Blake (1757-1827).

We are demolishing our natural environment, essential to sustain life in this earth. That’s causing threats to our existence. Sea level is rising with the increasing amount of CO₂ that causing global warming. This is an alarming point for us as a low lying country. World Bank showed that, by 2050 sea level in Bangladesh will rise up to 25 cm that will cause 4% of her land to go under water. We are polluting our nature and environment constantly and causing-

• Disruption of life support systems for humans and other species.
• Damage to wildlife, human health, and property.
• Nuisances such as noise and unpleasant smells and sights.

The increasing number of population, overuse of natural resources, use of atomic energy, deforestation etc are accountable to natural environment quality degradation.  Those are causing climate change, sea level rise, atmospheric pollution, soil erosion, species diversity loss, habitat loss, natural resource depletion and influencing health, food & water systems. Through deforestation we are losing habitat for wildlife as Royal Bengal Tiger , natural resources and beauty. Broadly, there are three main sources of forest degradation: commercial logging, fires, and gathering wood for fuel.

 

“Nature is not a place to visit, it is home.”

-Gary Snyder.

We should do something to save our sweet home. A rapid and simple way to get involved is to make others aware of the forests issues. Governments should develop and implement policies that encourage sustainable use of natural resources & we are lucky that our government is doing so.

Private companies have an opportunity to invest wisely into the new Green Economy.

Man has been cutting down forests indiscriminately and today the trend is not only to save natural forests but to create artificial ones. Deserts are made to bloom! Forests are not to be considered merely as a direct source of wealth; they are to be considered in relation to the national economy and geography.

Our Sunderbon (mangrove forest) can be our identification as natural wonder to rest of the world.

Civil society can play a significant role by independently monitoring all parties involved, raising awareness on forests. We should try to get attention of developed countries and make the best use of our limited wealth instead of waiting for our policy maker’s.

Most importantly, taking action on forests & nature requires an ongoing commitment to changing lifestyle. Your new lifestyle demands that you are nature-conscious in all your choices, consumption and actions.

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Scientists are now speaking of what they call the “coupled human-environment system.” It’s a new way of thinking about the relationship between nature and human beings.

B.L. Turner of Clark University: It’s not whether you like the turtles and trees over people and more cars. It’s not just a question of values. It’s a question of whether or not the Earth’s systems can deliver the basic needs that the society demands of nature. If we fail to conserve our beautiful nature and forests than it will be the enormous loss for us and the next generation will not be able to survive on this planet. It is the time to pay attention to this burning matter of preserving our environment. Hopefully the deafening silence, dishonesty, denial to nature & environment that marked the last decade has ended. Once American architect Frank Lloyd said,

“Study nature, love nature, Stay close to nature, it will never fail you.”

And let us not fail our nature either….

Source of information’s:

1. The Human Impact on the Natural Environment: past, present, and future by Andrew Goudie.

2. National Forest and Tree Resources Assessment 2005-2007,

    Bangladesh.

3. www.new7wonders.com

4. Global forest information service. (gfis.net)

5. http://www.unep.org/

6. http://www.moef.gov.bd/

7. “Natures provides” by Conservation International.

8.  International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) - http://cms.iucn.org/.

9. International Year of Forests-2011, website - www.un.org/en/events/iyof2011/.

10. Bangladesh Forest Department - www.bforest.gov.bd

11. Department of Environment - http://www.doe-bd.org/.