Social Forestry| Meanings, Benifits and Types

Social forestry means the management of forests for local communities. It includes forest management, afforestation of deforested land, and forest protection to improve rural, social, and environmental development. 

In contrast to other forestry projects, the requirements of local communities come first in the setting of forestry. For this point, the primary purpose of social forestry is to enlarge trees and plantations to achieve the growing requirements of people about a huge requests for timber, food, wood, fire, and meals to lessen the burden and reliance on conventional forest areas. 

This step also focuses on saving agriculture from unfavorable climates by improving the environment and increasing the supply of forest produce for everyday use. Although social forestry has existed for many years, it is now taken very seriously because of its benefits for tackling the challenge of global warming. 

Types of social forestry:

1: Agroforestry

Agroforestry includes the growth of trees in the same setting to supply landowners with agriculture and trees on a trade basis. The purpose of agroforestry is to achieve positive relations between the two systems. The system can be different and fully physically integrated within a business activity.

This social forestry is best for a person looking to venture into farm forestry when maintaining the existing agricultural activity. Agroforestry offers business benefits and enhances productivity and the supply of ecological goods and services. 

2: Farm forestry

In this type of forestry, the main objective is to improve trees for a particular purpose within the farming context. The common purpose is timber plantations in the private sector, but the setup can limit enterprises that are managed in many ways using different parts of the trees. 

Farm forestry provides many advantages that cover animal shelter and pasture, improved living environment, additional diversified earnings, an increase in the great value of the Plantation, improved soil and water health, and an increase in biodiversity.

3: Extension forestry

Extension forestry is becoming usual in Urban areas and most living estates. Extension forestry includes planting trees along canals, railways, roads, and on wastelands. 

This variety of social forestry is good for creating forests on the local village lands, government wastelands, and panchayat lands.  

4: Community forestry

Community forestry includes the management of communal land. The village community decides and implements projects on the land. 

The expected population takes part in managing, planning, and harvesting crops. The population also divides the proportion of the social economy and benefits from the forest. 

The object of community forestry is to enhance the involvement and reward of ordinary people. It also provides a balance between outside and community interests. 

What is Scientific forestry?

Scientific forestry is tree plantation management and the science of forest. Humans cut down these natural forests for different purposes and replace them with specific types of trees in lines defined as the Plantation. 

Scientific forestry basis on replacing new crops and plants. Many objectives of scientific forestry are these;

  • Afforestation in blank areas
  • Production of high-quality timber species
  • Trying to enhance raw materials for forest-based industries
  • Ensuring soil conservation
  • Increase employment opportunities
  • Raise species that will give economic value

Benefits of social forestry:

Increased biodiversity

The production of trees in barren soil within the community helps to increase biodiversity value. When the trees grow more prominent, the nature of the habitat will change. Well-controlled forests encourage biodiversity; they offer habitation for many animals, shrubs, plants, birds, and insects, among others. Other plants and wildlife follow in nature where there are trees.

In social forestry, plants, and trees become the source of food and habitat for small animals and birds. Moreover, adult trees create an environment that encourages the growth of other plants that would not be alive, thereby increasing food sources for animals and the local people.

Soil conservation 

Soil conservation is an important benefit of social forestry. Communities that hold social forestry have unique advantages in the terminology of better agricultural projects.

Tree roots stop soil erosion by holding soil in place and minimizing the adverse effects of soil erosion.

In a typical city, planting trees in parks and along roads and paths may help save up to 10.886 tons of soil per year. The trees minimize soil erosion by reducing the effect of raindrops on barren soil.

Decaying matter also helps to make an organic layer on the soil that makes the soil rich and allows the water to percolate into the soil and reduce soil erosion. They also decrease the evaporation process. Roots decrease soil compaction, increase the capacity of soil to store water and reduce the overland flow.

Health benefits

The impacts of trees and nature on human health are well known. Trees and natural solutions for stress and anxiety. When people are under stress, they rest and walk under trees, parks, and other natural trails for calm. 

Therefore, Plantation is best for humans. They can contribute to good health and improved well-being. It is typical to discover hospitals expanding trees because of the therapeutic effect. 

Studies revealed that patients admitted to hospitals can recover fast from the prospect of trees outside their windows. 

Trees also absorb pollutants that can damage human health, such as nitrogen, volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter. Trees and forests have medicinal value for communities around the forest.  

Improve air quality: Benefits Of Social Forestry

Most people relate trees with the shifting of carbon from the environment. Trees also clean and clear the air quality. 

An acre of trees can produce enough oxygen for almost eighteen people. Trees also soak up all the pollutants responsible for illness and cause asthma and breathing difficulties. 

Community Enrichment

Trees make our surroundings more attractive and more serene. The Tree area attracted most newcomers and proved more valuable than the area without trees. Trees produce shade that improves the longevity of outdoor furniture.

Conclusion: Social Forestry

We concluded that social and scientific forestry stands for growing trees. You have already read about the benefits of forestation. 

These are very important for living organisms and provide a safe and clean environment. Our good physical and mental health depends upon our environment. A good environment creates good impacts on every community.

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