Forest Resources

Forest Resources

1. Wood

   • Structural support and infill material for building construction
   • To make furniture and tools, e.g. mahogany, oak, conifer, etc
   • Fibres are used to make paper and cotton, as well as other textile fibres
   • Wood is still the most popular energy resource for use as a fuel, mainly in LEDCs

2. Food Resource Examples

   • Coffee
   • Cocoa
   • Bananas
   • Nuts

3. Medicine (Extraction)

   • Quinine from the Cinchona tree used to treat malaria
   • Aspirin originally extracted from willow bark
   • Extracts from the Rosy Periwinkle used to treat leukaemia

4. Life Support

   • Forests help to regulate many natural cycles and processes that male life easier
   • Atmospheric
     • Carbon Sequestration is the process that is used to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, stored in the carbohydrates that make up wood
     • The process of photosynthesis releases oxygen into the atmosphere which is essential for all aerobic organisms and for maintainence of the ozone layer
     • Micro-climates are created under the forest canopy with differing levels of light, humidity and wind velocity
   • Forests modify the water cycle by changing the amount and redistributing the movement of water through various processes
   • Soil Conservation
     • Dead vegetation contributes nutrients to the soil
     • Tree roots help to hold the soil together and reduce soil erosion
     • Tree canopies help to reduce wind velocity and rainfall impact
   • Forests have a high primary productivity, so can support a higher number of trophic levels in the food chain, and diverse habitats with various ecological niches
   • Forests can be used for a number human recreational activities, separated with space and time zoning