Maarg Manthan · Topic 7.8

Economic Utilization of Vegetation Resources

Geography › Biogeography: Soils and Vegetation · Topic 7.8

Vegetation resources are used in many ways. Forests give timber (hardwood such as teak, mahogany and sal, and softwood such as pine, spruce and fir), fuelwood, pulp for paper, and non-timber products such as rubber, bamboo, cane, lac, gums, resins, tendu leaves, honey and medicinal plants. Grasslands support grazing and livestock. Plants provide food, fibre, dyes, medicines and the raw material for industries. Sustainable use depends on harvesting no more than the forest regrows, and on sharing benefits with local communities.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Geography · Biogeography: Soils and Vegetation

At a Glance

Hardwood Teak, mahogany, sal, ebony
Softwood Pine, spruce, fir
Non-timber products Rubber, bamboo, lac, gums, medicinal plants
Biggest wood use Fuelwood in developing countries
Tribal schemes Minor forest produce support, Van Dhan Yojana
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Geography: Biogeography: Soils and Vegetation

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows the account of forest and plant communities and describes the ways in which they are used. It leads into the topics on deforestation and conservation, which result from the use of these resources. Previous topic: Grasslands, Desert Vegetation and Tundra Vegetation. Next topic: Deforestation: Tropical and Temperate Forest Loss.

What Products Come from Forests?

Product	Examples	Uses
Hardwood	Teak, sal, mahogany, ebony, rosewood, sandalwood from broadleaf trees of the tropics and temperate forests	Furniture, construction, shipbuilding, flooring
Softwood	Pine, spruce, fir, deodar, larch from coniferous forests	Construction timber, plywood, packaging, pulp for paper
Fuelwood and charcoal	Branches and small trees	Cooking and heating for billions of people
Pulp and paper	Softwood and fast-growing plantation species such as eucalyptus and bamboo	Paper, newsprint, packaging, rayon
Rubber	Latex of rubber trees	Tyres and industry; plantations in Keralam (Kerala), Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand
Bamboo and cane	Giant grasses	Housing, furniture, paper, handicrafts
Gums, resins and lac	Acacia gum, pine resin, lac insects on trees	Adhesives, varnish, medicines, bangles and sealing wax
Tendu leaves	Leaves of the tendu tree	Rolling of bidis
Medicinal and aromatic plants	Cinchona, neem, sarpagandha, tulsi, sandalwood	Medicines, cosmetics, perfumes
Food	Fruits, nuts, honey, mushrooms, tubers, oil seeds like mahua	Diet and income of forest communities

How Are Grasslands and Other Vegetation Used?

Grazing: grasslands support cattle, sheep and goats, and are the basis for ranching and nomadic herding. Overgrazing causes degradation.
Crops: temperate grasslands have been ploughed for wheat and maize, as in Grasslands, Desert Vegetation and Tundra Vegetation.
Fodder: grass, tree leaves and crop residues feed livestock.
Mangroves, wetlands and seaweed: they give fish, timber, honey and protection from storms.
Tourism and recreation: forests, parks and alpine meadows support nature tourism.

What Is the Position in India?

India’s forests supply timber, fuelwood, bamboo, tendu leaves, lac, gums and medicinal plants, and many forest-dwelling communities earn a large share of their income from non-timber produce. Forest-based industries include paper, plywood, matches and furniture. The government supports tribal gatherers through the Minimum Support Price scheme for minor forest produce, started in 2011, and the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana, begun in 2018, which builds centres for processing and marketing. The Forest Rights Act, 2006 gives communities the right to own and sell minor forest produce. Fuelwood still meets a large share of rural energy needs, with a cost to the forests, which is partly addressed by clean cooking fuel under schemes such as Ujjwala.

How Is Wood Traded Around the World?

Wood is one of the most widely traded raw materials. Canada, Russia, the Nordic countries and the United States are among the leading producers of softwood, sawn timber and pulp, supplying the paper and construction industries of the world. Tropical hardwood such as teak, mahogany and meranti comes from Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Myanmar and Central Africa, and much of it goes to China, Europe and India. China is the largest importer of logs and wood products. India produces much of its own fuelwood but imports a large share of its timber, wood pulp and paper, because its forests are limited and conservation rules restrict felling. Illegal logging, which accounts for a large share of the tropical timber trade, is a global concern, and so importing countries have brought in rules such as the European Union Timber Regulation. The pattern of trade shows how the demand of wealthy and industrial regions can put pressure on forests far from where the wood is used. Exact shares change from year to year, so trade data from the Food and Agriculture Organization should be consulted.

How Can the Use Be Made Sustainable?

Selective logging: cutting only mature trees and leaving the rest, instead of clear-felling.
Regeneration and replanting: planting at least as many trees as are cut, as in Conservation Strategies: Reforestation, Monoculture Plantation, Afforestation.
Certification: schemes such as the Forest Stewardship Council label timber from well-managed forests.
Value addition and community role: processing close to the forest and sharing profit with local people.
Substitutes and recycling: recycled paper and alternatives to timber reduce demand.

As an analytical point, over-use leads to the loss described in Deforestation: Tropical and Temperate Forest Loss, so the question for policy is how to keep the economic benefits while keeping the forest.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Facts Forest products are asked
India NTFP schemes
Link Sustainability

What Came Next?

The next topic covers deforestation: the loss of tropical and temperate forests. Next topic: Deforestation: Tropical and Temperate Forest Loss.

Key People and Terms

Hardwood Wood from broadleaf trees
Softwood Wood from conifers
NTFP Non-timber forest product
Clear-felling Cutting all trees in an area
Selective logging Cutting chosen trees only
Van Dhan Scheme for forest produce value addition

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Teak and sal are hardwoods; pine is a softwood.
Softwood forests give most of the world’s paper pulp.
Fuelwood is the biggest use in developing countries.
Van Dhan Yojana began in 2018.
Minor forest produce MSP began in 2011.

Do Not Confuse With

Hardwood and softwood Broadleaf versus conifer; not about hardness
Timber and non-timber products Wood versus other products
Clear-felling and selective logging All trees versus chosen trees

Memory Hook

Hard from the broadleaf, soft from the cone; rubber, lac and bamboo, but leave regrowth alone.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for forest-based livelihoods and sustainable use. These points add depth.

Benefits Industry and livelihoods
Pressure Over-use and clearance
Policy Community rights and certification

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Discuss the economic importance of forest products and suggest measures for sustainable use of vegetation resources.”

How to Answer

Products Timber and non-timber.
Uses Industry and household.
Issues Over-use.
Measures Regeneration and communities.

GS Relevance

Prelims: forest products, hardwood and softwood, minor forest produce, schemes for NTFP in India. GS Paper 3: forest-based industries and livelihoods.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between hardwood and softwood?

Hardwood comes from broadleaf trees such as teak, sal, mahogany and oak, which are mostly found in tropical and temperate deciduous forests. Softwood comes from coniferous trees such as pine, spruce and fir. The terms refer to the type of tree, not the hardness of the wood, and softwoods supply most paper pulp.

What are non-timber forest products?

Non-timber forest products are the goods that come from forests other than timber. They include rubber, bamboo, cane, gums, resins, lac, tendu leaves, honey, fruits, nuts and medicinal plants. In India they are called minor forest produce, and they are an important source of income for tribal communities.

What are the main economic uses of forests?

Forests give timber for building and furniture, fuelwood for energy, raw material for pulp, paper and plywood, and many non-timber products such as rubber, bamboo and medicinal plants. They also support tourism and jobs, especially in rural areas, besides their ecological functions of protecting soil, water and climate.

What is the Van Dhan Yojana?

The Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana, launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, sets up Van Dhan Vikas Kendras where tribal gatherers can process and sell minor forest produce, so as to get a higher price. It forms part of the effort to link tribal livelihoods with markets and value addition.

How can forest resources be used sustainably?

Forest resources can be used sustainably by harvesting no more than the forest regrows, using selective logging instead of clear-felling, replanting, certifying well-managed timber, involving local communities in management and sharing benefits with them, and reducing demand through recycling and substitutes for wood.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Teak is a softwood obtained from coniferous forests.

False

It is a hardwood of tropical deciduous forests.

2 Minor forest produce includes bamboo and tendu leaves.

True

These are non-timber products.

3 Softwood forests supply most of the world's paper pulp.