Uttarakhand Forest: A Comparative Study of Hills, Bhabar and Tarai Area

The Word ‘forest’ is derived from the Latin word ‘Foris’ meaning outside, a large area covered chiefly with trees and undergrowth. An area of high density of trees, a system which composed of plants, animals, microorganisms, as habitat for variety of living beings. Technically, forest can be defined as an area, set aside and maintained under vegetation for any indirect benefit namely, climatic, protective or environmental and/ or for production of wood and non-wood products. Forests play an important role combating desertification, preventing erosion problems, other protective functions, Climate change and acting as carbon reservoirs and sinks. Forests play a vital role in protecting fragile ecosystems, watersheds and freshwater reservoirs and as storehouses of rich biodiversity. Biodiversity is the variety and variability of plant, animal and microorganism in a ecosystem.  Forests play a very important role, as valuable natural resource in the economy and development of any area. Being a backbone of many industries, these also create employment opportunities in many ways. Forests also fulfill the needs of the social and domestic requirements of vast segment of population in the rural areas through providing fuel and fodder as also a variety of building material.  In This paper we discussed about the forest of Uttrakhand –a comparative study of Tarai, Bhabar and hill forest , their geographical aspect.

Keywords:
Forest, Tarai, Uttarakhand, Hills, Bhabar