Forest Resources

Forests are one of the multifunctional ecosystems which provide wide spectrum of ecological, economic, social and cultural services. Forests are vital to the global economy and ecosystem for an ample number of reasons. Not only do they provide a production function in the form of a wealth of resources, but they also play a significant role in terms of regulatory functions such as carbon sequestration and hydrological cycling. Another critical role played by forests is that of habitat provision, an essential function for more than half of the world's species which live there. Forest ecosystems conserve soil and stabilize flows and runoff which in turn prevents land degradation and desertification, and diminishes the risks of natural disasters such as droughts, floods, and landslides. In essence, forests are important since they help in maintaining and upgrading the environmental quality which is much beyond quantification.

The assessment of forest cover mapping is done by Forest Survey of India biennially at national level through remote sensing.

The term ‘Recorded Forest Area’ or ‘Forest Area’ refers to all the geographical areas recorded as ‘Forests’ in government records.

Punjab is primarily an agricultural State, with 83% of the total geographical area (GA) under agriculture. As per latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR 2019) by Forest Survey of India (FSI), 6.12% of total geographical area of the State i.e.3,084 sq.km is under Recorded Forest. Out of the total Recorded Forest Area (RFA), 1,137 sq. km. is under Protected Forest and 44 sq. km. is under Reserved Forest. Whereas, 1,903 sq. km is under Unclassed Forest.

                                 Table: Recorded Forest Area (RFA) in the State

Source: India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2019

The different forest types found in Punjab are as under;

Table: Percentage area under different forest types of Punjab