Forest Conservation and Management: It is time to think deeply and act seriously in order to protect this vital natural resource.

Some of the measures of conservation are

(i) Social forestry programme: It was started in 1976 and involves the affor­estation on public and common lands for fuel, fodder, timber for agricul­tural equipment and fruits. These are mainly meant for rural people.

(ii) Agroforestry programme: It involves the multiple use of same land for agriculture, forestry and animal husbandary.

Taungya System and Jhum are examples:

• Taungya System: It involves growing agricultural crops between planted trees.
• Jhum (Slash and burn agriculture): It involves felling and burning of forests, followed by the cultivation of crops for a few years. Later the cultivation is abandoned for the growth of forests. It is a traditional agroforestry system.

(iii) Urban forestry programme: It involves afforestation in urban land ar­eas e.g. along the roads, big parks, big compounds etc. with ornamental and fruit trees.

(iv) Commercial forestry: It involves planting of fast-growing trees on avail­able land to fulfill commercial demand.

(v) Conservation forestry: It involves protection of degraded forest to allow recoupment of their flora and fauna.

Reforestation: It is the process of restoring a forest that once existed, but was removed at some point of time in the past. Reforestation may occur naturally in a deforested area. The above-said methods speed up the refor­estation programme.