Forests - Our Lifeline | NCERT Notes

The forests serve as green lungs and water purifying systems in nature.

Forest is a system comprising various plants, animals and micro-organisms. The forest provides a home for many animals and plants. Lands in forest are generally uneven and covered with many trees. One can find several trees like sal, teak, semal, sheesham, neem, palash, fig, khair, amla, bamboo, kachnar in a forest. There are several other trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses in the forest. One can also find different types of creepers and climbers covering trees.

Many wooden items like plywood, fuel wood, boxes, paper, matchsticks, furniture , gum, oils, spices, fodder for animals and medicinal plants are also some of the products which we get from the forest.

You might be wondering who planted these trees. In nature Tree produce enough seeds. The forest floor provides favourable conditions for them to germinate and develop into seedlings and saplings. Some grow up into trees. 


Branchy part of a tree above the stem is known as the crown of the tree. Branches of some tall trees look like a roof over the other plants in the forest. This is called a canopy. Trees have crowns of different types and sizes. These had created different horizontal layers in the forest. These are known as understoreys. 

Giant and tall trees constituted the top layer followed by shrubs and tall grasses, and herbs formed the lowest layer.

Canopy and under storeys in a forest

Due to different climatic conditions there are variations in the types of trees and other plants. The types of animals also differ from forest to forest.

Food Chain:

We know that Green plants produce food . All animals, whether herbivores or carnivores, depend ultimately on plants for food. Organisms which feed on plants often get eaten by other organisms, and so on. For example, grass is eaten by insects, which in turn, is taken by the frog. The frog is consumed by snakes. This is said to form a food chain: Grass→ insects→ frog→ snake→ eagle. 

Many food chains can be found in the forest. All food chains are linked. If any one food chain is disturbed, it affects other food chains. Every part of the forest is dependent on the other parts. If we remove one component, say trees, all other components would be affected.

Apart from big animals which are easily seen, there are several organisms and micro-organisms that live in the soil. These micro-organisms feed upon the dead plants and animal tissues and convert them into a dark coloured substance called humus.

The micro-organisms which convert the dead plants and animals to humus are known as Decomposers.


Plants release oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. The plants help to provide oxygen for animal respiration. They also maintain the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. That is why forests are called lungs.

Interrelationship of plant, soil and decomposers in a forest

Balance of Oxygen and Carbon Di oxide

The forest is not just home to plants and animals. Many people also live in the forest. Some of them may belong to different tribes. These people depend mostly on the forests. The Forest Provided's  them with food, shelter, water and medicines. They have traditional knowledge about many medicinal plants in the forest. The forest officers could recognise the presence of some animals in the forest by their droppings and footprints.

By harbouring greater variety of plants, the forest provides greater opportunities for food and habitat for the herbivores. Larger number of herbivores means increased availability of food for a variety of carnivores. The wide variety of animals helps the forest to regenerate and grow.

Decomposers help in maintaining the supply of nutrients to the growing plants in the forest. Therefore, the forest is a ‘dynamic living entity’ — full of life and vitality.”

The forest also acts as a natural absorber of rainwater and allows it to seep. It helps maintain the water table throughout the year. Forests not only help in controlling floods but also help maintain the flow of water in the streams so that we get a steady supply of water.

On the other hand, if trees are not present, rain hits the ground directly and may flood the area around it. Heavy rain may also damages the soil. Roots of trees normally bind the soil together, but in their absence the soil is washed away or eroded. Construction of roads, buildings, industrial development and increasing demand of wood created pressure on the forests and it started vanishing.

Importance of forests (Summarized): 

Forests provide us with oxygen. They protect soil and provide habitat to a large number of animals. Forests help in bringing good rainfall in neighbouring areas. They are a source of medicinal plants, timber and many other useful products. We must preserve our forests.

• If forests disappear, the amount of carbon dioxide in air will increase, resulting in the increase of earth’s temperature.
• In the absence of trees and plants, the animals will not get food and shelter.
• In the absence of trees, the soil will not hold water, which will cause floods. 
• Deforestation will endanger our life and environment. 

Think, what we can do to preserve our forests!