Introduction - Afforestation, Reforestation and Forest Restoration in Arid and Semi-arid Tropics - page 8

and urban communities. Trees may be planted as windbreak (shelter belt), field-
boundary demarcation, field fence, amenity, and groves in vacant lands close to
where human activities take place. Trees at a farm meet the local demand of fuel,
fodder, thorn, poles, and agricultural implements in a better way, since the issues
of management and sharing of commons do not arise. Well-defined property rights
and private initiative ensure more efficient production. Transportation of the produce
is not involved because production and consumption take place in the same area.
Trees also have a significant positive effect on the agricultural productivity. They
reduce desiccation and wind erosion, add to fertility by recycling nutrients in the
deeper layers of soil, and improve structure of the soil by adding organic matter to it.
Trees moderate the soil temperature and promote nitrogen-fixing bacteria and other
microflora in the soil, leading to improved crop production.
Agroforestry and farm forestry are two proven models of tree planting by indi-
vidual farmers in fields. If the right conditions are created by raising awareness and
providing quality seedlings of suitable species to the millions of farmers in the arid
and semiarid tropical areas of the world, agroforestry could prove to be very bene-
ficial. Many instances of success in this direction—such as in the case of the Indian
state of Gujarat—can be cited.
Tree planting in vacant lands along public utilities and infrastructure such as
roads, railways, canals and other facilities has significant potential. Even where no
such utilities are involved, it is worthwhile to plant trees as shelterbelts, particularly
in those locations where the adverse effect of wind on crops and habitations can
be mitigated. The benefits of trees in urban colonies, parks, hospitals, churches,
playgrounds, and premises of institutions such as schools and colleges, are well
known. If planted with thoughtful planning, trees can improve both the aesthetic
environment and the local climate in urban areas.

1.5 Afforestation for Industrial-Commercial Purposes

The demand for industrial and commercial wood, particularly paper pulp and timber,
is constantly growing in developing countries. The level of demand can be gauged
from the fact that hundreds of hectares of forests must be cleared to meet a day's
demand of the newspapers throughout the world. Arid and semiarid areas face an even
greater shortage of this type of wood, as most of the commercial timber of the world is
produced in a few countries with particularly rich forest resources and moist climate.
Timber and pulpwood, if imported, entail heavy transportation costs and, thus, impact
the local economy adversely. Raising large-scale plantations geared to meet these
demands is the only alternative for these countries. The remnant natural forests will
otherwise be the target for meeting the demands of these essential commodities.
Industrial-commercial plantations are characterised by intensive management,
high rate of inputs in terms of improved genetic quality, fertile lands, irrigation,
and use of fertilisers and pesticides. A heartening fact about such plantations is that
this being an entrepreneurial activity, is driven autonomously by the market forces.