DefinePK

Abstract

ABSTRACT Intro: The climate of Pakistan is mostly arid to semi-arid with extremely hot, dry and long summers However, due to geographic variations, climate may be modified locally, but generally high heat and dryness prevail throughout the plains, The forest area in Pakistan is 4.224 million ha (Ashfaque et al., 2000) forming only 4.8% of the total land area of 87.98 million ha. This forest area is recognized into nine major forest types/biomes, depending upon distribution and species composition. However, this much forest is far less in consideration to national economic and ecological needs. Forests suffer from various injuries. These injuries in Pakistan are mostly due to biological and physical reasons. Biological injuries are the outbreak of forest pests and pathogens, which some times may attain the status of an epidemic, mainly under the influences of climatic conditions. Such catastrophes are controlled partially by human efforts and partially due to normalization of climatic regimes. The losses remain mostly limited to a tree species or an area and do not spread to other parts due to physical, climatic and species barriers. Besides others, the main physical cause of forest injuries in Pakistan is the forest fire, affecting almost all forest types and occurring mostly in dry and hot summer months. Forest fires cause damage to the ground cover, young regeneration and standing trees, as well as, tremendous damage to the biodiversity and habitat. The frequency and intensity of these fires may be different in forest areas due to nature of terrain, climate, presence of dry undergrowth and nature of forest vegetation. However, no quantitative data on the occurrence and extent of forest fires in the country are available. As a result, no nation-wise strategy could be formulated to minimize and control this forest catastrophe as well as to provide primary data for national and international interest.