In this article, we will discuss Forest Products and their Utility (Part-1). So, let’s get started.
Forest Products and their Utility
Bamboo
Bamboo is found in most of the Monsoon region where the average annual rainfall is more than 150 cm. Some of the bombooes may attain a height of 30 m. It is used for a variety of purposes basket making, roofing, and thatching, construction, paper, and pulp making. In India more than 100 varieties of bamboos are found. According to the Planning Commission bamboo occupies 100,210 km of the forest area of the country with an annual production of four million tonnes Different types of decorative items such as flower pots, trays,vases, caskets, and even ornaments are made of bamboo in state like Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Tripura. Bamboo also finds a place in cultural activities of the Mizo people, i.e., Cherraw (bamboo) dance.
Canes
Canes grow in moist and wer forests in Assam, Kerala, Karnataka, West Bengal, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir. It is used mainly for making strings, ropes, mats, bags, and baskets.
Tendu
The leaves of tendu are obtained from the forests of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, south-east Rajasthan, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, Tendu leaves are used for bidi-making.
Grasses
A large variety of grasses are found in the Indian forests. Some of the important grasses are Sabai (sub-Himalayan Tarai tracts), elephant-grass (Assam),spear-grass, ulla, and panni grasses, etc. khus-khus grass (Bharatpur, and Sawai-Madhopur, Rajasthan) is used for making cooling screens during summer season. Rosha, leman, and ginger-grasses yield Medicinal and perfume oils.
