Appreciating, cherishing and preserving gifts demonstrate how beneficial they are to one’s life and well-being. Man’s survival is greatly dependent on agriculture, and the great relevance the forest has on agriculture cannot be left out. Agriculture thrives when there are some favourable conditions necessary for plant growth.
Many things support the growth of agricultural produce, but the forest is a great gift to the agriculture sector. Over the years, the environment and the agriculture sector have seen the enormous benefits the forest is rendering to agriculture and are adopting new ways to preserve the forest.
With the current attention given to food security globally, it is very critical to understand the immense contributions rendered by the forest. The forest renders many benefits to the agricultural sector and these benefits are discussed below.
Forests increase productivity and soil fertility. The forest helps the soil to absorb and retain the required amount needed or necessary for crop growth. In addition to the fact that it helps the soil, it additionally gives supplements to crops, advances moderate soil temperature, and assists with keeping up with significant degrees of organic matter in the soil necessary for the growth of crops.
However, the significance of the forest has been ignored by a lot of countries. In some countries, towns, villages, and farming areas, they cut down trees indiscriminately and clear the vegetation. This practice has caused havoc to the agriculture sector since hectares of productive lands are lost. The Food and Agriculture Organization has made known that as forests continue to be cleared and exposed to direct attack from wind and soil erosion, thus agriculture’s resource base is undermined.
Also, forests control soil erosion caused by run-off water or floods. Research has suggested that the ground cover and little layer beneath the forest canopy provide the best protection against soil erosion. A study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations revealed that trees are mostly used in developed countries as windbreaks to shelter crops, prevent erosion and protect the soil. Also, the research pointed out that food producers in Amazonian Ecuador adopt some agroforestry techniques, such as combining a system of trees, ground cover and livestock grazing which help maintain the soil’s stability and rapidly improve the soil during the fallow period. In adopting these measures, there is increased food production and a low risk of soil erosion.
Practicing agroforestry could help fight climate change and secure the environment by alleviating food hunger. Agroforestry is noted to be a contributor to climate change mitigation by sequestering carbon in biomass and soils, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and avoiding emissions through reduced fossil fuel and energy usage on farms.
In conclusion, the forest is a great blessing to agriculture and must be protected.
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