Facts Reverine Forests

• The existence of the riverine forests depends upon natural annual flooding and these forests

• serve as obstacles to confine the ferocity of flood waters.

• Riverine forests have a stunted growth due to lack of flooding and falling water tables.

• Weeding, cleaning, and thinning are important for maintaining the quality of riverine forests.

• Due to construction of barrages, dams, link canals and river embankments, the magnitude of floods has decreased and this factor has been responsible for declining yields from these forests over the years.

• The riverine forests are now a sort of irrigated plantations, as they do not get flooded by River Indus or its main tributaries and are therefore, known as inland forests .

• The portion of the River Indus that flows through Sindh is one of the very few rivers in the world that flows on a ridge.

• Weeds, shrubs and wild grass that grow in these forests consume a fair share of water and nutrients and compete with the trees for such inputs to the disadvantage of the latter.

• Eucalyptus and Conocarpus lacefolius can grow on saline soils and are a useful source of timber for construction.

• Excessive Irrigation contributes to water losses.

• Globally, trees and forests are being clear-felled at the rate of approximately 20 ha per minute.