Acting Head, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management [University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria] – Dr Adedapo Aiyeloja, has advised the University Community to promote actions that can sustain the forest for it to continue to provide essential goods and services to mankind.
Dr. Aiyeloja gave the advice while speaking as a Guest Lecturer at this year’s World Environment Day (WED) celebration in the University organised by the Campus Environmental Beautification and Sanitation (CEBAS) Unit, with the theme: Forests: Nature At Your Service, at the Ebitimi Banigo Auditorium, University Park, last Monday.
The Gusest Lecturer, who stated that forest is paramount to the survival of man due to its advantageous effects on biodiversity, economy, livelihood and socio-cultural and religious values, stressed the need to explore its tourist and recreational potentials, reiterating the popular saying that “when the last tree dies, the last man dies”. ...In his address, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Joseph Ajienka, appealed to the University Community to change their negative attitudes towards environmental issues and adopt the Donate-a-Tree-Today Campaign of CEBAS to the preserve the environment....
By Otikor Samuel
Source: Uniport Weekly Vol. 5 No. 3, June 13-20, 2011
SORIBE GERALDINE
ReplyDeleteU2010/5015040
AGRICULTURE ECONOMICS AND EXTENSION
Trees are important, valuable and necessary to our very existence. It's not too hard to believe that, without trees we humans would not exist on this beautiful planet. In fact, some claim can be made that our mother's and father's ancestors climbed trees another debate for another site
Trees are the largest and longest living organisms on earth. To grow tall the tree has become a miracle of engineering and a complex chemical factory. U can take water and salts out of the earth and lift them up to the leaves, sometimes over 400 ft above. By means of photosynthesis the leaves combine the water and salts with carbon dioxide from the air to produce the nutrients which feed the tree. In this process, as well as wood, trees create many chemicals, seeds and fruit of great utility to man. Trees also remove carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, from the air.
Trees are of continued importance to the environment. Tropical rain forests have of particular significance; although they now occupy less than 6 per cent of the land surface of the earth they probable sustain more than half of the biological species on the planet.
Notwithstanding the debt we owe to trees, their emotive power, and their importance to other forms of life, the forested area of the earth is steadily being depleted. This is leading to the degradation of the environment and the extinction of many species. There is now a real danger that in the not very distant future man will destroy a large proportion of the present population of species on earth, create an uninhabitable environment, and then die out him. If this happens it will not be the first time that a large proportion of the species on the earth have been extinguished.
Provides Habitat: They provide habitat to a range of fauna in the Riverina Highlands, including several species listed on the NSW Threatened species Conservation Act and species acknowledged to be in decline throughout The y gives us Timbers: Timber is used in making houses, train compartments, big boxes, tools etc. Without paper life may be difficult for us. Paper is necessary for study and writing. People in villages use firewood to cook meals. They use wood to build houses, huts, carts and agriculture tools the wheat-sheep belt; Control of Pollution: Trees also help to control pollution: They absorb carbon dioxide; they cause rainfall and protect water resources under the ground. They prevent floods and droughts. Contribution to the viability of Wildlife
These trees contribute to the viability of wildlife populations in agricultural landscapes by maintaining connectivity between larger patches of remnant
Vegetation
Trees also give us food, gum and medicine. They also add to the beauty of life. Gardens can not be charming without it, need them for oxygen and good health.
Therefore, we should try our best to grow more trees. Govt. and social welfare societies should start a movement. There should be awards for those persons who grow more trees.