Uses of vegetation

Vegetation has many uses to human beings, animals and other living things. These include:-

Source of food.

Plants are the basic sources of food for people. Most of the food crops grown include; maize, sugarcane, wheat and rice among others. Some food crops are also sold in order to get money.

Source of herbal medicine

Plants of many types have roots, bark and leaves which are used to cure or treat different diseases. People can swallow that medicine in raw form or boil it first.

Source of employment

Forests create employment opportunities to both urban and rural people. People practice agro-forestry, burn- charcoal and others cut wood for timber. Some deal in timber as their main source of income.

Source of fodder

Fodder from the forests forms very important source of food for cattle and other animals during the dry season. There are many varieties of grasses, trees and shrubs that are nutritious for the animals. Vegetation attracts tourists who come to see the creatures that live there. Tourists pay money before they visit the forests. Trees provide oxygen for animals. They also absorb carbon dioxide from animals. Vegetation especially forests influence rainfall formation. They play a part in the process involved in the formation of rain.

Habitats for wildlife

Forests are the natural habitat for wildlife. Wildlife has four basic requirements, food, cover, water and space. Therefore, there is need to conserve the existing forests.

Act as wind breaks

Trees/forests serve as wind breaks. They can withstand strong winds during rainy, hot and cold conditions, that can destroy buildings.

Source of wood fuel

Most people in Uganda depend on wood as their main source of fuel. Both rural and urban dwellers use firewood and charcoal for most of their cooking activities.

Ways of conserving vegetation.

Conservation refers to protection from destruction. Vegetation protection has become very important today due to the increasing demand for land for cultivation, settlement and wood fuel. The population has greatly increased in Uganda which has put vegetation in danger. However, vegetation can be conserved in the following ways:-

(i)   Encourage agricultural activities that have low effect on vegetation such as shade farming and harvesting non- wood forest products such as rubber, cork or medicinal plants.

(ii)  Teach people the uses of vegetation and dangers of clearing vegetation.

(iii)  Encourage them to avoid uncontrolled fires during the dry seasons.

(iv)  Encourage people to use alternative sources of energy such as solar, electricity, gas and paraffin. Protect existing forests and swamps.

(v)   Ensure that natural forests that exist are not destroyed for any purpose.

(vi)  Encourage planting trees, grass and flowers in school and home compounds. Grasses reduces soil erosion.

(vii)  Create foot paths and walk ways to protect grass and trees in towns, cities, homes and schools.        

(viii)  There should be careful cultivation of land on slopes. People who live in highland areas should practice terracing, contour ploughing,   grass and tree planting to reduce soil erosion. This helps to trap top soil   which can be washed away by rain.         

(ix)  We should find out which trees grow well in different areas, and how to prevent or cure diseases which attack them.

(x)   Re-afforestation and afforestation; Trees should be replanted in areas where deforestation has occurred.

Human activities that affect vegetation negatively

There are various human activities that have affected vegetation negatively. Competition for basic resources such as land, water and firewood is forcing many people in Uganda today to practice illegal activities that are leading to disappearance of vegetation. Mining of gold, petroleum oil or tin has also led to the destruction of vegetation in some areas.

Road and industrial building has led to destruction of large areas of vegetation for example, Namanve forest is no longer in existence.

Deforestation: several factors have led to deforestation for example, clearing land for agriculture, fuel wood cutting- and harvesting of wood products.

Vegetation is destroyed due to high demand for timber. People cut wood regardless of the size and maturity.

Overgrazing: Grazing many animals on a small piece of land leaves the ground bare thus exposing soil to agents of soil erosion.

In Uganda, pollution is caused by discharge of untreated industrial waste and release of sewage into water bodies. Pollution means something which makes the air, land and water dirty. Air pollution is caused by gasses, dust from industries, fumes from motor vehicles and smoke from bush burning.

Swamp drainage: 
This is the removal of water from a wetland using different means such as digging 
channels, infilling with murram or growing of water demanding trees such as eucalyptus 
in swamps. Animals and plants that live in those areas are Swamp drainage destroyed.

 Activity

Activity

Name other areas where animals can live.

Dumping of waste such as waste paper, polythene bags, scrap metal, plastics and waste oil products. When dumped they make it difficult for the vegetation to grow.

The relationship between vegetation and population distribution.

Relationship means the way in which two or more things or people are involved with each other. Therefore, the way in which vegetation and population distribution are connected with each other. Population distribution refers to the way people are settled or spread over an area or country. Today, there is competition between people and vegetation. People and vegetation can interact meaningfully without any harm to each other in their way of life. Many people tend to settle in areas where the 'soil is fertile and rainfall is reliable. Areas that have thick vegetation have fertile soils and experience heavy rainfall which attract human activities and settlement. Therefore, people tend to concentrate in such areas because of possibilities of agriculture and harvesting of wood products.

Places with scarce or little vegetation receive less rainfall. People usually use them for cattle rearing. People also destroy vegetation so as to settle, practice agriculture, get timber and wood fuel. Areas which are very dry such as North Eastern Uganda with very poor vegetation have very few or sparse population. However, people plant vegetation in order to earn a living. People and vegetation can live in harmony if proper measures are followed to utilise the vegetation while protecting it as well. On the other hand, areas of little or no vegetation discourage human settlement because the climate is usually unfavourable.

 Activity

Activity

1 .  If you are appointed as the district forest officer in your district, what steps would you take to control deforestation?

2.  List the steps and display them in your classroom.