![]() ![]() The word forest has been derived from the Latin ‘foris’ meaning outside, the reference being to a village boundary or fence, and it must have included all uncultivated and uninhabited land. The forest is ‘a plant community predominantly of trees and other woody vegetation, usually with a closed canopy’. The forests in India are largely owned (about 96 per cent) or managed by the states. (iii) Unclassed forests, forming 47.1, 30.3 and 22.6 per cent respectively of the total forest area. The forests of India may be classified into three classes: The National Forest Policy lays down that India should maintain one-third of its land under forests. The area under forests in India is about 75 million ha and consists of about 23 per cent of the total land area. Over-population and unplanned felling of trees have drastically reduced the forest area and the quality of forests in India today. Emperor Jahangir introduced the famous chinar tree in Kashmir valley. Ashoka also encouraged the cultivation of exotic, medicinal plants. By the time of Samrat Ashoka, the inroads were into the forests.
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