CBSE Class 10 Science 2017 · Paper 31/2 · Question 6

We must conserve forests because: (1) they are biodiversity hot spots, home to a very large number of species of plants, animals and micro-organisms, and losing this diversity may upset the stability of the ecosystem; (2) they provide timber, fuelwood, fodder, fruits and medicines on which many people depend; (3) they protect the environment — tree roots hold the soil and check erosion and floods, forests help maintain the water cycle and recharge groundwater, and trees take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen. Two factors responsible for deforestation: (1) cutting of trees for timber, fuelwood and raw material for industries such as paper and furniture; (2) clearing of forest land for agriculture, housing, roads, industries and dams as the human population grows.