Afforestation is the act and result of foresting ; In other words, it is the noun of the family of this verb , which, in turn, refers to planting forest species on a certain piece of land.
The idea of afforestation, therefore, is often linked to forest management . The concept can refer to both the planting and the renewal and even the felling of trees. Generally, afforestation seeks to ensure that the tree that was felled to take advantage of its wood or give it another use is replaced by a new specimen. In this way the resources are not exhausted.
Two of the trees that are usually planted within the framework of a forestation plan are willow and pine , since very valuable resources for the industry are obtained from them. On the other hand, those that bear fruit are also planted, without which the trade of food and other products that depend on them could not be sustained.
Forestation generates various benefits. It not only allows the production of raw materials , but also improves the quality of the environment. Furthermore, at an economic level, it helps to promote activity and allows for the creation of jobs.
It is possible to differentiate between rural forestry and urban forestry . Rural forestry is usually oriented towards production and environmental care. Urban forestry, which takes place in cities or at their entrances, also contributes to reducing the effects of pollution, although it usually also has an aesthetic purpose.
When afforestation is carried out with conscious planning, it is vital to efficiently manage forest resources . Its economic importance is key, but the relevance goes further because a region with good forestation can adapt to climate change, mitigate the consequences of global warming and conserve its biodiversity .
Global warming is the phenomenon characterized by the increase in the temperature of our planet over a period of one century. This concept also encompasses the consequences of said change, which can be very negative for all forms of life. Forestation is one of the several measures with which humans try to combat this problem that has been studied for decades. Our species is believed to be most responsible for the global warming that has been observed since the mid-20th century.
A country without forestry, on the other hand, is likely to suffer from recurring environmental problems, such as floods or droughts. Furthermore, its inhabitants will be subjected to poor living conditions.
If we look for the term forestry in a thesaurus we do not find many results; In fact, we are likely to encounter repopulation , a word that does not precisely define the act of "foresting", but rather refers to the concept of reforestation . There is often confusion between afforestation and reforestation , although both are clearly differentiated: while the first is based on the creation of plantations where there is no evidence of previous forest vegetation, the second has the objective of recovering plantations that have been lost due to various causes.
In both cases, we are dealing with activities that arise due to the actions of human beings and that they themselves carry out: reforestation was created to compensate the planet for the degree of destruction to which we subject it with our manipulation of the environment , while Afforestation is one of the many ways in which we carry out such manipulation. It is curious that on the one hand we admire the apparent perfection of nature but at the same time we do nothing other than try to modify it to adapt it to our tastes.