Forest systems critically threatened, says FAO.

ISLAMABAD -- A review of Pakistan's forestry sector reveals that almost all natural forest ecosystems in the country are now critically threatened due to widespread negative anthropogenic (originating due to human activity) sources, conversion of natural ecosystems to agriculture and dwellings and unprecedented depletion of forests, it emerged recently.

The review, carried out by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, pointed out that no comprehensive assessAment of this degradation had been carried out with the objective of the ranking of hot spots. The selection criteria for the inclusion of hot spots encompass characteristics like value for species-richness, uniqueness of flora and fauna, economic importance and extent of the threat to ecosystems due to biotic and climatic factors.

Based on the laid down criteria, the report identified numerous habitat and plant associations in the country as hot spots for priority action. The chilgoza forests of Suleman Range in Zhob and Sherani in Balochistan and Dera Ismail Khan and North and South Waziristan Agency and Chitral were threatened due to excessive grazing cutting for fuel and timber, excessive collection of seeds and lopping off branches, which contain future cones.

The juniper forests of Ziarat and Kalat, which were extremely slow-growing and some trees were 1,500 years old, were facing pressure for grazing and fuelwood collection. The riverine forests of Sukkur were under threat due to decreased inundation and over-grazing, and shisham dieback (a...