Interrelationship between Forests and Climate Change : A Review

Climate change and forests are intrinsically linked and better forest management has key role to play in dealing with climate change. Forests influence atmospheric conditions causing rain and control temperature and provide clean air. They take in carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and provide oxygen. They protect soil from erosion and control floods. They are the house to many living organisms (macro and micro). A large number of people rely on forests for their livelihood. They serve as carbon sinks and are recognized as the principal contributor to climate change adaptation and mitigation. The main drivers of climate change are anthropogenic activities such as land-use change, over exploitation of forest resources, fossil fuel burning and industrial processes. The present review is aimed at providing the impacts of climate change on forests and the role of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation particularly in Indian context.