Direct Advantages
1. Forests provide valuable timber for dome tic and commercial use. Industries like paper, matt making, plywood, sports goods, lakh and furniture at directly based on raw materials derived from forest
2. Forests supply a number of minor produce which are utilised in different industries and domes* tic uses. These include lakh, gum and resins, tannin material, medicines, herbs, honey, spices, etc.
3. Forests offer employment to about 4 million people to earn their livelihood in forest based occupations, i.e., lumbering, sawing, furniture making, forest produce collecting, etc.
4. Auction of forests for commercial use fetches annual income to state exchequer.
5. Export of forest products earns valuable foreign exchange to the country.
6. Grazing of cattle in the forests helps in dairy farming and cattle rising.
7. Forests are the natural habitat for wild life and birds which attract tourists, holiday makers and hunters. These may be developed as very good picnic or tourist centers in the form of wild life sanctuaries and national parks which have good employment and income generating potential.
Indirect Advantages
1. Forests are the moderators of climate. These have effective role in controlling humidity and temperature and precipitation.
2. Forests play dominant role in carbon cycle. These absorb atmospheric carbon-di-oxide and help in maintaining the purity of air and controlling atmospheric pollution.
3. Forests help in controlling soil erosion, soil degradation and floods. That is why these are very helpful in land reclamation and flood control.
4. Forests help in water percolation and thereby maintain underground water table.
5. Decay of plant leaves