Newsletter Pakistan Forest Institute, Peshawar Chief Patron: Syed Said Badshah Bukhari Editor: Tanvir Ahmad Qureshi April – June, 2010 Director General Extension Specialist WORLD BIO-DIVERSITY DAY Main Muhammad Shafiq Deputy Conservator Wildlife Every year 22nd May is observed as Bio-diversity day. To celebrate this event a function was arranged at Pakistan Forest Institute with the collaboration of Environmental Protection Agency, Wildlife Department, Environment Division, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Forest Education Division, Pakistan Forest Institute, Peshawar. The chief guest of the function was Mr.Wajid Ali Khan Minister for Environment, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The key guest speakers of the programme were Mr. Ashiq Ahmad Khan, Advisor, Ministry of Environment, Government of Pakistan, Dr. Muhammad Mumtaz Malik, Honourable Minister of Environment Mr. Wajid Ali Khan Ex-Chief Conservator Wildlife, Khyber with the sponsors and organizers of the programme Pakhtunkhwa, Dr.Alamgir Gandapur, Project Director, Carbon Sequestration Project, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. participants of the programme and . appreciated the efforts of the organizers for Dr.Bashir Khan, Director General, arranging the programme and presented Environmental Protection Agency PFI Shield to Honourable Minister welcomed the participants and highlighted the importance of programme. The guest speakers highlighted the importance of the day. Mr. Ashiq Ahmad Khan talked about bio-diversity and its linkages. Dr. Mumtaz Malik spoke about the bio-diversity of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Mr. Alamgir Gandapur briefed about forest bio- Honourable Minister for Environment, diversity. KPK, addressing the gathering The students of Zarif Memorial School presented a tableau about protection of Audience of the Biodiversity Day Environment. The students of M.Sc Forestry of Pakistan Forest Institute delivered speeches on the importance of bio-diversity. The chief guest, in his speech, emphasized that all stakeholder should play their role in the conservation of bio- diversity. He awarded prizes and certificates to the winners and participants of the debate competition. Director General, PFI delivering vote of thanks At the end, Syed Said Badshah Bukhari, Director General PFI, in his concluding remarks, thanked the Presentation of PFI Shield Honourable Minister, speakers and 1 CLIMATE CHANGE IN PESHAWAR temperature, rainfall and evaporation. TOURS Syed Said Badshah Bukhari There was a negative correlation between Forest Management Tour DG, PFI temperature and rainfall (r2=-0.49), while The students of M.Sc. Forestry 2008- and Ghulam Ali Bajwa the correlation was positive between 2010 course undertook the Forest Coordinator Sericulture temperature and evaporation (r2=0.78). Management tour to Punjab and Sindh The range of variation and coefficient of Where are the songs of Spring? from 29-3-2010 to 15-4-2010. In Punjab, variation of temperature, rainfall, Ay, where are they? they visited Jhelum, Sialkot, Changa evaporation and wind showed a great Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,- Manga, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and volatility especially in the spring and While barrèd clouds bloom the soft-dying studied the management of scrub forests, autumn seasons. day Sports goods industries, Irrigated And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue These findings forecast a likely plantations, Lal Sohanra National Park and John Keats (1795-1821) increase of 4.13°C in temperature by the the rangelands of Cholistan and D.G. Khan end of 21st century vis-à-vis reduced respectively. In Sindh, students visited The pattern of changes in season and rainfall and extended drought periods. Sukkur, Hyderabad, Thatta and Karachi associated blooms and songs of birds have Apart from physical changes, this newly and studied the management of Riverain beautifully been described in the above emerging climate scenario predicts forests, „Hurri‟ plantation, Coconut couplets, but this pattern is no more multifaceted implications on vegetative and plantation and Mangrove forests. The predictable. Seasons will appear with reproductive growth of plants, as well as on Director General, Pakistan Forest Institute different calendar, duration and intensity. depending habitat characteristics. The and Director Forest Education Division And trend will drastically affect the increased temperature with low rainfall joined the classes in Hyderabad on 8-4- anthropogenic and biotic activities, mostly warrants more water for longer period thus 2010 and accompanied the students on in adverse direction. The scientific findings indicating further pressure on already field visits to „Hurri‟ plantations and show that earth‟s climate is changing even critically scarce water resources. This Mangrove forests. faster than previously assumed. A study study, in addition to biologists and Senior officers of the Punjab and Sindh conducted by the Pakistan Forest Institute ecologists, provides guidelines to policy Forest Departments especially Chief showed an increase of 0.85°C (0.77°C- makers for adaptation of mitigation Conservator of Forests, Sindh personally 0.92°C) in Peshawar during 1985-2009; measures. The detailed results are being conducted the field visits, delivered special 0.034°C increase per annum. This high published in a scientific journal. lectures on practical forestry to students level of temperature increase indicates The projected climate scenario in which were very beneficial for them and phenomenon of island of heat which has Peshawar urges to undertake mitigation improved their learning. The support of previously been reported in Karachi and and adaptation measures to reduce both the forest departments was ideal and Lahore. Apart from temperature rising, the adverse effects of climate change. There cooperative, and made the tour successful. study revealed a change in seasonal are several sectors, such as, forestry, rhythm. The spring season started 15.6 agriculture, energy, geo-engineering, days earlier as well as shortened by 17.8 industry, town planning, transport, etc. days. The extreme summer season was where adaptive measures have potential to extended to five months (May-September) mitigate warming impacts by reducing with ≥ 35°C mean maximum temperature levels of greenhouse gases (GHG). Apart (Fig. 1). from arresting vehicular emissions, the 45 1985-89 40 2005-09 social and agro-forestry is the most viable 35 and economical field for remediation of 30 25 GHG through carbon sequestration in 20 Director General, PFI, CCF Sindh and 15 urban and surrounding areas. Affores- Temperature (°C) 10 DFE with students at Hyderabad Sindh tation/regeneration programmes, therefore, 5 0 should be launched on strategic sites as Orientation Tour Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec well as masses be encouraged to Five days Orientation tour of B.Sc. & Months participate in campaign of making city Fig. 1. Pattern of temperature change M.Sc. Forestry students Session 2009-11 green. was conducted from 20-24 April, 2010. during 1985 to 2009 NEWS OF FOREST EDUCATION Students visited Azakhel Botanical Garden, The study further showed a 30% Hakim Shah Khanpur Dam, Fatima Jinnah Park, decrease in rainfall (from 39.6 mm to 27.7 Director Forest Education Division Marghazar zoo, Marghalla National Park, mm per annum) during the study period Lake View Park, CDA nursery, Rawat with extended drought periods. The climate The process of improvement in the Timber Depot of the AKLASC, Agricultural was shifted towards dry tropical type with Forest Education Division continued during University Rawalpindi and Qarshi eight months receiving less than 25 mm the reported period. Many activities were Industries at Hattar Industrial Estate during rainfall. The rainfall was reduced drastically undertaken including conduct of Forest Orientation tour. during primary plant growth periods, viz. Management and Orientation tours of M.Sc the spring and late summer seasons. On and B.Sc forestry classless, Curriculum the other hand, evaporation and wind revision of BS Forestry (4yrs), and M.Sc increased by 1.59 times and 1.40 times, Forestry, conducting meetings of the Board respectively. The evaporation was of Studies in Forestry, regularization in increased from 4.42 mm to 7.05 mm per 24 examination system, and extra Curricular h. Similarly mean wind speed at 8‟ height activities viz: celebration of Special Days, organizing Special Lecture Programes and increased from 21.82 km/24 h to 33.81 km/24 h. Moreover, the findings indicated a student excursion tours as given below. A briefing to Forestry students on forest significant feedback mechanism among vegetation at Margala National Park 2 Soil Science Excursion tour Environment Day th A one day excursion tour of M.Sc and Environment Day, 5 June, 2010 was B.Sc session 2009-11 was conducted with celebrated at the Auditorium of PFI. All the collaboration of Soil Survey of Pakistan staff and forestry students of the Institute to Charsadda and areas around Peshawar participated in the event. A skit on Environmental concerns was played by and students were briefed about soil property. Soil samples were also collected. B.Sc forestry students to create the realization of the Day that development Field Engineering Demonstration tour and environment should go hand in hand and sustainable development is the new A one day Field Engineering practical Members of Board of Studies in paradigm. demonstration tour of M.Sc and B.Sc Forestry Forestry session 2007-2009 was In the second meeting, Mr.Iftihar conducted