Forestry is an important and interesting subject of study. Forests form part of the vital natural resources of a country. From time immemorial forest resources have been a source of human sustenance. They are home to the most amazing herbs, medicinal compounds, natural cosmetics etc. Forestry and Wild Life go together since forests serve as home for wildlife.
Forest wealth also contributes significantly to the economy of the country. Specially trained personnel are therefore needed to maintain and regenerate the forest cover, forest wealth and resources. This involves the services of forestry specialists, forestry management experts and forest officers.
Forestry involves protection of forests and farming of trees to ensure contributing timber supply. Forester takes care of forest resources by protecting them from fire, pests, disease, encroachment and indiscriminate felling of trees.
There are various people who work in forest and wild life conservation. For example, foresters, dendrologists, ethologists, entomologists, silviculturists (forest propagation and culture), forest range officers, zoo curators etc.
Forester: The forester is responsible for protecting and regenerating forests, protecting wildlife habitats, checking for and fighting wild fires, landscape management and so on. With experience foresters can graduate to managing public relations, preparing reports and managing budgets.
Dendrologists: Dendrologists specialise in the scientific study of trees and woody plants. Their work involves research on the history, life span, measuring, grading, classifying the varieties of trees, and studying ways and means of tree improvement through afforestation etc.
Enthologists: Ethology is the scientific study of animal behaviour in its natural environment. An ethologist studies and analyses the evolution, behaviour, biological functions etc. of an organism in its natural environment. Enthologists design healthy habitats for animals in zoos, aquariums, and laboratories. They also study animal behavior to enhance our knowledge of human physiology and psychology.
Entomologists: Entomologists specialise in the study and control of diseases caused by insects and pests.
Silviculturistsis: Silviculture is an aspect of Forestry that refers to the growth of plantations that yield periodic harvests.
Forest Range Officers: Forest range officers take care of public forests, sancturies, botanical gardens etc. They have conservators, loggers and other junior personnel working with them. Entry into this post is through the Indian Forest Service (IFS) Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission.
Zoo curators: They are responsible for animal welfare in the zoos and also undertake conservation programmes. Zoo curator plays a role in the administration of zoo functions and captive breeding programs. They review reports made by zookeepers, calculate the budgetary requirements for the zoo and encourage research activity.
