The tree species most commonly used in social forestry is
Eucalptus
Social forestry means the management and protection of forests and afforestation on barren lands with the purpose of helping in the environmental, social and rural development.
Government is trying to increase forest areas that are close to human settlement and have been degraded over the years due to human activities needed to be afforested. Trees were to be planted in and around agricultural fields. Plantation of trees along railway lines and roadsides, and river and canal banks were carried out. They were planted in village common land, government wasteland, and Panchayat land, social forestry scheme was initiated in India to increase fuel availability in rural areas and to prevent soil erosion.
Objectives
Social forestry schemes have been started throughout India, making a difference in forest cover and benefiting rural and urban communities.[citation needed] The main objectives of such schemes include:
1. Improve the environment for protecting agriculture from adverse climatic factors,
2. Increase the supply of wood fuel for domestic use, small timber for rural housing, fodder for livestock, and minor forest produce for local industries,
3. Increase the natural beauty of the landscape; create recreational forests for the benefit of rural and urban population,
4. Provide jobs for unskilled workers and
5. Land rehabilitation
6. Finally, its object is to raise the standard of living and quality of life of the rural and the urban people.
Due to huge requirement of pulpwood for production virgin celluolosic fibre based paper, the pulp and paper industry has become a major demand driver for certain species of tree such as Eucalyptus, Babul Acacia catechu, Subabul (Leucaena leucocephala) and Casuarina equisetifolia.