Which of the following helps conserve forests?

(a) Overgrazing

(b) Slash-and-burn cultivation

(c) Social forestry & afforestation

(d) Unregulated logging

Correct answer: (c) Social forestry & afforestation

Why this conserves forests: Social forestry involves community-based tree planting and management on village commons, farm boundaries, degraded lands, and urban spaces. Afforestation means planting trees on barren/deforested land. Together they:

• Increase tree/forest cover on degraded lands, easing pressure on natural forests.
• Provide alternatives (fuelwood, fodder, small timber) so communities don’t extract from protected forests.
• Prevent soil erosion, improve water infiltration, and store carbon—benefiting climate and local rainfall cycles.
• Create habitat corridors and improve biodiversity around farms and settlements.
• Build stewardship by involving local people (e.g., Joint Forest Management, urban green belts, school/roadside plantations).

Why the other options are incorrect

• (a) Overgrazing – Damages seedlings and young shoots, compacts soil, accelerates erosion, and blocks natural regeneration.
• (b) Slash-and-burn cultivation – Clearing/burning releases carbon and depletes nutrients; in today’s short fallow cycles it typically drives deforestation and biodiversity loss.
• (d) Unregulated logging – Leads to over-extraction, habitat fragmentation, and long-term forest degradation.

Final answer: (c) Social forestry & afforestation.