Relic is also the term for something that has survived the passage of time, especially an object or custom whose original culture has disappeared, but also an object cherished for historical or memorial value (such as a keepsake or heirloom). Cultural relics a common translation for wenwu, a common Chinese word that usually means "antique" but can be extended to anything, including object and monument, that is of historical and cultural value. However, this has some issues since the term wenwu has little resemblance to the English usage of "relic". In most cases, "artifact", "archaeological site", "monument", or just plain "archaeology" would be a much better and meaningful translation. A relic is also an object or an article of religious significance from our past deeply associated with history, culture and heritage. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Relics are an important aspect of some forms of Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Shamanism, and other religions or religious practices.
The English word "relic" has been derived from the Latin root "reliquiae" that refers to "remains", and a form of the Latin verb relinquere, to "leave behind, or abandon". In simple terms, reliquary is a shrine that houses one or more religious relics. The concept of relics has been repeatedly reflected in the socio-cultural practices of both Western and Eastern religions, religious faiths and practices in multiple dynamics across the centuries; and is deeply integrated with our history and heritage. For example, the Japanese concept of Relic Cave or Sacred Forest's Cave is a small tunnel underneath a village or hamlet, leading to the Relic Forest and Relic Stone. It is said that the whole area is blessed with supernatural power.
Traditionally forests are composed of areas of very dense
vegetation. They are made up of a large variety of plants, herbs and trees,
climbers and creepers, shrubs and bushes, epiphytes, hemiphytes, lithophytes,
xerophytes, and various grasses. There are both flowering and non-flowering
trees as also evergreen and deciduous trees that abundantly grow in the
forests. Flowering trees add beauty to the landscape of forests. But the rich
biodiversity of flora and fauna represented in the form of various invertebrates and vertebrates add to the
complexity as well as the various trophic
levels of the forest necessary for the maintenance of the forest
ecosystem dynamics. Forest Residuals means small trees, branches, tops and
otherwise un-merchantable wood remaining after the clearing, thinning or final
felling of forest stands. Residues that are left after logging operations
(branches, stumps, treetops, bark, sawdust, etc.). Forestry residues are
by-products and co-products of industrial wood-processing operations (bark,
sawmill slabs, sawdust, wood chips, etc.).
Relic forests comprise very original and unique cultural vegetation corresponding to the indigenous culture in Far Eastern countries like Japan and Korea. In Far Eastern cultures, traditional Confucian values are significant determinant that allows even fragmented relic forests to survive, and tries to consider the preservation of the surviving forests. Communities around the globe are planting pockets of native trees, called mini forests, to manage the effects of climate change. Based on research conducted by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, dense plantings of native tree and shrub seedlings can be as small as two parking spaces and still provide large benefits (Miyawaki forests). Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki endowed the Miyawaki technique to create dense forests with native plants. This unique method is used worldwide for urban afforestation by growing a forest in someone's backyard.
A Residual Forest or a remnant (residual or remaining or last standing natural area or remnant or residual habitat), is an extremely fragile and highly sensitive comparatively smaller ecological community containing native flora and fauna that has not been significantly disturbed by either natural or anthropogenic activities such as forest fires, flooding, draught, diseases, over grazing and/or over population, destructive human activities such as agriculture, logging, pollution, industrial and infrastructural developments, fire suppression, or active/passive invasion by non-native species replacing or degrading the native species. The more disturbed an area has been, the less characteristic it becomes of a remnant or residual habitat or a residual forest. Remnant areas are also defined in technical terms as as "biologically intact" or "ecologically intact" areas. Residual forests can be successfully used as reference ecosystems in various ecological restoration projects and are important micro ecosystems in understanding the broader perspective of how our ecosystem woks.
A Residual Forest can be described in terms of its natural
quality or biological integrity, which is the extent to which it has the
internal biodiversity and abiotic elements to replicate itself over time. In
other words, the capability of supporting and maintaining a balanced,
integrated, adaptive community of organisms having a species composition,
diversity, and functional organization comparable to that of the natural
habitat of the region. Abiotic elements determining the quality of a natural
area may include factors such as hydrologic connectivity or fire. In areas that
have been dredged, drained, or dammed, the altered hydrology can destroy a
remnant natural area. Similarly, too much or too little fire can degrade or
destroy Residual Forest.
Such areas are characterized by the presence of
"conservative" plants and animals, that organisms that are restricted
to or highly characteristic of areas that have not been disturbed by humans.
Due to its unique ecological characteristics as well biodiversity; Residual
Forests identified within any biogeographic area needs serious protection and
conservation efforts for their long term sustenance and survival.
