Deforestation
What is Deforestation?
Deforestation is the clearing of Earth’s forests on a large
scale. It often results in degraded quality of the affected
land. Forests still cover around 30% of the world’s land
area, but this is decreasing by the second.
The Current Situation
More than 80% of the Earth’s natural forests have
already been destroyed. In West Africa alone, 90% of its
coastal rain forests have disappeared since 1900. The
world’s two largest surviving rain forests, situated in
Brazil and Indonesia are rapidly decreasing in size due to
fires, logging, and land-clearing for agricultural and
territorial purposes.
Why is Deforestation a Concern?
70% of plants and animals reside in forests. The loss of this
valuable habitat would put many species at risk of extinction.
Trees are natural carbon sinks; they absorb carbon dioxide, a
major greenhouse gas and contributor to global warming, and
give off oxygen, a necessity for almost all animals. Therefore,
the loss of trees means fewer photosynthesis reactions and less
oxygen for animals, as well as more carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere, resulting in quicker global warming. Furthermore,
intentional tree burning and forest fires not only reduce the
number of carbon sinks, but they also cause even more carbon
dioxide to be released into the atmosphere. The water cycle is
also affected, as trees absorb ground water and release it into
the air; with the loss of trees, the deforested land’s climate
becomes drier.
Deforestation leads to desertification, especially in dry
sub-humid areas. The removal of trees results in the soil
directly underneath drying from the sun’s heat and being
blown away with the wind, leaving behind infertile soil layers that bake in the sun to become a desert-like
hardpan. The deforested land then becomes inhabitable to other animals, which are forced to find a new place to
live. Animals that can only thrive in the deforested area might become extinct, which would affect the food chain
in the area depending on where the animal is in the chain.
The U.S. State Department currently estimates that forests four times the size of Switzerland are lost each year
as a result of clearing and degradation (an area of trees the size of a soccer field is lost every two seconds).
Causes and Counter-measures
Although natural forest fires and overgrazing by wild animals are some causes of deforestation, the most
common cause is human activity. Humans cut down trees for profits in the logging industry, living space, and
agricultural and territorial purposes. Techniques used for human expansion into forest lands include mass cutting
of trees with machinery and the “slash and burn” method in which trees are cut and burned to clear land space
faster; this results in carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere, where the greenhouse gas circulates and
contributes to global warming.
The logging industry allows for wood and paper to be produced. Trees are cut down as primary resources for
these products and also cleared for construction of roads that allow foresters to access more remote forests.
Deforestation is being counter-measured with reforestation programs, which ensure that trees are being planted
to help balance out tree-cutting. In September 2008, the United Nations introduced the Reduced Emissions from
Deforestation and Forest Degradation Program to encourage countries to regulate deforestation.
Bibliography
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June 5, 2010.
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