Deforestation

Deforestation is the removal of trees and other plants from forest areas more quickly than they can be replanted or regenerated naturally. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland
to farms, ranches, or urban use.

Reasons for Deforestation There is a large variety of reasons for why people choose to clear forests:

Agricultural purposes According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat, the overwhelming direct cause of deforestation is agriculture. Subsistence farming is responsible for 48% of deforestation; commercial agriculture is responsible for 32% of deforestation; logging is responsible for 14% of deforestation and fuel wood removals make up 5% of deforestation.Grazing cattle or planting crops. Poor farmers in developing countries chop down a small area of trees. This occurs on a much larger scale for intensive or modern agriculture . Commercial logging the cutting down of trees for sale as timber or pulp. The rate at which trees are felled is increasing to meet these demands. Fuel:People in developing countries need the timber for firewood, as its practically the only source of fuel available to people living there. The heavy machinery used (e.g. bulldozers) is just as damaging to a forest overall as the chainsaws are to individual trees Construction of towns or dams, etc. Roads theyre built through the forest to allow easier access . Mining Trees are removed to mine mineral resources.

The forest will grow back very slowly. It may take up to fifty years to grow back.

Environmental problems

Atmospheric
Deforestation is a contributor to global warming, and is often cited as one of the major causes of the enhanced greenhouse effect. Deforestation causes carbon dioxide to linger in the atmosphere. As carbon dioxide accrues, it produces a layer in the atmosphere that traps radiation from the sun. The radiation converts to heat which causes global warming, which is better known as the greenhouse effect.

Hydrological
The water cycle is also affected by deforestation. Trees extract groundwater through their roots and release it into the atmosphere. When part of a forest is removed, the trees no longer transpire this water, resulting in a much drier climate. Deforestation reduces the content of water in the soil and groundwater as well as atmospheric moisture

Soil

Undisturbed forests have a very low rate of soil loss,Deforestation generally increases rates of soil erosion, by increasing the amount of surface runoff

Biodiversity
Deforestation on a large scale results in decline in biodiversity, and is known to cause the extinction of many species. Flooding and Drought: One of the vital functions of forests is to absorb and store great amounts of water quickly when there are heavy rains. When forests are cut down, this regulation of the flow of water is disrupted, which leads to alternating periods of flood and then drought in the affected area.

Economic impact
Damage to forests and other aspects of nature could reduce global GDP by about 7% by 2050, a report concluded at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) meeting in Bonn.

Solutions to Deforestation

Reforesting Every pupil has to plant a tree and look after it. Bans a ban on the over logging of forests Sustainable Forests using forest and the animals and plants that live in them in ways that do not permanently damage them. This could mean taking only as much timber or other products as the forests can support so that they will continue to be productive in future years. Recycling an option for the wealthier countries in the world to cut down on their consumption of forest products in general. Protected Areas environmental organisations like WWF can offer legal protection for certain areas by campaigning and informing governments over the necessity to protect a proportion of the world forests from destruction.

Conclusion So we must all join hands to prevent deforestation, each in our little way. The world did exist before the making of paper. A lot of things like paper kitchen towels, facial tissues can be avoided if only we are not so obsessed with the word disposable. So go for that which is reusable and recyclable instead. Our trees are our legacy given to us by our ancestors, its the legacy we must leave our own.