Deforestation is the clearance of forests by logging and/or burning (popularly known as slash and

burn).

Deforestation occurs for many reasons: trees or derived charcoal are used as, or sold, for fuel or
as a commodity, while cleared land is used as pasture for livestock, plantations of commodities,
and settlements. The removal of trees without sufficient reforestation has resulted in damage to
habitat, biodiversity loss and aridity. It has adverse impacts on biosequestration of atmospheric
carbon dioxide. Deforested regions typically incur significant adverse soil erosion and frequently
degrade into wasteland.

Disregard or ignorance of intrinsic value, lack of ascribed value, lax forest management and
deficient environmental laws are some of the factors that allow deforestation to occur on a large
scale. In many countries, deforestation is an ongoing issue that is causing extinction, changes to
climatic conditions, desertification, and displacement of indigenous people.

CAUSES

There are many root causes of contemporary deforestation, including corruption of government
institutions,[3][4] the inequitable distribution of wealth and power,[5] population growth[6] and
overpopulation,[7][8] and urbanization.[9] Globalization is often viewed as another root cause of
deforestation,[10][11] though there are cases in which the impacts of globalization (new flows of
labor, capital, commodities, and ideas) have promoted localized forest recovery.

The degradation of forest ecosystems has also been traced to economic incentives that make
forest conversion appear more profitable than forest conservation.[14] Many important forest
functions have no markets, and hence, no economic value that is readily apparent to the forests'
owners or the communities that rely on forests for their well-being.[14] From the perspective of
the developing world, the benefits of forest as carbon sinks or biodiversity reserves go primarily to
richer developed nations and there is insufficient compensation for these services. Developing
countries feel that some countries in the developed world, such as the United States of America,
cut down their forests centuries ago and benefited greatly from this deforestation, and that it is
hypocritical to deny developing countries the same opportunities: that the poor shouldn't have to
bear the cost of preservation when the rich created the problem.[15]

Experts do not agree on whether industrial logging is an important contributor to global

deforestation.[16][17] Some argue that poor people are more likely to clear forest because they
have no alternatives, others that the poor lack the ability to pay for the materials and labour
needed to clear forest.[16] One study found that population increases due to high fertility rates
were a primary driver of tropical deforestation in only 8% of cases.[18]

Some commentators have noted a shift in the drivers of deforestation over the past 30 years.[19]
Whereas deforestation was primarily driven by subsistence activities and government-sponsored
development projects like transmigration in countries like Indonesia and colonization in Latin
America, India, Java etc. during late 19th century and the earlier half of the 20th century. By the
1990s the majority of deforestation was caused by industrial factors, including extractive
industries, large-scale cattle ranching, and extensive agriculture.[20]

EFFECTS
Atmospheric

Deforestation is ongoing and is shaping climate and geography.[21][22][23][24]

Deforestation is a contributor to global warming,[25][26] and is often cited as one of the major
causes of the enhanced greenhouse effect. Tropical deforestation is responsible for
approximately 20% of world greenhouse gas emissions.[27] According to the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change deforestation, mainly in tropical areas, could account for up to one-third
of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions.[28] But recent calculations suggest that carbon
dioxide emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (excluding peatland emissions)
contribute about 12% of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions with a range from 6 to
17%.[29] Trees and other plants remove carbon (in the form of carbon dioxide) from the
atmosphere during the process of photosynthesis and release oxygen back into the atmosphere
during normal respiration. Only when actively growing can a tree or forest remove carbon over an
annual or longer timeframe. Both the decay and burning of wood releases much of this stored
carbon back to the atmosphere. In order for forests to take up carbon, the wood must be
harvested and turned into long-lived products and trees must be re-planted.[30] Deforestation
may cause carbon stores held in soil to be released. Forests are stores of carbon and can be
either sinks or sources depending upon environmental circumstances. Mature forests alternate
between being net sinks and net sources of carbon dioxide (see carbon dioxide sink and carbon
cycle).

Reducing emissions from the tropical deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) in developing
countries has emerged as new potential to complement ongoing climate policies. The idea
consists in providing financial compensations for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions from deforestation and forest degradation".[31]

Rainforests are widely believed by laymen to contribute a significant amount of world's oxygen,
[32] although it is now accepted by scientists that rainforests contribute little net oxygen to the
atmosphere and deforestation will have no effect on atmospheric oxygen levels.[33][34] However,
the incineration and burning of forest plants to clear land releases large amounts of CO2, which
contributes to global warming.[26]

Forests are also able to extract carbon dioxide and pollutants from the air, thus contributing to
biosphere stability.[citation needed]
[edit] 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
evaporate away this water, resulting in a much drier climate. Deforestation reduces the content of
water in the soil and groundwater as well as atmospheric moisture.[35] Deforestation reduces soil
cohesion, so that erosion, flooding and landslides ensue.[36][37] Forests enhance the recharge of
aquifers in some locales, however, forests are a major source of aquifer depletion on most
locales.[38]

Shrinking forest cover lessens the landscape's capacity to intercept, retain and transpire
precipitation. Instead of trapping precipitation, which then percolates to groundwater systems,
deforested areas become sources of surface water runoff, which moves much faster than
subsurface flows. That quicker transport of surface water can translate into flash flooding and
more localized floods than would occur with the forest cover. Deforestation also contributes to
decreased evapotranspiration, which lessens atmospheric moisture which in some cases affects
precipitation levels downwind from the deforested area, as water is not recycled to downwind
forests, but is lost in runoff and returns directly to the oceans. According to one study, in
deforested north and northwest China, the average annual precipitation decreased by one third
between the 1950s and the 1980s.[citation needed]

Trees, and plants in general, affect the water cycle significantly:

* their canopies intercept a proportion of precipitation, which is then evaporated back to the
atmosphere (canopy interception);
* their litter, stems and trunks slow down surface runoff;
* their roots create macropores - large conduits - in the soil that increase infiltration of water;
* they contribute to terrestrial evaporation and reduce soil moisture via transpiration;
* their litter and other organic residue change soil properties that affect the capacity of soil to
store water.
* their leaves control the humidity of the atmosphere by transpiring. 99% of the water absorbed
by the roots moves up to the leaves and is transpired.[39]

As a result, the presence or absence of trees can change the quantity of water on the surface, in
the soil or groundwater, or in the atmosphere. This in turn changes erosion rates and the
availability of water for either ecosystem functions or human services.

The forest may have little impact on flooding in the case of large rainfall events, which overwhelm
the storage capacity of forest soil if the soils are at or close to saturation.

Tropical rainforests produce about 30% of our planet's fresh water.[32]

[edit] Soil
Deforestation for the use of clay in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. The hill depicted is Morro
da Covanca, in Jacarepaguá

Undisturbed forests have a very low rate of soil loss, approximately 2 metric tons per square
kilometer (6 short tons per square mile).[citation needed] Deforestation generally increases rates
of soil erosion, by increasing the amount of runoff and reducing the protection of the soil from tree
litter. This can be an advantage in excessively leached tropical rain forest soils. Forestry
operations themselves also increase erosion through the development of roads and the use of
mechanized equipment.

China's Loess Plateau was cleared of forest millennia ago. Since then it has been eroding,
creating dramatic incised valleys, and providing the sediment that gives the Yellow River its
yellow color and that causes the flooding of the river in the lower reaches (hence the river's
nickname 'China's sorrow').

Removal of trees does not always increase erosion rates. In certain regions of southwest US,
shrubs and trees have been encroaching on grassland. The trees themselves enhance the loss of
grass between tree canopies. The bare intercanopy areas become highly erodible. The US Forest
Service, in Bandelier National Monument for example, is studying how to restore the former
ecosystem, and reduce erosion, by removing the trees.

Tree roots bind soil together, and if the soil is sufficiently shallow they act to keep the soil in place
by also binding with underlying bedrock. Tree removal on steep slopes with shallow soil thus
increases the risk of landslides, which can threaten people living nearby. However most
deforestation only affects the trunks of trees, allowing for the roots to stay rooted, negating the
landslide.
[edit] Ecological

Deforestation results in declines in biodiversity.[40] The removal or destruction of areas of forest

cover has resulted in a degraded environment with reduced biodiversity.[41] Forests support
biodiversity, providing habitat for wildlife;[42] moreover, forests foster medicinal conservation.[43]
With forest biotopes being irreplaceable source of new drugs (such as taxol), deforestation can
destroy genetic variations (such as crop resistance) irretrievably.[44]

Since the tropical rainforests are the most diverse ecosystems on Earth[45][46] and about 80% of
the world's known biodiversity could be found in tropical rainforests,[47][48] removal or
destruction of significant areas of forest cover has resulted in a degraded[49] environment with
reduced biodiversity.[50]

It has been estimated that we are losing 137 plant, animal and insect species every single day
due to rainforest deforestation, which equates to 50,000 species a year.[51] Others state that
tropical rainforest deforestation is contributing to the ongoing Holocene mass extinction.[52][53]
The known extinction rates from deforestation rates are very low, approximately 1 species per
year from mammals and birds which extrapolates to approximately 23,000 species per year for all
species. Predictions have been made that more than 40% of the animal and plant species in
Southeast Asia could be wiped out in the 21st century.[54] Such predictions were called into
question by 1995 data that show that within regions of Southeast Asia much of the original forest
has been converted to monospecific plantations, but that potentially endangered species are few
and tree flora remains widespread and stable.[55]

Scientific understanding of the process of extinction is insufficient to accurately make predictions

about the impact of deforestation on biodiversity.[56] Most predictions of forestry related
biodiversity loss are based on species-area models, with an underlying assumption that as the
forest declines species diversity will decline similarly.[57] However, many such models have been
proven to be wrong and loss of habitat does not necessarily lead to large scale loss of species.
[57] Species-area models are known to overpredict the number of species known to be
threatened in areas where actual deforestation is ongoing, and greatly overpredict the number of
threatened species that are widespread

What is Deforestation?

Deforestation involves the conversion of forested regions to non-

forest land for the use of pastures for livestock, logging
companies, industrial gain, urban use, or simply to become a
wasteland [1]. Sadly, the trend has been in existence for
thousands upon thousands of years, as the ancient world saw
most of the land covered in forests. As the population and
demands on resources increases, so does the damage to Earth,
which includes deforestation.

Starting around the mid-1800s, the destruction of forests on a

worldwide basis experienced a significant increase. Acid rain
attacked the forests in Europe and considerable stretches of
land in Siberia were harvested after the fall of the Soviet Union.
In recent years, we learn that Afghanistan no longer possesses
more than 70% of its forests scattered about the country.

However, no other worldwide land source has been hit as hard as

the tropical rainforests, where the rate of destruction is
unimaginable. Nearly half of the mature tropical forests in the
world (ranging between 750 and 800 million hectares of the
original 1.5 to 1.6 billion hectares that previously decorated the
planet) are gone [2]. As humans are constantly in search for
more ways to accommodate a rapidly growing population, they
become the largest cause behind deforestation.
Examples of Deforestation

Tropical countries are the most common victims of

deforestation, but also destinations like Indonesia, Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka, China, Liberia, Malaysia, Laos, and Ghana. All of the
above have lost large amounts of their rainforest. Other
examples include:
a) Philippine Archipelago:

90% of the country’s forests have been lost.

b) Central America:

Only 2/5 of the country’s original forest remains.

c) Madagascar:

Madagascar is currently struggling to supply fresh water, food,

and adequate sanitation for its rapidly increasing population. The
country has lost 95% of its rainforests, which has led to soil loss,
desertification, and degradation of water resources.
d) Nigeria:

Between 1990 and 2005 – 79% of Nigeria’s old-growth forests are

no more – a direct result of logging, subsistence agriculture, and
the gathering of fuel wood.
e) Ethiopia:

In the past 50 years, 98% of the forested regions of the country

are gone. 14% alone (the equivalent to 21,000 km²) were lost
between 1990 and 2005[3].
f) Brazil:

The Brazilian government has reported in 2008 that a record rate

of deforestation is taking place in the Amazon. The cause of
deforestation in this country is also influenced by commodity
prices, including recent developments in agriculture that has
seen beef ranches and other crop farms move farther into the
forest [4].
g) National Emergencies:
Several countries have deemed their deforestation a national
emergency – particularly Thailand, India, and the Philippines.
The Negative Effects of Deforestation

Prevention of deforestation is important for the stability of the

environment and all living things, as the following negative
effects are already causing serious irreversible damage
throughout the world:
a) Irreversible Environmental Changes:

Sadly, some parts of the world have experienced detrimental

consequences as a result of deforestation. For instance, they no
longer are able to enjoy thriving biodiversity and must find ways
to cope with continuous environmental changes. The majority of
countries that have undergone massive deforestation are dealing
with unforeseen transformations in climate and geography
because the ability of forests to sustain a balance in climate
changes is hindered. The outcome – natural habitats and
biodiversity shrinks by the minute.
b) Decline in Wood:

Deforestation causes a dramatic decline in the wood that

satisfies industrial, fuel, and other human needs [5].
c) Living Conditions:

The overall quality of life declines when deforestation takes

place – especially in regions where degraded land is found.
d) Water Conditions:

Deforestation plays a role in the amount of water found in the

soil, as well as the level of moisture in the atmosphere.
e) Medicinal Loss:

Researchers have uncovered the sources to a wealth of new

drugs within forest biotopes located all over the world. With
deforestation, the genetic variations (like crop resistance) that
scientists would like to preserve are greatly threatened.
f) Precipitation:

The loss of vital trees and plants affect the water cycle in many
different ways, as the absence of litter, stems, and trunks of
trees all play an important role. With less forest covering the
land, the ability to ‘intercept, retain, and transport precipitation’
is affected. When precipitation is not trapped, surface water
transport occurs at a faster rate. Possible outcomes include
flash floods.
g) Increased Pollution:

You’ve heard of trees and the role they play in regards to our air.
Trees serve as significant managers of organic carbon and
forests possess the capacity to remove harmful pollutants from
the air. Without trees working in our favor, increased pollution is
allowed to take place.
h) Shrinking Beauty:

Forests are green visions of natural beauty that are valued for
their cultural resource. Simply put – they are ‘nice’ to look at and
fun to explore during family vacations or adventure hikes. In
some parts of the world, they provide great tourist attractions.
i) Financial Impact:

Although the wood found in forests is used to supply people with

timber, wood fuel (for heating and cooking), and wood pulp (for
paper) – the long-term financial impact far outweighs the short-
term gain. The use of forests for the creation of wood products or
the conversion of forest to agriculture has actually developed
financial woes, as both West Africa and Southeast Asia have
suffered lower revenue due to a decrease in timber harvests.
Also – illegal logging comes with a price each year that can cost
national economies billons of dollars to compensate.
How to Prevent Deforestation

You don’t have to live in the middle of a rainforest to do your part

in preventing deforestation. Below are a few suggestions to
consider when you are interested in preserving the amount of
forests located in the rest of the world, as well as right in your
own backyard:
a) Use Recycled Items:

Today, a consumer can purchase a variety of recycled items,

including notebook paper, books, toilet paper, and shopping
bags. When people use recycled products and make a conscious
effort not to waste, the demand for new raw material to replace
these items can decrease.
b) Tree Care:

When cutting down trees – single out full-grown specimens and

spare younger varieties. In the event that you must remove a
tree for a legitimate reason (for safety issues or power line
interference), make sure that for every tree lost – another is
planted in its place.
c) Farming Practices:

Those who plant crops at a farm can participate in putting a dent

in deforestation by rotating crops. It is suggested to replace the
habit of using different portions of land each year with using the
same portion of land to plant different crops. This practice has
proven effective in maintaining soil fertility. Farmers may also
embrace many other options, such as high-yield hybrid crops and
hydroponics, which relies on a method of growing plants using
mineral nutrient solutions instead of soil.
d) Cut Back on Palm Oil:

In Malaysia and Indonesia, an increasing amount of trees are cut

down in order to generate the palm oil used in the production of
some breads, chocolates, and shampoos. As a result, the native
orangutans are losing their habitat. You can spread awareness
and limit your consumption of products containing this type of
oil.
e) Coals:

As the chill of winter takes over the autumn season, try using
coals instead of firewood in your fireplace. While it only takes a
couple of hours to consume a few logs here and there, keep in
mind that it takes years for one tree to fully grow.
f) Reforestation:

Take a page from the People’s Republic of China, where the

government has in the past set a requirement that every able-
bodied citizen between the ages of 11 and 60 is responsible for
planting three to five trees per year or complete an equal amount
of work in other areas of forestry. Since 1982, the government
claims that at least one billion trees have been planted in China
as a result of the program.
g) Become an Advocate:

Become an advocate of reforestation. Learn how you can spread

the word. For instance, a middle school in Washington took to
the streets asking people for just one penny. They explained that
the money would go towards purchasing acres of Amazonian
rainforest. If successful, this move ensures that no deforestation
can take place on the bought land. The effort was twofold –
spreading information and collecting money for a good cause.
h) Arbor Day Foundation’s Rain Forest Rescue [6]:

Support programs, such as this Arbor Day Foundation gem, which

assists in the prevention of deforestation. Donated money is
used to purchase and preserve rainforest space before lumber
companies can get a hold of the land. As a result, the Arbor Day
Foundation is able to protect the land from deforestation.
i) Support Conservation Organizations:

Lend your support through donations of your time, money, or

actions to organizations that run programs concentrating on the
preservation of forest habitats, such as Greenpeace, World Wide
Fund for Nature, Community Forestry International, and
Conservation International.