Deforestation is the permanent destruction of forests in order to utilize the land or trees. It refers to the decrease in forest areas across the world that are lost for other uses such as agricultural croplands, urbanization, or mining activities. The land is then often converted into farms, plantation, roads, housing, and other city uses. Considerably deforestation has been accelerated by human activities, negatively affecting natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and the climate.
Deforestation can also be seen as removal of forests leading to several imbalances, both ecologically and environmentally. However, harvesting, forest fires, and insect infestations is not seen as deforestation because the affected areas will eventually grow back. In some countries, such as Canada and America, all areas harvested must be reforested either by replanting or through natural regeneration.
In various countries deforestation is most severe, such as the Amazon, Borneo, Congo Basin and the Russian Far East. Over half of the world’s forests have been destroyed over the last 10,000 years, the majority in just the recent 50 years. If they’re not reforested, they inevitably end up as wastelands directly from soil erosion and desertification.
Deforestation is directly caused by agricultural expansion, wood extraction and infrastructure expansion such as road building and urbanization. Wood-based industries such as paper, matchsticks, and furniture need a substantial quantity of wood. Lumber and charcoal are common examples of trees being used as fuel. Cooking and heating all around the world use these resources, and half of the illegal removal from forests is thought to be used as fuelwood.
There are many causes of deforestation.
Deforestation causes can either be direct or indirect.
Among direct causes are:
- Natural causes as hurricanes, fires, parasites and floods
- Human activities such as agricultural expansion, cattle breeding, timber extraction, mining, oil extraction, dam construction and infrastructure development.
Among indirect causes are:
- Insufficient political actions and governance failure as inadequate land tenure system, corruption, wrong public administration investments
- Political and socio economic causes as population growth, military conflicts and climatic changes
The main causes of deforestation can actually be lead back especially to:
- Agricultural Activities: As earlier mentioned in the overview, agricultural activities are one of the significant factors affecting deforestation.
- Mining: Oil and coal mining requires a considerable amount of forest land. Apart from this, roads and highways have to be built to make way for trucks and other equipment. The waste that comes out from mining pollutes the environment and affects nearby species.
- Paper: Approximately 640 million trees represent the paper thrown away each year. By using recycled paper, we allow the forests to remain as an ecosystem and wildlife habitat. If we recycled, we could save 27.5 million tons of carbon dioxide from going into the atmosphere.
- Overpopulation. Due to overpopulation, more land is needed to establish housing and settlements. As well as more roads and highways are being built in order to accommodate a larger sum of people driving. With more people, food intake is increased and there is a need for food and farmlands to grow and raise livestock—resulting in deforestation.
- Forest Fires: Another valid example would be forest blazes; hundreds of trees are lost each year due to forest fires in various portions of the world. It happens due to extreme warm summers and milder winters. Fires, whether caused by man or nature, result in a massive loss of forest cover.
Effects of Deforestation
It is estimated that deforestation is responsible for around 20% of greenhouse gas emissions and 1.5 billion tons of carbon is released every year by tropical deforestation.
- Increased Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Trees help to mitigate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, but they become carbon sources once they’re cut, burned, or otherwise removed.
- Acidic Oceans. The oceans are becoming more acidic with an increased supply of carbon dioxide from deforestation and burning fossil fuels. Oceans are already 30 percent more acidic since the Industrial Revolution, putting ocean species and ecosystems at an extreme risk.
- Climate Imbalance and Climate Change: Deforestation also affects the climate in many ways. Forests are the lungs of our planet. Trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen and water vapor in the air, and that is why tropical rain forests are extremely humid.
- Erosion: Erosion also causes contaminants in the soil to leak into the water supply which greatly decreases the quality of our drinking water.
- Flooding: When it rains, trees absorb and store a large amount of water with the help of their roots. When they are cut down, the flow of water is disrupted, and the soil loses its ability to retain water. It leads to floods in some areas and droughts in others.
- Increase in Global Warming: Trees play a major role in controlling global warming. The trees utilize greenhouse gases, restoring the balance in the atmosphere. With constant deforestation, the ratio of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased, adding to our global warming woes.
There are several ways you can take over and help to reduce deforestation
- Educating others who are completely unaware of this global problem we’re facing and increasing awareness and making an impact.
- Use Renewable Wood Resources. We can plant trees as a source of wood or use wood from second-growth forests. Sustainable, locally sourced wood can be used and charcoal for cooking or heating homes and is a great alternative to fossil fuels—if locally sourced.
- Eating Less Meat. Agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation. Actually having a meatless Monday or only eating meat for one meal a day will make an extremely positive impact on the environment.
- Forest-derived Products. Make sure they’re 100% post-consumer content materials that are any material derived from forestry for direct consumption or commercial use, such as lumber, paper, or forage for livestock.
- Reduce Consumption and paper consumption.
- Forest-Friendly Policies. Purchase from companies who are committed to reducing deforestation.
- Forestry Certification. If buying products from virgin forest fiber, make sure it bears a seal from a credible forestry certification system. Such as the Forest Stewardship Council.
Although many will most likely say that their individual purchasing decision will have a minimal impact, it is all of our responsibility to understand and educate others about the environmental effects of deforestation. Choose carefully and live carefully.