The Effects of Deforestation

Deforestation is the process of converting forested lands into non-forest sites that are ideal for crop raising, urbanization and industrialization. Because deforestation is a serious concept, there are also serious effects to the surroundings.

Effects of deforestation can be classified and grouped into effects to biodiversity, environment and social settings. Because deforestation basically involves killing trees in forests, there are so many effects that can be enumerated as results of the activity.

When forests are killed, nature basically requires people to renew the forest. Reforestation is one concept that is in the opposite direction as deforestation, but is proven to be a much harder effort than deforestation.

So the rate of deforestation has not been offset by the rate of reforestation. Thus, the world is now in a troubled state when it comes to issues concerning the environment.

Pollution is rapidly growing along with population. Forests are greatly helping reduce the amount of pollutants in the air. So, the depletion of these groups of trees is greatly increasing the risk that carbon monoxide would reach the atmosphere and result in the depletion of the ozone layer, which in turn results to global warming.

Environment change

One major effect of deforestation is climate change. Changes to the surroundings done by deforestation work in many ways. One, there is abrupt change in temperatures in the nearby areas. Forests naturally cool down because they help retain moisture in the air.

Second is the long process of global climate change. As mentioned above, deforestation has been found to contribute to global warming or that process when climates around the world become warmer as more harmful rays of the sun comes in through the atmosphere.

The ozone layer is a mass of oxygen or O3 atoms that serves as shield in the atmosphere against the harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. Because ozone is made up of oxygen atoms, oxygen react with carbon monoxide. Such reaction would use up oxygen atoms.

It follows that when there are more carbon monoxide atoms going to the atmosphere, the volume of oxygen would decline. Such is the case of ozone depletion.

The third effect to the environment would be on the water table underneath the ground. Water table is the common source of natural drinking water by people living around forests.

Water table is replenishing. That means, the supply of water underground could also dry up if not replenished regularly. When there is rain, forests hold much of the rainfall to the soil through their roots.

Thus, water sinks in deeper to the ground, and eventually replenishing the supply of water in the water table. Now, imagine what happens when there is not enough forests anymore. Water from rain would simply flow through the soil surface and not be retained by the soil.

Or other than that, the water from rain would not stay in the soil longer, for the process of evaporation would immediately set in. Thus, the water table is not replenished, leading to drying up of wells.

Effect to biodiversity

Forests are natural habitats to many types of animals and organisms. That is why, when there is deforestation, many animals are left without shelters. Those that manage to go through the flat lands and residential sites are then killed by people.

Through the years, it is estimated that there are millions of plant and extinct animal species that have been wiped out because they have been deprived of home. Thus, biodiversity is significantly lowered because of the savage deforestation practices of some people.

Wildlife advocates have been constantly reminding that several wild animals left in the world could still be saved if deforested forests would only be reforested and the practice of slash and burn of forests would be totally abandoned.

Social effects of deforestation

Deforestation is hardly hitting the living conditions of indigenous people who consider forests as their primary habitats. Imagine how they are rendered homeless when forests are depleted. These natives would be forced to live elsewhere, and are usually left to becoming mendicants in rural and urban areas.

Overall, effects of deforestation cannot be offset by the contribution of the practice to development. While it is logical that progress is very much needed by mankind, it must also be noted that nature knows no defeat. Destruct it and it would certainly retaliate, one way or another.

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Some Of The Facts About Deforestation

Deforestation is a permanent destruction of forests and woods. Deforestation is the conversion of forested area to the non forest land for the use of industrial gain, livestock, and urban use. In the ancient times, most of the land was covered with forests. As the population and other demands damage the earth and it leaded to deforestation.

In all over the world the rate of the destruction of forests is unimaginable. Nearly half of the mature tropical land is destroyed. As the humans are more conscious for searching of new accommodation, and making urban areas, they have become the largest cause of deforestation.

Examples of Deforestation:

Many tropical countries are the victims of deforestation. For example:
• Philippine
• Central America
• Nigeria
• Ethiopia
• Brazil

Other than the beauty, forests are responsible in keeping the world healthy and green. If we are enjoying the quality of life, it's just because of forests. Forests are the gifts that contribute to our quality of life. Deforestation has always been a practice, which is dangerous for lives. Unfortunately all of the negative effects of deforestation are caused by bad agricultural practices, and negligence on the part of government.

Causes of Deforestation:

Deforestation is happening due to many reasons. Some are the common reasons are:
• Urban and Construction purpose
• Population growth
• To grow crops
• Agricultural practices
• To create cattle grazing lands
• Climate change
• Cut the woods for using fuel
• Clearing forests for mining and oil exploitation
• Making roads and highways
• Slash and burn forming techniques
• Wildfire
• Acid rain
• Greenhouse effect
• Making products from woods

Consequences of Deforestation:

There are two types of consequences of deforestation:
• Positive Consequences
• Negative Consequences

Positive Consequences:

Deforestation has made possible the needs of the social groups. Forests are the way for residential houses, building and factories. Roads are building for trading and easier transports. Deforestation also made possible to produce agricultural products. The lands are used for agriculture. This brought more productions of foods and other materials. Economically deforestation contributed much and made positive changes in the lives of humans.

Negative Consequences:

The negative consequences are:
• Exposing of soil
• Flooding
• Drought
• Disruption of water cycle
• Loss of biodiversity
• Climate change
• Desertification
• Shrinking beauty
• Increased population
• Irreversible environmental changes

How to prevent deforestation:

Deforestation should be controlled. There are some suggestions which should be considered.
• Reforestation/Plantation
• Wildlife sanctuaries: not only save the wild animals, but also save the woods and trees.
• Commercial forest plantation
• Water management: improper water management causes the deforestation. This should be controlled.
• Use recycled items
• Farming practices
• Become an advocate: learn how the person can spread the word.
• Support conservative organization: support the organization through donation, money, time etc.

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8 Ways To Preventing Deforestation

There have been so many discussions on the effects of deforestation in our environment. These effects range from alarming to catastrophic. We have read newspaper headlines that show the wreckage that natural disasters have done. Flashfloods have not only damaged millions of properties all over the globe but it has also collected lives. Landslides have done the same. These two are the results of nature's balance that has been disturbed--they are the effects of deforestation.

Deforestation is the act of converting patches of forests to become areas of residence or industry. More and more businessmen are pushing through forests to obtain more land. Environment is sacrificed in exchange for profit. And this is a highly disturbing fact.

As an individual or as a part of the global community, you can do something to help prevent deforestation. Maybe you can't fight off illegal loggers with your bear hands but with some basic ways, you can make a difference--no matter how small. Here's a list:

1. If deforestation is a negative event, then a positive event should take place to counter its effects--reforestation. Plant trees and begin doing this in your yard. Trees give off oxygen that is essential for human existence and they, in turn, capture the carbon dioxide that humans and animals exhale. Trees also help in containing water in its roots. With this simple act, you are able to prevent soil erosion, which is the root cause of landslides!

2. Use recycled items such as books or pad paper, toilet paper, even shopping bags. If you can, do not waste any of these products so that no new raw material would be required to replace them.

3. If you are a farmer (or if you know someone who works as a farmer), try to rotate your crops. Instead of using a different portion of land each year, why not use the same portion with different crops? This practice also helps in maintaining the fertility of the soil. With the rotation of crops, not only is there a variety on the harvest each year, there is also the possibility of keeping that portion of land for as long as you can.

4. Cut down only the mature trees. Do not kill baby trees. And for every tree that is lost, plant another one as a replacement.

5. Join environmental awareness groups that would help you be an advocate of reforestation. In Washington, specifically in the Washington Middle School, there was a group of students that established a service-learning project. In their project, they asked a penny from each person. They explained that this money would help in buying acres of the rainforest in Amazon. Once this pushes through, no deforestation could take place in that purchased area.

6. There is a report that in Indonesia and Malaysia, more and more trees are cut down to produce palm oil. This massive destruction in the forests of both countries resulted into the loss of habitat for the native orangutans. With the loss of more trees, more animals become homeless. You can't help prevent this altogether but you can limit your consumption of products that contain palm oil such as breads, chocolates, and even some cosmetics such as shampoo, soap or toothpaste. As to your food consumption, you can begin a diet of roasted or boiled foods instead of frying them.

7. Instead of using firewood, use coals to heat up your fireplaces during the winter season. Remember that it takes only a few hours to consume the firewood but it would take years to grow a single tree. Think twice before purchasing firewood again.

8. Support the laws or programs that were made to protect the forests and to stop any form of deforestation. Programs such as the Tropical Forestry Action Plan have done a major difference on the way deforestation is looked at today. This program spearheaded the discussion of tropical deforestation.

It is imperative to know that there is no such thing as a small, insignificant act when it comes to defeating deforestation. No matter how small your deed maybe, the important thing there is 'every act can make a difference'. Deforestation can be prevented and you can be an active force in achieving that.

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Can Chocolate Lovers and Coffee Drinkers Effect Deforestation

I hear arguments about Chocolate lovers and Coffee Drinkers needing to stop deforestation because it is the forests, more specifically the rainforests that produce the chocolate we eat and the Coffee that people drink. My question is, it seems that the Chocolate making companies and the Coffee Companies would have more to lose. Why don't they buy up big plantations and help save the rainforests? If the rainforests are gone, yes we lose our Chocolate and coffee and possible cancer fighting drugs but they will lose the entire company. So, it seems we all need to do something. I just think that the companies have bigger pockets and more weight to throw around than us little guys. Agree?

Causes of Deforestation

Deforestation is a problem that could lead to disastrous consequences for mankind as a whole. Rapid urbanization is one of the primary causes of deforestation. As cities and towns expand, forests in their surrounding vicinity are being mercilessly cut down in order to make way for suburban townships. The forest cover in many areas is also decreasing since the land is being occupied for farming purposes in many countries. Increased global consumption is another one of the major reasons behind the decreasing forest cover. From paper to wooden furniture, one can imagine an entire host of products that owe their creation to trees and plants.

The Rapid Depletion of the World's Mangrove Forests

Mangroves can be described as 'rainforests by the sea'. Large stretches of the sub-tropical and tropical coastlines of Asia, Africa, Oceania, the Americas and the Caribbean are fringed by mangroves, once estimated to cover an area of over 32 million hectares. Now, less than 15 million hectares remain -less than half the original area. The depletion of the world's mangroves is due to excessive shrimp farms, tourist complexes and intense land development. According to the latest study by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the current rate of mangrove loss is around 1% per annum-or around 150,000 ha of new mangrove area loss per year. Now, the Mangrove Action Project (MAP) is working with other organizations in the global South towards restoring degraded and cleared mangrove areas as a high priority. MAP is especially interested in restoring some of the 250,000 ha of abandoned shrimp farms located in former coastal wetland areas, especially in Asia and Latin America. But, even more importantly, MAP is working to help conserve and protect existing mangrove wetlands around the world.

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The Benefits of Deforestation

Whenever people talk about deforestation, usually the things that spring to mind are negative thoughts brought on mostly by media hypes and environmentalist drives. People think about global warming, depletion of natural resources, and the casual extinction of indigenous fauna and flora. Yet people don't seem to realize that there are actually quite a few benefits of deforestation.

One of the easiest benefits of deforestation to spot are the economic ones. Lumber products are one of the most staple constructive materials in human society. Whether it's raw lumber used for making tables and houses, or paper and other wood by-products, we simply cannot live without the use of lumber. Like steel and stone, wood is one of the most basic natural resources, and unlike steel and stone, it is renewable simply by growing more trees. The only real trick to balancing it's consumption is to grow more trees to replace the ones taken.

On a similarly related note, keep in mind that a lot of jobs revolve around the use of lumber. Wood cutters aside, there are those who work in processing plants to make glue from wood sap, process pulp into paper, and others. This is another benefit of deforestation; it opens more job opportunities for people who would otherwise be unemployed. These job opportunities are more than simply a humanitarian concept; society at large would suffer if all of the people working in the wood industry were to suddenly find themselves jobless.

This benefit of deforestation not only covers the people who cut down trees and process them, but also extends to the people who "clean up" after them. For every patch of forest cut down, arable land becomes available for farmers, or can be used as an area to place urban living sites like apartments, houses, and buildings. The number of people employed by such a construction project are many and varied. Or, if the city/government mandates replanting trees to replace the lost ones, then jobs are also provided for those people who do the seeding after a patch of forest is stripped.

Thinking about it, the cleared areas are places which provide a lot of potential for growth, and this is yet another benefit of deforestation. As stated above, arable land is valuable, and the act of deforestation to clear a place for farm land provides a much needed additional food source for man. More often than not, the soil in a forest is much richer than that of regular farm lands because of the wide variety of life it supports. This new land area grants a much needed place to grow a food supply to deal with the planet's steadily expanding population of humanity.

Then, of course, there is the fact that these cleared areas may be razed for urban renewal. Given our burgeoning population growth, additional living areas made on cleared forest land is another benefit of deforestation. These places can be converted into more than just housing areas. Buildings which can house offices for work, or factories to produce clothing and other essential items, or even research facilities for things like new medical or technological advances can be placed in these deforested areas.

Lastly, another benefit of deforestation to consider is the access it provides to other natural resources that may lay within the forest's land area. Some places with heavy forests are home to iron ore, mineral, and even oil deposits which can be used for man's needs. These natural resources would otherwise lay dormant and untapped unless people access them. The act of deforestation may not be entirely necessary to get at these deposits sometimes, but coupled with the advantages given above, the combination of opening up a new mine or oil well when taken with extra living spaces or farm lands for food makes a lot of sense.

So, given all of the benefits of deforestation outlined above, you can see that more often than not, the good outweighs the bad. The planet's environment may indeed suffer from the effects of deforestation, but that is due to irresponsible use of the resources and other benefits provided, not the deforestation itself. As people living on the planet, our duty is not to "hold back" and stop cutting trees. It is to use what we glean from the Earth responsibly and wisely for humanity and the planet's benefit.

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Deforestation Information You Should Not Miss

Deforestation is a term that, at it's simplest, means the destruction of a forest. It can apply to natural forces that destroy a system of trees, like a forest fire or a disease which kills off all the plant life in a given area. However, recently the term deforestation has come to apply to the casual destruction of a forest through artificial, human controlled means.

One of the most common reasons a forest is destroyed by man is for lumber. Wood is one of the most basic of commodities, and vital to the survival of man. This need can be taken to extremes, however, and some people strip all the trees in a given area and render them into lumber and wood by products like glue and paper. In cases like these, the term deforestation applies not only to the loss of the trees, but the forest's inability to cope with the loss by natural seed germination. In simple terms, the number of trees that get destroyed are at a higher and faster rate than the forest can grow now ones back.

Another common deforestation information that brings about its occurrence is the conversion of the land on which the trees are into arable farm land. With mankind's needs for food increasing with a burgeoning population, the land areas covered by forests are razed by builders who take over the land and either convert it into pasture lands for animal grazing or for farm lands for growing crops. Since the land is converted into something beneficient for man's needs, this type of deforestation is considered to be the most benign, especially if the cut trees are also used for lumber instead of simply discarded.

However, one form of deforestation for creating farm lands is highly frowned upon, both for it's sheer destructiveness and waste of resources. This is the use of fire to clear a forest away. In some third world countries, farmers who want to use a certain patch of land for crops or grazing fields will resort to fire as the quickest and simplest means of clearing away large tracts of forest. This is both a safety hazard and a waste, not only because the fire may rage out of control and consume the entire forest, but also because the trees, which might have been converted into useful lumber products, are simply destroyed outright. This also causes damage to the soil of the cleared land, so that crops grown there are substandard quality. Knowing this deforestation information will save not only forests but consequently, humans, too.

Another deforestation information is the reason for deforestation that can sometimes be a cause of controversy is the razing of a forest for urban renewal. This basically means that trees in an area get cut down so that the land itself may be used as a place to construct urban architecture like houses, apartment complexes, and buildings. The reason for the controversy is because of the potentially damaging effects the loss of a large number of trees will have on the environment. Compromises have been reached where such razed sites will often have their own parks where trees, grass, bushes, and other vegetation are planted, nurtured, and allowed to grow.

The last reason for deforestation is for mining and petroleum. Some forested areas have high concentrations of iron ore, mineral, and oil deposits which are valuable natural resources. Under normal, acceptable circumstances, the trees in the given area are rendered into lumber and used productively, and only when the area is clear of trees is the mining begun. However, in some areas, again notably third world countries, the "quick and dirty" solution of burning down the forest is used to clear the land and get to the mineral deposits as quickly as possible. This type of deforestation is a waste of what would otherwise have been productive lumber.

Aside from the waste of trees through fire-type deforestation, another reason it is frowned upon is it's impact on the environment. Forest systems have a huge effect on the atmosphere, not only by generating breathable air, but by controlling the amount of moisture that cycles in the air. Deforestation has been known to have an adverse effect on weather patterns. Another ecological effect of deforestation is flash floods. In some climates, forests take in the water from heavy rainfalls, so that little if any excess water reaches the lower landscapes. The sudden loss of trees in such areas gives the water from such rainfalls only one place to go - nearby settled human habitations. This results in heavy floods and similar disasters.

Lastly, it should be noted that forests support their own eco systems, with balanced flora and fauna. Deforestation has been known to render some species extinct or near-extinct simply by removing the places where these animals live or these plants grow. Given that some of the largest contributions to modern medicine have been made by studying rare plants and animals, it is also widely held that deforestation robs man of the potential benefits he might otherwise have discovered in the destroyed forests. If you don't take into heart the abovementioned deforestation information, it's almost like you've dug your own grave.

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Can You Stop Deforestation

Deforestation has rapidly destroyed much of the planet's forests for years. One major challenge for governments and environmentalists alike would be how to stop deforestation so current environmental conditions would not come to worse.

In the past centuries, people have been naturally cutting down trees and burning down forests. Take note that hundreds of years ago, most of the earth's land surface had been covered by forests.

So to be able to construct residential areas and establish villages, people had to destroy some forests. As population grew through the years, there are much development that needs to be achieved.

Poverty and over population had rapidly caused alarms to governments around the world. People in the past decades had been troubled at how they could generate earnings to feed themselves and their children.

Agriculture once was the principal source of families' incomes. But people grew impatient. Until the middle of the 20th century, people had readily embraced industrialization, which was touted as the easy way out to poverty, employment and slow production.

Surely, development was spurred, jobs were created, new industries emerged. But something had to give in. In exchange to the fast budding of factories and different industries, forests were depleted.

Since the Industrialization revolution, the total forest covers of the earth has drastically lessened. Biodiversities were affected, and overall climate changes and environmental denudation were spurred.

It is now time to slow down or eliminate deforestation. Stopping deforestation would be easy if people would just cooperate with one another in that single initiative.

Stopping deforestation

Indeed, environmentalists and forestry advocates have been reminding people and governments to immediately act on the problem regarding continued deforestation practices all around the world.

Deforestation could be slowly stopped if people would be more environmentally conscious. That means, to accelerate efforts in stopping deforestation, initiatives have to be started by you.

As a suggestion, the significant contribution you could do is to help curtail the demand for products that are reliant on deforestation. It does not necessarily mean that you would boycott products.

It means that you could start by advocating and participating in recycling programs. Paper is made from barks of trees that are in turn, mostly coming from forests. Did you know that you could recycle paper?

There are industries that are focused at recycling paper. Old and used paper would just be processed and turned into new paper products. If the practice becomes wide-scaled, the number of trees that has to be cut down would be reduced.

Stopping deforestation practices

Governments around the world should also start implementing legislations that would effectively prevent the continued practice of deforestation. Sanctions should be given to violating parties. That way, there would be less people and companies that would engage in slash and burn practices.

Rain and dry forests should be protected by governments. They can be declared national properties, so no businesses can ever touch them. They can also be turned into national parks; thus, the overall state of these forests could be effectively preserved.

Reforestation

Reforestation is the opposite of deforestation. If deforestation can be considered wounding of nature, reforestation is the sought-after healing process. In reforestation, forests are replanted with trees. In years, the forests would be much alive again.

Since the practice of deforestation in some cases could not be avoided, it can be regulated so as not to create negative impact to the environment and to biodiversity.

Deforestation could be slowed down. To do this, trees could be cut at slower rates. For each cut tree, a new one should be replanted. By that, logging activities would not be entirely scrapped, and at the same time, forests are renewed.

People should also stop denuding mountains and forests so they could establish new villages or use the land for other purposes. There are special cropping techniques that would enable planting of crops within forests. The concept of intercropping is not very familiar, but would be of great help to anti-deforestation initiatives if taken seriously.

If people do not act immediately to curb deforestation for good, experts estimate that in 30 years time from now, the earth's surface would be left naked, without forests.

Catastrophic changes would be felt through harsh weather conditions, flash floods and landslides. The earth's geographic surface could also be altered due to adverse weathering caused by climate changes and the absence of natural soil protection.

Help stop deforestation now before it becomes too late.

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