Scribd
Upload
15 views4 pages

Deforestation: What Does Deforestation Mean?

Uploaded by

aliviafirdousi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
15 views4 pages

Deforestation: What Does Deforestation Mean?

Uploaded by

aliviafirdousi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

Deforestation

All of us know that there was a time when we would


worship plants now we cut them brutally. These same forests are
vanishing day by day just for our selfish needs resulting in
deforestation. Have you ever given a thought to what will happen if
deforestation continues? Let us study more about this.

What Does Deforestation Mean?


Deforestation means cutting down the trees to a large extent be it
forests, any barren land or trees we see on our way to school every day.
Natural forests are being destructed to use the land for cultivation,
building houses, factories, logging, making space for cattle grazing,
extraction of oil, mining, construction of dams or to obtain wood for
making furniture and using it as fuel.

Forest wood has been an essential need for us since the time of
civilization and still continues to be the main source for many uses in
our day to day life. Trees help to maintain the water cycle and give
shelter to the organisms. It takes place in an area that is
densely populated by trees and is mostly observed in a forest like
the Amazon rainforest. Forests cover almost 30% of the earth’s land.

The extinction of the forest cover affects the biodiversity which in turn
threaten people’s lives. Shrinking of the forests cause wide-reaching
problems like soil erosion, fewer crops, flooding, water
cycle disruption, greenhouse gas emissions, changes in the climatic
conditions, and loss of biodiversity.

Causes of Deforestation
The causes of deforestation are:
Logging

Illegal logging activities are very common that destroy the livelihoods
of the people depending on forests. Wood-based industries like paper,
match-sticks, furniture need a substantial amount of wood supply.
Wood is used as fuel most commonly and so large amount of trees are
cut down for fuel supplies. Firewood and charcoal are used as fuel.

Agricultural Activities

The conversion of forests into agricultural land is a big reason for


deforestation. Due to overgrowing demand for food products, many
trees are chopped down for crops and for cattle grazing. Over 40% of
the forests are cleaned to obtain land and meet the needs of agriculture
and wood.

Mining

Oil and mining of coal require a large amount of forest land.


Construction of roads leads to deforestation as they provide the way to
remote land. The waste that comes out from mining pollutes the
environment and affects the nearby species.

Urbanization

As the population grows, the needs of people increases which further


leads to deforestation. Forests shrink to a great extent to meet the
requirements like for construction of roads, development of houses,
mineral exploitation and expansion of industries. Increasing population
directly affects forest as with the expansion of cities there is a need for
more land for housing and settlements.

Timber Production
One of the primary cause of deforestation is the production of timber.
There is a lot of demand for timber and so deforestation increases. It a
source of raw material which is used for the production of paper and
also for construction.

Forest Fires

We lose a large number of trees each year due to fires in the forest in
various portions worldwide. This happens due to extreme summers and
winters. The fire caused, by man or nature, results in huge loss of forest
cover.

Effects of Deforestation
Some of the effects of deforestation are:

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Gases such as methane and carbon dioxide trap heat in Earth’s


atmosphere, leading change in climate. Trees absorb the carbon dioxide
and release oxygen and water into the atmosphere and this contributes
to global warming. Cutting carbon dioxide adds to the environment and
then this lack of the tree creates an absorption deficit. Deforestation
leads to the emission of greenhouse gas.

Soil Erosion

Cutting down on trees leads to clearance of forests and so soil erosion


occurs. Exposure of the soil to the sun’s heat dries up the moisture
inside the soil. Nutrients evaporate and it affects the bacteria that help to
break down organic matter. Due to this, rain washes the soil surfaces
and erosion takes place. Large amounts of soil wash into local streams
and rivers and cause damage to hydroelectric structures and irrigation
infrastructure.
Biodiversity Losses

Deforestation alters land and so that many of the plants and animals do
not survive. With more deforestation, the entire species can extinct. This
is the ‘biodiversity loss’. Many wonderful species of plants and animals
have been lost, and many others remain endangered. As each species of
an ecosystem rely upon other species, loss of one species can have far-
reaching consequences for other species. We lose about 50 to 100
species of animals each day due to the destruction of their habitats.
Millions of plants and animal species are on the verge of extinction due
to deforestation.

Floods

Deforestation leads to land erosion because the trees maintain the


surface of the mountains. The water level of the rivers increases
suddenly, causing floods. When it rains, trees absorb and store a large
amount of water with the help of their roots. Chopping down of trees
disrupts the flow of water and leads to floods in some areas.

Solutions to Deforestation
Trees play a vital role in protecting our environment in several ways so
we should protect the forest:

• The best way to stop deforestation is replanting.


• Ban on cutting of trees and new trees and planting more.
• There should be an implementation of regulations of laws at
organizational and governmental levels due to the extent of
deforestation.
• Spread the awareness about sensitization and organize educative
campaigns about the effects of deforestation.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy