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DeforestationWhat is Deforestation?
Deforestation is when humans remove or clear large areas of forest lands and related ecosystems
for non-forest use. Including clearing for farming purposes, ranching and urban use. Therefore
that means in these cases, trees are never re-planted.
Forests are cut down for many reasons, but most of them are related to money or to peoples
need to provide for their families. The biggest driver of deforestation is agriculture. Farmers cut
forests to provide more room for planting crops or gra!ing livestoc". #ften many small farmers
will each clear a few acres to feed their families by cutting down trees and burning them in a
process "nown as $slash and burn% agriculture.
&ince the industrial age, about half of world's original forests have been destroyed and
millions of animals and living things have been endangered. Despite the improvements in
education, information and general awareness of the importance of forests, deforestation has not
reduced much, and there are still many more communities and individuals who still destroy
forest lands for personal gains.
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(auses #f Deforestation
)griculture
)griculture is the direct driver of roughly *+ percent of tropical deforestation, while logging is
the biggest single driver of forest degradation. Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation
notes that industrial activities are the principal driver of deforestation and degradation
worldwide, but subsistence agriculture and fuelwood consumption remains an important direct
driver of deforestation, especially in )frica.
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Drivers vary on a regional scale. For eample, cattle ranching and large-scale agriculture are
maor drivers of deforestation in atin )merica, whereas palm oil development, intensive
agriculture, and pulp and paper plantations are principal drivers in Indonesia.
)gricultural activities
)gricultural activities are one of the maor factors affecting deforestation. Due to overgrowing
demand for food products, huge amount of tress are fell down to grow crops and for cattle
ga!ing.
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Deforestation for oil palm plantations in /orneo
(ommercial )griculture
(ombine harvesters in formation harvest soybeans in 0ato 1rosso state in western /ra!il.
&oybean is one of several cash crops grown on a commercial scale to satisfy international
mar"ets which are increasingly important drivers of deforestation, accounting for 2*3 of forest
loss in atin )merica and about 4+3 worldwide. (ommercial agriculture is the largest driver of
deforestation, involving forest clearing for cropland, pasture and tree plantation.
It has been forecast that sugarcane and soya alone
will be responsible for a 5+ million hectare epansion of agricultural land in /ra!il over the net
4+ years, more than twice the si!e of 6ungary.
0ining
0ining is the etraction 7removal8 of minerals and metals from earth. 0anganese, tantalum,
cassiterite , copper, tin, nic"el, bauite aluminium ore, iron ore, gold, silver, and diamonds are
ust some eamples of what is mined.
9eople mine because mining is a money ma"ing business. :ot only do mining companies
prosper, but governments also ma"e money from revenues. Wor"ers also receive income and
benefits. #il and coal mining re;uire considerable amount of forest land.
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)part from this, roads and highways have to be built to ma"e way for truc"s and other
e;uipment. The waste that comes out from mining pollutes the environment and effects the
nearby species. The minerals and metals used are used for very valuable commodities. For
eample, manganese is a "ey component of low-cost stainless steel. It is also used to de-color
glass 7removing greenish hues8, but in higher concentrations, it actually ma"es lavender-colored
glass. Tantalum is used in cell phones, pagers, and lap-tops. (ooper and tin are used to ma"e
pipes, coo"ware, etc. )nd gold, silver, and diamonds are used to ma"e ewellery.
arge scale mining versus small scale mining<
= arge scale mining usually involves a company with many employees. The company mines at
one or two large sites and usually stays until the mineral or metal is completely ecavated. )n
eample of a large scale mine is the &erra 9elada mine in /ra!il which yielded 5>,+++ tons of
gold from >*+ to >*2 and employed @+,+++ wor"ers 7Aricher, >>B8.
= &mall scale mining usually involves a small group of nomadic men. They travel together and
loo" for sites which they thin" will yield gold or another valuable metal or mineral. &mall scale
mining occurs in places such as &uriname, 1uyana, (entral )frica, and many other places
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around the world. &ome researchers believe that small scale mining is more harmful to the
environment and causes more social problems than large scale mining. This will become
apparent later in the lesson.
6ow does mining affect the
environment?
0ining is generally very destructive to the environment. It is one of the main causes of
deforestation. In order to mine, trees and vegetation are cleared and burned. With the ground
completely bare, large scale mining operations use huge bulldo!ers and ecavators to etract the
metals and minerals from the soil. In order to amalgamate 7cluster8 the etractions, they use
chemicals such as cyanide, mercury, or methylmercury. These chemicals go through tailings
7pipes8 and are often discharged into rivers, streams, bays, and oceans. This pollution
contaminates all living organisms within the body of water and ultimately the people who
depend on the fish for their main source of protein and their economic livelihood.
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This chart represents remaining
forest cover due to the mining concessions.
The eact effects of bauite mining are related to
the site. It almost always involves some habitat destruction, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity.
umbering
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ogging occurs for many economical reasons, such as< agriculture 7planting crops8, cattle-
ranching, mining, oil and gas etraction, development, and subsistence-farming.
The logs, or wood, are also used to ma"e homes, furniture, paper, pencils, wood-chips for
pac"aging products, fuel for coo"ing and providing heat for homes.
(auses of the logging
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Fire
Indians from the ingu :ational 9ar" in /ra!il inspect the smoldering remains of forest land
near their reserve. Forest fires release greenhouse gases li"e carbon dioide and clouds of soot
that can disrupt normal rainfall patterns, although natural fires have always played a part
regenerating forest soils and vegetation and rarely result in permanent deforestation of an area.
6owever, the spread of agriculture, poor logging practices, and urban epansion ma"e forests
more vulnerable to uncontrolled fires that result in forest degradation. )n analysis of the drivers
of deforestation and forest degradation in ++ countries published in 5+5 by academics from
Gapan, the :etherlands, the H&, Indonesia and :orway estimates that uncontrolled fires were
responsible for about >3 of total forest degradation between 5+++ and 5++.
ess rain, higher temps
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0any climate models predict an increase in temperature and less precipitation for the )ma!on in
the coming years. /ut most do not account for the compounding effects of fire, which are already
causing forest diebac", noted /alch.
Those omissions could lead scientists to underestimate the amount of carbon released by dying
trees and plants, and a less accurate picture of forest health, according to the study's lead author,
9aulo 0onteiro /rando. Cmissions are so significant that researchers fear the )ma!on could flip,
becoming a net carbon emitter instead of a carbon sin". /ig trees dying means more leaves on
the ground and less canopy cover, and those are among the ingredients necessary for a high-
intensity fire, /rando said. The more intense the fire, the more carbon that will be released. We
may be missing huge amounts of carbon going into the atmosphere with these forest fires. $)
5++B drought in the south eastern )ma!on created conditions for intense wildfires that burned
more forest than the amount of land deforested in the past four years, the scientists noted. &till
'huge potential' /rando pointed out that while )ma!on deforestation remains high, it has dropped
significantly in the past few years.
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/ut in places where forests are degraded and fragmented, especially areas adacent to agricultural
frontiers, drought and fire can have powerful conse;uences. Jeducing deforestation and the
accidental spread of land management fires, along with more effective firefighting, are among
the strategies.
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(onse;uences #f Deforestation
Flora and Fauna
Flowers and animalsK we can't live without them. The flora of the earth produce the oygen that
is breathed by the fauna and in turn, the fauna ehale the carbon dioide that the flora need to
live. #ne cannot live without the other, and humans cannot live without eitherK hence their
importance.Flora and fauna are the plant and animal life of a region in a period of time. That may
sound simple, but the ecosystem created by the interdependence of these two life forms is not
simple at all. In fact, humans cannot breathe unless both flora and fauna survive and thrive on the
earth.
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The )ma!on rainforest once gave us 5+3 of our oygen supply. )s their destruction has
progressed, so has the incidence of respiratory illness around the world. &ome of our most
effective drugs come from rainforest plants. Destruction of these plants, and their habitats, will
not only affect our health, but our very lives.
1lobal trade has introduced species to areas outside of their natural habitat, where there are no
predatory species to control their destructive habits.
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Fire ants were brought to the Hnited &tates in a cargo ship. They have caused the death of
livestoc", people, and many native species of ants and insects.ou need loo" no further than
Florida to see the importance of native flora and fauna on the local ecosystems.
9lants li"e Aud!u, /ra!ilian 9epper, )ustralian 9ine, and (hinese Tallow were brought in from
other countries to the Hnited &tates and have invaded and destroyed entire habitats of native
flora. The Cverglades is being destroyed by 0alaleuca, which was seeded by airplanes to dry up
the Cverglades and allow sugar cane to be planted after the (uban embargo.
The introduction of non-native brown anoles and (uban tree frogs into Florida has nearly
caused the etinction of native li!ard and toad species, which are their prey. Iguanas and other
large li!ard species, as well as large sna"es such as boas and pythons, are invading the
Cverglades and other ecologically sensitive areas. In fact, Florida and its port cities have
introduced and become invaded by more invasive non-native species than any other state in the
H.&. Imports of salmonid eggs into Gapan have caused outbrea"s of disease into several of their
native fish species, causing great economic and ecological losses.
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The list goes on indefinitely. The Hniversity of )ri!ona site tells a shoc"ing tale of the ecological
and economic cost of invasive flora and fauna to the H.&. alone every year.
&oil Crosion
Tree roots anchor the soil. Without trees, the soil is free to wash or blow away, which can lead to
vegetation growth problems. The WWF states that scientists estimate that a third of the worlds
arable land has been lost to deforestation since >2+. )fter a clear cutting, cash crops li"e coffee,
soy and palm oil are planted. 9lanting these types of trees can cause further soil erosion because
their roots cannot hold onto the soil. The situation in 6aiti compared to the Dominican Jepublic
is a great eample of the important role forests play in the water cycle, Daley said. /oth
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countries share the same island, but 6aiti has much less forest cover than the Dominican
Jepublic. )s a result, 6aiti has endured more etreme soil erosion, flooding and landslide issues.
ife ;uality< &oil erosion can also lead to silt entering the la"es, streams and other water
sources. This can decrease local water ;uality and contribute to poor health in populations in the
area.
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)fter heavy tropical rains fall on cleared forest lands, the run-off carries soil into local cree"s and
rivers. The rivers carry the eroded soils downstream, causing significant problems. 6ydroelectric
proects and irrigation infrastructure lose productivity from siltation, while industrial installations
suspend operations due to lac" of water. &iltation also raises river beds, increasing the severity of
floods, and creates shoals and sandbars that ma"e river navigation far more troublesome. The
increased sediment load of rivers smothers fish eggs, causing lower hatch rates. )s the suspended
particles reach the ocean, the water becomes cloudy, causing regional declines in coral reefs, and
affecting coastal fisheries. The loss of coral reefs worldwide, often labeled the rainforests of the
sea, is especially distressing to scientists because of their tremendous diversity and the important
services they provide. (oastal fisheries are affected not ust by the loss of coral reefs and their
communities, but by the damage inflicted on mangrove forests by heavy siltation.
/esides damaging the fisheries industry, deforestation-induced erosion can undermine roads and
highways that cross through the forest.
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Crosion is etremely costly for developing countries. /esides the damage to infrastructure,
fisheries, and property, erosion of precious topsoils costs tens of billions of dollars worldwide
each year. For eample, in the late >*+s the Indonesian island of Gava was losing BB+ million
metric tons of topsoil every year at an estimated cost of .@ million tons of rice, enough to fulfill
the needs of .@-@ million people.
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Flooding Decline In Hnderground Water
Water recycling is the movement of rain from the forest
to land masses further inland. When rain falls on forests the water is intercepted by the forest
canopy. &ome of this intercepted water is returned to the atmosphere by evaporation and
transpiration 7release of water vapour into the atmosphere through stomata on tree leaves8 while
the rest is returned to the ocean as river runoff. In a healthy forest about three fourth of the
intercepted water is returned to the atmosphere as moisture laden air masses which move inland,
cool and are converted to rain. and cleared by deforestation returns only about one fourth of the
rain water to the atmosphere. This air mass has less moisture and delivers less rain further inland.
Deforestation inhibits water recycling and converts inland forest to dry land and potential waste
land.
&evere flooding is a result of deforestation because removal of the forest leaves little vegetative
cover to hold heavy rains. The inability of land void of forest to hold heavy rain water will also
trigger mudslides li"e the ones that have occurred in recent years in (alifornia, (hina and other
parts of the world. &evere flooding and mudslides are etremely costly because they devastate
homes and communities. The ecess water from land cleared of forest becomes runoff water and
enters the ocean instead of seeping downward into the soil to recharge a;uifers. );uifer
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depletion is already becoming a serious problem in certain areas of the planet and as the human
population continues to grow so will the demand for fresh water.
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0easures Hsed To Jeduce The Impact #f
Deforestation
(aribbean Territory
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(orporations L 0ar"ets If corporations have the ability to destroy the world's intact forests, they
also have the power to help save them.
(ompanies can ma"e an impact by introducing !ero-deforestation policies that re;uire suppliers
to produce commodities such as timber, beef, soy, palm oil and paper fiber in a way that has a
minimal impact on natural forests and the climate. (ompanies can also introduce paper
procurement policies that set ambitious targets to maimi!e use of postconsumer recycled wood,
pulp, paper and fiber in their products.
5. &ustainable consumer options
Cven you as an individual can ma"e a difference in saving forests by setting the best eample. It
is a crucial part of the solution to ending worldwide deforestation. )s a consumer, you have the
power to put pressure on companies that have bad environmental practices. /y buying recycled
or certified wood products, only supporting brands with !ero deforestation policies, and getting
others to do the same you send a message to companies to embrace !ero deforestation policies.
M. 9olitics
In order to achieve !ero deforestation by 5+5+ we need ambitious and science-based domestic
and international forest policies from our government.
We use laws li"e the Wilderness )ct, acey )ct and the Joadless Jule to protect forests and
stop illegal wood products from entering the mar"etplace.
The caribbean community must also urgently commit to mechanisms that reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from deforestation in tropical forest developing nations. Forests for (limate is a
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landmar" proposal for an (aribbean funding mechanism to protect tropical forests. Developing
(aribbean countries with tropical forests would ma"e commitments to protecting their forests
and in echange would have the opportunity to receive funding for capacity-building efforts and
for national-level reductions in deforestation emissions. This would provide a strong incentive
for developing countries to continually improve their forest protection programs.
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(onclusion
Thus, deforestation is an important issue to be discussed. It has adverse effects on each living
beings' life. Deforestation has become a huge concern in today's life as there has been a rise in
the decline of forests. Trees are cut down in order to manufacture paper products as well as for
livestoc" farming and so on.
In order to feed the ever increasing population of the Carth, trees and forests are converted to
farm lands. This has become a threat to the world and it has been seen that rates of decline in the
forests are increasing at a rapid rate. This has led the planet to warm up and leading to high
temperatures. This cycle would continue for the following years to come unless necessary steps
are ta"en to prevent deforestation. Deforestation has caused fewer trees to grow. It has also gone
a long way in eliminating valuable ecosystems in the planet.
If maor steps towards afforestation are not ta"en, then even the great adaptability of human
beings may not be enough to cope up with the harsh climate of the future. Deforestation does
have solutions. It's ust that the people must step forward. The safe "eeping of our precious
planet lies with each and every member of its human population. We are the ones accountable for
our actions even though it is ourselves we are accountable too.
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/ibliography
• http5-deforestation.html
• http
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