DEFORESTATION

CONTENTS OF PRESENTATION

FOREST ADVANTAGES DEFORESTATION TRENDS CAUSES CONSEQUENCES RECOVERY TIME OF FOREST HOW TO PREVET DEFORESTATION DEFORESTATION IN PAKISTAN

DEFORESTATION FOREST A dense growth of trees and underbrush

covering a large tract. Environmental activists consider forests as one of

the top 5 natural resources on earth• Nearly 4 billion hectares of forest cover the earth's surface, roughly 30 per cent of its total land area. • The world's forests have shrunk by some 40 per cent since agriculture began 11,000 years ago. • Three-quarters of this loss occurred in the last two centuries as land was cleared to make way for farms and to meet demand for wood.

IMPORTANCE OF FOREST HABITT AND ECOSYSTEMForests serve as habitat to millions of animals.Reptiles(snakes and lizards) wild animals, butterflies and insects, birds and tree-top animals live there.

Forests are of immense economic importance to us.• Food to eat e.g. fruit, nuts, sap•Oils to cook•Healing herbs and medicines•Fuel for cooking•Wood for building homes •Boats for travel

ECONOMIC.BENIFITS

•Control temperatures.(e.g. TRFs cool air in the tropics)•Absorb rainfall and store water in their leaves, trunk, and roots•Filter dust and pollution•Protect the soil from exposure to soil erosion•Maintain atmospheric balance by absorbing large quantities of carbon dioxide and then releasing oxygen back into the air•Maintain a constant humidity level.

CLIMATE CONTROL

 

Makes its possible for drinking and supporting life As the water flows seeps into the ground, soil particles trap impurities and filters the waterENJOYMENT VALUEThe natural beauty and peace of the forest offer a special source of enjoyment. In the United States, Canada, and many other countries, huge forestlands have been set aside for people's enjoyment.

 MAINTAINING WATER QUALITY 

MAINTAIN NUTRIENT CYCLE

DEFINITION Deforestation is the conversion of forested areas to non-forested landDeforestation is the full or large scale removal of forest or area of tress in order to clear land for human development“Clearing of virgin forests, or intentional destruction or removal of trees and other vegetation for agricultural ,commercial, housing, or firewood use without replanting (reforesting) and without allowing time for the forest to regenerate itself ”.

DEFORESTATION

Some 4000 years ago, evidences of man made plant and animal extinction actions have been seen. Fire was one of the popular methods of balding a forest to be turned into an agricultural area. Grazing animals also became a lead to major deforestation in area locales. No significant effects of deforestation at that time is because of the less population

PRE HISTORICAL DEFORESTATION

THE INDUSTRIAL TIMES OF DEFORESTATION

In 19th century with advent of industrialization deforestation even rose to bigger numbers.None at that time was able to see the probable effects that we are experiencing right now. Timber was in great popularity among shipbuilders; thus, the business of logging grew in astounding counts. Introduction of steamboats in the United States was the cause of deforestation of banks of major rivers such as the Mississippi River

a slash and burn method for creating short term goals. slash-and-burn deforestation releases 180 metric tons of carbon into the atmosphereOver 200 million people are using this technique all over the world; and perhaps it is the main reason why gigantic land areas have been totally exhausted and eroded. Such lands are of no use for any form of cultivation at the present time.Demand of growing businesses have endangered the forestsDeforestation rate is higher than reforestation

PRESENT DEFORESTATION TRENDS

CAUSE OF DEFORESTATION DUE TO HUMANS

1. TIMBER Timber is the prime cause of deforestation. Wood is then processed to make expensive furnituresTo make the timber products cheaper, governments allowed deforestation without realizing the fact that it would destroy ecological balance.2. TRANSPORT

CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION

CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS AND RAILWAYS Make easier for people and companies to enter the forest to extract resources , leads to deforestationE.g. ; 23o-km long Kalimantan highway in Indonesia

Practice farming by claiming forest land to grow crops by cutting and setting the forest areas fire claiming that the forest land is fertile due to forest’s flora and fauna.DEFORESTATION FOR GRASSLAND DEVELOPMENTGrass lands are needed for cattle ranching(for beef) and developing the cattle growing industry.

CUT AND BLAZE FARMING

•use forest as a principle source of fire wood for its people. •Uses such as keeping the fire onFor warmth at nightMININGDigging a coal, copper or gold mine requires the removal of all forest cover, not just for the mines but also for trucks and equipment.

FOREST AS SOURCE OF FIREWOOD

Fires both accidental and intended, destroy acres of forest very quickly. Cheaper than employing laborers and bringing machineryPALM OIL In Indonesia and Malaysia rainforest are cleared for palm oilUsed as biofuel and is used in many foods and beauty products. Acacia treesFast growing trees for cheap timber and paper pulp

FIRES

Factories are a source of pollution. When factories let out smoke it forms clouds. When it rains from those clouds, it can become acid rain or polluted water drops.The trees absorb the polluted water, it makes them sick or can even kill the trees. 10.PRODUCTION OF CIGARETTESMaking cigarettes contribute to deforestation worldwide. Up to 5.7ibs of wood is used to make1pack of cigarettes

9.AIR POLLUTION

Usage of wood in production of ciggerates

GROWING POPULATIONPopulation levels exceed the sustainable capacity of land and are a major contributing cause of deforestation in many developing countries.

CHARCOILIn many countries people depends very heavily on charcoal as a source of fuel

 ILLUSTRATION OF THE DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMAN POPULATION GROWTH AND A REDUCTION OF FOREST COVER.

Forest firesDroughtsExotic animals FloodsClimate changeDiseaseParasitic fungi, rusts, viruses cause death and decay of forest plants.

Natural causes of deforestation

Pie graph showing the leading causes Graph showing deforestation of deforestation natural forest

GRAPHS

POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES OF DEFORESTATIONForests make way for residential housesOffice buildings and factories. Governments are able to build roads to make trade and transport easier and therefore more convenient to residents.NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OFDEFORESTATION

CONSEQUENCES OF DEFORESTATION

Deforestation is the major contributor. to global warmingDeforestation influences trees to release carbon stores.As the concentration of carbon dioxide increases, a layer forms in the atmosphere that traps sun radiation. This radiation gets converted to heat and causes global warmingScientists say that almost 1.5 billion tons of carbon is released each year by tropical deforestation.

ATMOSPHERIC– OXYGEN IMBALANCE AND CLIMATE CHANGE :

Water cycle in the nature gets affected by deforestation. Trees pull up ground water with the help of their roots and then release the water vapor into the atmosphere by transpiration. If trees are reduced, the water vapor content in the atmosphere is reduced and clear it results in drierclimate. It also results in soil erosion which may lead to landslides or floods.

HYDROLOGICAL –DISRUPTION OF WATER CYCLE

Forests which are clear felled (cut down) result in the soil being exposed to the sun. The soil becomes dry and volatile and nutrients such as nitrogen are lost. Leaf litter, which is the main source of nutrients for trees, is not produced when the trees are removed.The tree canopy protects the soil from the heavy rainfall

SOIL – INFERTILITY AND SOIL EROSION

FORESTED AND DEFORESTED AREA

Deforestation results in the decline in biodiversity and many species of living organisms are becoming extinct. Forests support wildlife habitat and the tropical rainforests contribute to 80%of the biodiversityIt is estimated that almost 90 percent of predicted extinctions will take place within next forty years. DESERTIFICATION Deforestation is one of the causes behind the conversion of many fertile tracts of land to deserts. This phenomenon is known as desertification .  

BIODIVERSITY– LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY :

Average temperature of the earth has risen in the last century.If this phenomenon continues then the increased temperatures would lead to melting of glaciers.This would lead to a massive rise in the sea levels leading to submersion of coastal areas.

DANGER OF SUBMERSION OF COASTAL AREAS AND GLACIERS:

RECOVERY TIME OF FOREST

Recovery time of a forest after clearing and a burn that it is only after 100+ years that forest become as they were before the cut. 

a) USE RECYCLED ITEMS:Use recycled item including notebook paper, books, toilet paper, and shopping bags. b) TREE CARE:Must remove a tree for a legitimatereason Make sure that for every tree lost another is planted in its place.

HOW TO PREVENT DEFORESTATION

Farmers should make use of environment savvy techniques like crop rotation.Crop rotation involves using the same piece of land to grow two different kinds of crops, instead of growing the same in two different pieces of land. 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.

h)FOLLOW CROP ROTATION:

CONTROLLED LOGGING

controlled logging involves careful management of forests that are being logged. (law enforcement & education) e.g. Selective cutting VS clear cutting

f) REFORESTATION: “The process of planting new trees in areas where they have been removed by cutting or destroyed by fire, disease, etc is called reforestation.”Reforestation is very important incombating Deforestation phenomenon.

“Aforestation is the process of planting trees, or sowing seeds, in a barren land devoid of any trees to create a forest.”With the increasing demand for wood fuels and building materials, this process helps to meet these demands without cutting down the natural forests.

g) AFORESTATION:

h)SPREAD AWARENESS The government should stage campaigns and spread awareness on how deforestation has affected humans adversely. Presentations should be made in schools and colleges on safeguarding forests. Children should be involved in "save the forests" campaigns

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.

SUPPORT CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS:

•The Ministry of Forestry(MOF) - MOF issues licenses to timber companies and monitor their activities.Four Main Policies of MOF • Afforestation Reforestation Controlled logging Conservation Controlling forest fires

WORKING ORGANIZATION

Developing countries should urgently adopt effective policies to rapidly slowing down the current high rates of population growth  Our Role in Forest Conservation•Simple actions such as making use of both sides of a piece of paper can help to reduce wastage of forest resources.• To help reduce deforestation in other countries, we can buy furniture made of timber from sustainably managed forests.

NEED TO CONTROL POPULATION GROWTH

DEFORESTATION IN PAKISTAN Less than 2.5% of the land in Pakistan is

forested and this is decreasing rapidly due to an annual deforestation rate of over 2%, one of the highest in the world

Pakistan is having the world's second highest rate of deforestation

The principal cause of deforestation in Pakistan is

The consumption of fuel wood and timber Day-by-day increace in population