Methods Of Deforestation And Negative Effects

“Save the trees”. This is an environmental slogan I am sure we have all heard before. We have been surrounded by this line for years. Yet we still don’t act upon it. We rapidly clear massive amounts of forests to benefit our needs, but we don’t realize how harmful this is. We constantly waste huge amounts of materials made up of trees. Forests cover about 30 per cent of the planet’s landmass yet roughly 7 billion trees are cut down a year. [1] One tree can produce nearly 16 copies of a 1000-page book. To publish all books sold in the US requires 30 million trees every year. This means “With every turn of a page, we lose a tree.” This is just a small effect that leads to deforestation.

So to clarify, Deforestation is the continuing act of removal of a forest or stands of trees from land which is then converted to a non-forest use. Deforestation can also include converting forests into farms and ranches. Some of the main methods of deforestation are

Clear cutting—this is a method when you completely strip the forests for trees, vegetation, and any animal, leaving the land completely bare.

Selective logging—in selective logging, only specific trees are cut down. Research shows that during selective logging, only about 3% of the trees are harvested. However, about 49% of that 3% of trees are damaged and misused.

Slash and Burn Agriculture is the main method of clearing trees for small farmers and plantation owners in the tropics.

Many negative effects emerge with deforestation. It’s a massive part of our fight for climate change. It accounts for 17% of greenhouse gases, which is the second leading cause.[*] In fact, deforestation contributes more to greenhouse gases than all means of transportation. That includes all cars, trains, planes, and busses combined.

Loss of biodiversity is another effect of deforestation. When you cut down a mass of trees, you are removing habitats for thousands of animals. Just over 135 different animal species are killed each day, which means roughly 50,000 species are killed nearly every year. [*]

Trees help control the level of water in the atmosphere by helping to regulate the water cycle. Because of deforestation, the soil cannot receive the recommended amount of water/water vapor it needs to survive. In the rainforest ecosystem, plants hold a large amount of moisture and water, which then evaporates into the atmosphere. If this water cycle is damaged, the atmosphere and large bodies of water start to dry out.

An ongoing global issue that I am sure you all have heard about, is the Amazon rainforest fires. The Amazon, one of the most biodiverse rainforests in the world, was burning at a rate not seen in a very long time. The Amazon fire was named as a global tragedy. The fire was lit by farmers, destroying many villages, habitats, and creating a whole lot of pollution. 20% of the fires in the world can be attributed to deforestation.

Deforestation is an ongoing global calamity with many negative effects. But there are lots ways to help prevent and slow down deforestation. Some solutions are recycling, banning clear-cutting, reusing as much as possible (refer to poster), don’t waste paper, planting trees, and spread awareness, send emails instead of letters.

We should all be aware of the severity of deforestation and look for ways to improve this situation.

Bibliography:

1. Nunez, C. (2019, February 25). Deforestation and Its Effect on the Planet. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation/
2. Rinkesh. (2016, December 25). Deforestation – Causes, Effects and Solutions. Retrieved from https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-of-deforestation.php