Deforestation


Nature Gallery (Global Trends)
Deforestation Dwindling Resources
Each year an estimated 170,000 square kilometres (66,000 square miles) of rainforest disappear, the equivalent of more than four times the area of Switzerland. At the current rate of destruction, the world’s lowland rainforests will have disappeared in 20 years’ time. Today, rainforests cover less than 8 per cent of the Earth’s surface, which is less than half of the area the rainforests covered when they were first exploited. Worldwide, there is 20 per cent to 33 per cent less tropical rainforest today than existed historically, with Brazil and Indonesia accounting for 45 per cent of the total loss.

Rainforests are home to many groups of indigenous peoples such as the Penan of Borneo and the Kayapo of Brazil. A typical 10-square-kilometre (4-square-mile) tract contains more than 1,500 plant and tree species, 700 animal species, and thousands of insect types. Consequently, destruction of large areas of rainforest can result in serious environmental problems, loss of habitat, and the extinction of indigenous cultures. On a global scale, deforestation damages the Earth’s ability to clean the atmosphere. Rainforests and other large forested regions act as the planet’s lungs, converting carbon dioxide back into oxygen and filtering out pollutants. Scientists believe deforestation alters weather patterns and contributes to global warming, accounting for up to 25 per cent of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere each year. At the local level, deforestation produces disastrous side-effects. With little or no plant life to hold it in place, hillside soil is quickly eroded by rain or run-off, filling rivers and lakes with silt, which is harmful to fish. Bare rainforest soils are also relatively infertile and can only be used a year or two for agriculture purposes. Furthermore, denuded soils retain only a fraction of the water they formerly soaked up, leading to cycles of flooding and drought instead of a steady water supply. Population Growth
The major cause of deforestation is population growth and resulting increases in demand for wood products or forest land. Crowded out of existing farm land, many farmers in developing countries are forced to clear forest to make way for new plots. Ranchers cut down thousands of hectares of rainforest, graze cattle for a year or two, then move on once the soil is exhausted. To meet the increasing demand for wood and pulp for houses, furniture, and paper, developed countries have turned to the huge reserves of tropical rainforests. For the rapidly growing populations of Africa and Asia, wood remains the primary fuel for cooking and heating. Although deforestation remains a serious problem, governments and conservation groups are taking steps to reverse the losses. Developed nations and corporations are recycling and reducing their use of wood-based products, and some governments, such as Brazil’s, have eliminated subsidies that encouraged people to clear and settle in rainforests. Private environmental groups are working to strengthen indigenous peoples’ claims to the land and to develop markets for forest products that can be produced on a sustainable basis. For example, spices and medicinal plants can be harvested from rainforests without damaging the ecosystem. Many developed countries and international conservation groups have established debt-for-nature swaps, cancelling international loans in exchange for better protection of the Earth’s critical forests.