Deforestation and its Causes: Definition, Natural, and Man-made Causes and Effects

Deforestation and its Causes: Trees are the lifeline of all living creatures on this planet. They are the most important source of oxygen for survival. Have you ever been to a wooded area? Have you ever felt fortunate to be surrounded by so many trees? Imagine all of these trees being slowly taken down, resulting in barren areas. Consider the consequences of deforestation.

We all know that there was a period when we worshipped plants, but now we slash them mercilessly. Deforestation is occurring as these same woods are vanishing day by day due to our selfish demands. Have you ever considered what might occur if deforestation and its causes continue? Let us investigate this further.

Deforestation Definition

Deforestation is removing a forest or a stand of trees from a piece of land and converting it to non-forest usage. It’s also known as clearing, clearcutting, or forest clearing. The conversion of forest land to urban use, farmland, or ranches is referred to as deforestation. Tropical rainforests see the most severe deforestation. Forests cover around 31% of the earth’s land surface.

Large-scale deforestation is caused by a combination of causes, including negligent forest management and a lack of environmental rules. Deforestation, both naturally occurring and caused by humans, is a persistent problem in many countries.

Deforestation also has negative consequences for carbon dioxide biosequestration in the atmosphere. As a result, the negative feedback cycles that contribute to global warming are intensified.

Deforestation-Related Statistics

Forests currently cover 31% of the total land area on the planet. They also produce significant amounts of oxygen and provide a haven for humans and wildlife. It’s vital to remember that woods are home to many endangered and threatened animal species. Furthermore, nearly 1.6 billion people rely on the benefits that forests give, such as food, freshwater, traditional medicine, clothes, and so on.

Fig: Deforestation

The devastating effects of deforestation have driven governments to devise strategies to prevent large-scale tree removal. Clear-cutting for agriculture, fires, development, ranching, unjustified logging for timber, and climate change damage are all examples of deforestation.

1. According to active figures, 18.7 million acres of forest are lost annually, which is quite concerning.
2. According to FAO data, about half of the world’s tropical forests have been removed.
3. Forest loss accounts for 6-12 percent of world carbon dioxide emissions per year.
4. According to the World Wildlife Fund, or WWF, trees worth 36 football fields are taken down every minute.

What will Happen if the Forests Disappear?

1. If forests are lost, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air will rise, causing the earth’s temperature to rise.
2. Animals will be unable to find food and shelter if trees and vegetation are not present.
3. In the absence of trees, the soil will be unable to contain water, resulting in flooding.
4. Deforestation puts our lives and the ecosystem in jeopardy.
5. Millions of plant and animal species will be on the verge of extinction if the forest is lost.
6. Deforestation, on the other hand, disrupts the equilibrium by causing variations in river flow and precipitation.
7. Furthermore, deforestation accounts for about 15% of greenhouse gas emissions. As a result of these greenhouse gas emissions, temperatures are rising, weather patterns are changing, and the frequency of exciting weather events is increasing.

Causes of Deforestation

Deforestation causes can either be natural or man-made.
1. Natural Causes: Hurricanes, flames, parasites, and floods are examples of natural disasters
2. Man-made Causes: Logging, Agricultural activities, livestock breeding, mining, urbanisation, timber production

Fig: Causes of Deforestation

1. Natural Causes of Deforestation

A. Forest Fires

Fig: Forest Fire

1. Every year, we lose many trees due to forest fires in various parts of the world. Extreme summers and winters contribute to this.
2. Each year, uncontrolled wildfires cost billions of dollars of economic damage by destroying property and natural tourism sites, polluting water supplies, and crippling industries.
3. Globally, increasing fire-prone situations have resulted from climate change, forest degradation, and fragmentation.
4. Forests that have been damaged by logging and disease, as well as those that have been fragmented by deforestation, are more vulnerable to fire.

B. Floods

Fig: Flood

1. Floods are the most common natural disaster, and they occur when a large amount of water overflows and submerges normally dry terrain.
2. In coastal areas, floods are frequently produced by heavy rainfall, quick snowmelt, or a storm surge from a tropical cyclone or tsunami.
3. Natural calamities swipe off shrubs and trees, leading to deforestation.
4. Also, because trees preserve the surface of the mountains, deforestation causes land erosion. The rivers’ water levels rise suddenly, resulting in floods.
5. When it rains, trees use their roots to absorb and store a considerable amount of water. Cutting down trees causes flooding in some locations by disrupting the flow of water.

C. Hurricanes

1. Hurricanes are among the most powerful storms in nature. They can cause inland flooding, tornadoes, and rip currents due to strong winds, storm surge inundation, and heavy rainfall.
2. Hurricanes inflict forest destruction in two ways: high winds that topple trees and heavy rains that produce floods.
3. Others, though, can create extra floods and inundate freshwater environments, pouring salt and debris inland from the coast, as storm surges frequently accompany hurricanes.
4. Increased salt levels in soil can have long-term repercussions, such as delayed mortality of some tree species, forest loss, and dieback.
5. Trees can also be damaged by high winds, which can cause them to shatter, twist, and bend, as well as wounds and root damage.

2. Man-Made Causes of Deforestation

A. Logging

1. Illegal logging is highly frequent, and it destroys the livelihoods of people who rely on forests for their living.
2. Paper, matchsticks, and furniture are all wood-based sectors that require a significant amount of wood supplies. Wood is the most often used fuel, and as a result, enormous amounts of trees are cut down for fuel supply.

Fig: Logging

3. Trees are taken down for paper products. Hence logging is another significant cause of deforestation.
4. There are numerous methods of logging, but the most dangerous is known as “clean cutting.” This occurs when a forest area is fully deforested, leaving no living trees in the region.
5. Restoring clear-cut forest regions has its own set of problems. Mono-planting, or planting only one type of tree in a given area, is frequently used as a remediation strategy. Although this helps to compensate for the full loss of trees, it accomplishes nothing else. Mono-planting does not compensate for all of the biodiversity lost as a result of clearcutting. This is due to the fact that biodiversity is supported by a diverse range of flora and wildlife.

B. Agricultural Activities

Deforestation is largely caused by the conversion of forests to agricultural land. Many trees are cut down for agriculture and livestock grazing due to the ever-increasing demand for food products. Over 40% of the woods have been destroyed to make way for agriculture and timber production.

Fig: Deforestation due to Agricultural Land Requirement

1. The first type of agriculture to be looked at is slash-and-burn farming. In many cases, slash-and-burn agriculture is a sound agricultural practice that many native groups have practised for many years.
2. Although the debate is still ongoing on how sustainable this technique is, many people believe that slash and burn, or “swidden,” as it is known in some aboriginal tribes, can be beneficial to the soil and biodiversity. Around 50 acres of land are lost every hour due to slash-and-burn agriculture around the world.
3. One of the problems with slash and burn is that flames that are started on purpose can spread accidentally throughout the forest. The protecting forest canopy is damaged when the fire spreads to unanticipated places.
4. The increased exposure of the forest floor to the sun exacerbates the existing fire. As the environment becomes drier, the smoke “hangs over the forest and suppresses rainfall,” making it much more difficult to put out.
5. Furthermore, large-scale slash-and-burn agriculture can have disastrous impacts on the area’s biodiversity. Many animal habitats are lost in the fire because significant sections of land are burned. As a result, animals are pushed out of the forest, reducing biodiversity and increasing the number of endangered and extinct species.

C. Raising Cattle

Fig: Cattle Raising

1. Cattle ranching has a significant impact on forests all over the world, especially tropical rainforests such as the Amazon.
2. Many farmers grow cattle on deforested land; nevertheless, you might be surprised to learn that companies do so on a much greater scale.
3. Fast food restaurants have been contributing to deforestation in places like the Amazon jungle for a long time, but their acts have only recently been recognised by the mainstream media.
4. Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and Burger King are just a few of the companies that have been deforesting the rainforest to breed cattle for their hamburgers.

D. Mining

Fig: Mining of Coal

1. One of the primary causes of deforestation is mining. Soil erosion, sinkhole formation, biodiversity loss, and chemical contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface water are all examples of mining’s environmental impact.
2. Oil and coal extraction both necessitate the deforestation of a significant quantity of forest area.
3. Mining waste pollutes the ecosystem and has a negative impact on surrounding animals.

E. Urbanization

As the world’s population expands, so do people’s wants, which leads to more deforestation. Forests have shrunk significantly in order to meet demands such as road construction, housing development, mineral extraction, and industry expansion. The rise of cities necessitates the demand for more land for housing and settlements, which has a direct impact on forests.

Fig: Deforestation due to Urbanization

1. The fifth big contributor to deforestation is housing, sometimes known as “urban sprawl.” One of the most challenging aspects of deforestation to address is urban sprawl.
2. One of the most difficult and important challenges at the root of many environmental crises is overpopulation.
3. Because of its nature, finding a long-term solution to overpopulation is challenging; nevertheless, a shorter-term remedy, such as infrastructural upgrades, can be implemented to minimise the problem.
4. One intriguing example of such infrastructure modification is the architectural notion of “compact cities,” also known as “small cities” or “sustainable cities” by others.
5. The notion of a compact city can take several forms, depending on the available area as well as present and expected population density and expansion; nonetheless, the basic premise remains the same.
6. A compact city takes up less land than a traditional city and still houses a large number of people while remaining small enough to eliminate the need for automobiles, allowing you to walk to your home, work, entertainment, green space, and everyday businesses like grocery stores and doctor’s offices.

F. Timber Production

Fig: Timber Production

1. The production of timber is one of the leading causes of deforestation. As a result of the high demand for timber, deforestation is on the rise.
2. It is a raw material that is utilized in the production of paper as well as building.
3. Every year, over 380,000 hectares of forest are cut down to supply the enormous global demand for wood and wood products, accounting for almost 60% of forest degradation.
4. Another 25% of the forest has been damaged for fuelwood and charcoal production.
5. These degraded woods are significantly more vulnerable to conversion for other land uses like mining, agriculture, and settlement.

Effects of Deforestation

Some of the effects of deforestation are:
1. Deforestation causes the greenhouse effect by gas emissions.
2. Deforestation affects the land, resulting in the extinction of numerous flora and animals. With increasing deforestation, the species as a whole may go extinct. This is referred to as “biodiversity loss.”
3. Because trees preserve the surface of the mountains, deforestation causes land erosion. The rivers’ water levels rise suddenly, resulting in floods.
4. Deforestation, on the other hand, disrupts the equilibrium by causing variations in river flow and precipitation.
5. Soil erosion is one of the most distressing consequences of deforestation. Trees help to hold fertile soil in place, but the ground is swept into the water when erosion occurs.
6. Deforestation can serve as a conduit for the spread of numerous infectious illnesses, either directly or indirectly. The Nipah virus was spread more easily in Malaysia due to a geographic shift in the fruit bat population (due to deforestation).
7. According to some reports, deforestation and other factors could cause the world GDP to drop by 7% by 2050.

Can the Causes of Deforestation be Overcome or Avoided?

Ending deforestation is our best chance to protect animals and forest communities’ rights. It’s also one of the simplest and most cost-effective strategies to reduce global warming.

Solutions to Deforestation

We should conserve the forest because trees play an important role in protecting our environment in numerous ways:
1. Reforestation is the most effective technique to halt deforestation.
2. Due to the amount of deforestation, legislation restrictions should be implemented at the organizational and governmental levels.
3. Sensitize the public and organize educational initiatives about the repercussions of deforestation.

Individuals’ Roles

Every person on the globe is responsible for maintaining the planet’s resources (for other humans, other species, and for future generations). Individuals can help to reduce deforestation by following the 3R concept (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) in their daily life.
1. Reduce – Using alternatives whenever feasible to reduce the amount of paper used.
2. Reuse – Preventing waste by avoiding use-and-throw products.
3. Recycle – All used wood and paper goods should be carefully recycled.

Individuals can also help to stop deforestation by raising awareness about the problem and engaging in tree-planting programmes.

Summary

Forests and rainforests all across the world are in jeopardy. To ensure the survival and sustainability of these biologically and environmentally essential pieces of land, several changes must be made locally and worldwide. Despite the fact that recent trends indicate that deforestation is on the rise, many people are fighting back. The world’s woods can still be protected if plans for environmentally friendly measures are implemented. The next generation, who are environmentally concerned and willing to make a difference, may hold the key to forest preservation and conservation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Deforestation and its Causes

Q.1. What are the main factors that cause deforestation?
Ans: Agriculture and cattle grazing are two of the primary causes of deforestation (which can, in turn, be linked to overpopulation). Other than that, mining, logging, and forest fires can also be associated with deforestation.

Q.2. How does deforestation affect the environment?
Ans: Climate change, desertification, soil erosion, fewer crops, flooding, higher greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere, and a slew of other issues for indigenous peoples can all result from the loss of trees and other plants.

Q.3. What are the human activities that cause deforestation?
Ans: The human activities that cause deforestation are as follows: agricultural expansion, cattle breeding, timber extraction, mining, oil extraction, dam construction, and infrastructure development.

Q.4. What effect does deforestation have on biodiversity?
Ans: Tropical rainforests are noted for having the world’s most diverse ecosystems. Many species’ habitats become threatened as a result of deforestation, which involves the extinction of these ecosystems. In reality, deforestation puts the population of some microorganisms that work on nutrient recycling and water purification in jeopardy.

Q.5. What impact does deforestation have on the water cycle?
Ans: Groundwater is known to be absorbed by trees through their roots and then released into the atmosphere via transpiration. As a result, trees play an important part in the water cycle, regulating atmospheric water vapour levels and providing a platform for water to enter the atmosphere from below-ground depths. Therefore, deforestation, on the other hand, disrupts the equilibrium by causing variations in river flow and precipitation.

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