Deforestation is the purposeful clearing of forested land. Throughout history and into modern times, forests have been razed to make space for agriculture and animal grazing, and to obtain wood for fuel, manufacturing, and construction.
Deforestation has greatly altered landscapes around the world.
About 2,000 years ago, 80 percent of Western Europe was forested; today the figure is 34 percent.
In North America, about half of the forests in the eastern part of the continent were cut down from the 1600s to the 1870s for timber and agriculture.
Habitat loss is probably the biggest threat to the variety of life on Earth today. 70% of land animals and plant species live in forests, which means that the trees of a rainforest provides shelter for some species, whilst also providing a canopy which regulates the temperature. Deforestation results in a more drastic environment, especially when the destruction of forests and the splitting into smaller areas makes them more accessible to humans. This has led to the increase in the occurrence of human-wildlife conflict, where the needs and behaviour of humans have begun to negatively impact the wildlife. For example, it can increase hunting and poaching of animals as they become more accessible to hunters.
Deforestation contributes to about 20% of annual global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and reducing it will be necessary to avoid dangerous climate change. The loss of trees allows more greenhouse gases to be released into the atmosphere. Forests absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen during photosynthesis, meaning when these trees are cut down, the carbon they have stored is released into the atmosphere again. This is how deforestation contributes to global warming.
The trees also help control the level of water in the atmosphere, helping to regulate the water cycle. This process is defined as transpiration, which occurs when trees and other plants suck water from the ground through their roots, then release that water from their leaves into the air. When forests are cleared, this water-storing effect vanishes along with the trees. The loss of transpiration has many impacts, such as causing droughts and water shortages, especially when wind currents pick up the moisture from rainforest canopies and carry it across the globe. Therefore if more and more trees are being cut down, there will be less moisture for these wind currents to absorb.
The loss of trees, which retain the soil with their roots, causes widespread erosion throughout the tropics. Only a small minority of areas have good soils, which once cleared are washed away from heavy rain. As a result, crop yields decline and an money has to be spent to import foreign fertilisers or clear any additional forests. Once heavy tropical rains fall on cleared forest lands, the run-off carries soil into local creeks and rivers. These rivers carry the eroded soils downstream, causing even more problems. To conclude, erosion is extremely costly for developing countries, so it is vital that we educate ourselves on the growing rates of deforestation.
Did you know that every 6 seconds, an area of forest the size of a football pitch is destroyed to make way for the production of commodities such as beef, soy, timber and palm oil? Yes, it is in fact the industry of agriculture who are the leading drivers of deforestation. Beef production accounts for 41% of deforestation, soybeans and palm oil account for 18%, and the chopping of timber is another 13%. That makes up for three quarters of the total cause of deforestation alone! Whilst we encourage you to help to tackle the increase in forests being chopped down, it is down to the actions of these corporations to make significant differences to really see a reduction of these rates.
By acknowledging the names of these corporations, we can be discouraged from purchasing their products, so that they can be forced to take action, otherwise they risk a significant decrease in sales.
Here is a list of some major companies who are responsible for deforestation:
Though our individual actions will not lead to an immediate improvement in these emerging rates, there are some ways we can contribute to the efforts against deforestation, such as going paperless at home and in the office, buying recycled products and recyling them again, don't use products containing palm oil and only buying what you will use.
There are a variety of organisations which you can support who are working to tackle deforestation, including Amazon Watch, Conservation International, Trees For The Future Rainforest Action Network, Rainforest Alliance and Canadian Forestry Association, Forest Stewardship Council Canada, which you can read more about here.
