DEFORESTATION

Deforestation 

The term "deforestation" refers to the global clearance of forested area for use in agriculture, urban development, and resource exploitation, among other activities. Human-caused deforestation has increased significantly since 1960, with far-reaching consequences for ecosystems, animals, and the global temperature. According to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, almost 1.3 million hectares of forest are lost per decade. 

 

  CAUSES 

 Deforestation is caused by a number of reasons, some of which are human-caused and others that are natural in nature. Destruction of forests may also be caused by natural causes, such as forest fires or parasite-induced illnesses. Even Nevertheless, human actions are a major contributor to forest loss across the world. The Organization for Food and Agriculture (FAO) estimates that agricultural growth is responsible for 80 percent of worldwide deforestation, with infrastructure development (such as roads or dams), mining, and urbanisation accounting for the remainder. Just what is causing deforestation to occur? About 80% of deforestation is due to agriculture, according to the FAO. How, exactly, does agriculture lead to so much tree cutting? Another survey found that local peasant farmers in underdeveloped countries accounted for 33% of deforestation in the agricultural sector. However, human activity such as the construction of roads and bridges has also contributed to deforestation. In particular, 10% of deforestation can be traced back to the construction of new infrastructure to support the requirements of the contemporary human lifestyle in four important areas: transportation, transformation, energy production.. An estimated 5% of deforestation may be attributed to the demographic shift that is causing people to leave rural regions and relocate to cities. Since 68% of the global population is projected to reside in cities by 2050, this urbanization is spawning a meteoric rise in the number of residential and commercial properties. And when cities expand to accommodate more residents, they push against the ecological limits of their environments, sometimes resulting in forest loss. 

 CONSEUENCES 

 Many natural habitats are negatively impacted by deforestation, which also threatens the planet's stability. Let's look at the big picture to see why deforestation is such a problem for Earth. Biodiversity loss is the most publicized problem caused by deforestation. Some of the richest hotspots of biodiversity may be found in forests. The forest is home to numerous unique and endangered species, including animals, birds, insects, amphibians, and plants. Trees and plants make up 80 percent of Earth's flora and fauna. One billion of the world's poorest people rely on healthy forests for their livelihoods. This indicates that many people rely on trees for food and shelter, and use forest resources in their subsistence farming practices. However, the land tenure arrangements in emerging nations like Borneo, Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil, and Mexico are inadequate. This opens the door for corporations to acquire the property and utilize it for their own purposes, displacing the native population. Soil erosion has a moderate to severe effect on 52% of all arable land utilized for food production today. Lack of healthy, nutrient-rich soil may lead to poor yields and undernourishment in the long run. When forests are cut down, the soil underneath them deteriorates. Soils in forested areas are often not just higher in organic content but they're also more resistive to erosion, adverse weather, and unusual weather occurrences. This occurs mostly as a result of the stabilizing effect of tree roots and the sun-blocking effect of tree cover, both of which aid in the gradual drying out of the soil. Therefore, deforestation presumably means the soil will become more weak, making the region more susceptible to natural catastrophes like landslides and floods. Likewise, deforestation is a major contributor to global warming. Why? Keep in mind that trees take in and store CO2 for their whole lifetimes. There are more than 210 megawatts of carbon stored in the world's tropical forests, according to WWF. Moreover, the cutting down of these woods has two major unintended consequences, which is cause for concern. Where do we start in finding a solution to forest destruction? More than 9 billion people will inhabit the planet by 2050, a projection made by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The current levels of consumption, combined with the increasing number of people living on Earth, will almost certainly result in a greater demand for agricultural land and mineral and energy resource extraction areas in the future, barring any technological advancements such as the creation of artificial foods. The conversion of forests to agriculture, pastureland, or mining locations is becoming more necessary to meet the rising global need for food and raw commodities such as cotton and minerals.