Deforestation

Forests cover almost 30 percent of the land on this planet. The ecosystem they make plays an essential role in supporting life on earth. However, deforestation is the process of clearing the earth’s forests on a massive scale. With the current rate of destruction, the world’s rainforests will completely disappear within the next hundred years.  

Deforestation meaning in simple words is the rapid cutting of trees and converting that land into a non-forest one. 

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Forestry and agriculture together are responsible for more than 24% of greenhouse gas emissions, in turn making deforestation a significant contributor to climate change. 

In this article, we will discuss the significant deforestation solutions after assessing the causes behind it.

Importance of Forests

Some of the most vital services provided by forests are as follows.

• Forests are the lungs of the earth as they provide an uninterrupted supply of oxygen, making life possible on earth.

• They promote rainfall.

• Trees create an oasis of shade by blocking sunlight and in urban areas tackle a severe issue like the ‘heat island effect.  

• The growth of the country hugely depends on its forests. Therefore, protecting their accounts for the best deforestation solution. 

• By absorbing greenhouse gases and functioning as carbon storage, forests help to mitigate climate change.

• Forests help in the management of climate, soil erosion, and noise pollution.

• They also provide raw materials for a variety of commercially essential items such as wood, paper, and fabric.

What is the Cause of Deforestation?

Several reasons contribute to deforestation. Among them, two factors that wreak havoc are human activities and a few natural causes. 

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Human Activities

People have been indulging in deforesting the earth for the longest time. Some of the most significant reasons are listed below

• Agriculture- Agricultural expansion is the most prominent cause of deforestation. According to FAO, it causes 80% of the degradation of forests, and 33% of it happens because of subsistence agriculture in developing countries. 

However, industrial agriculture, like field crops and livestock is to be blamed as well. Growing Crops like soya bean, palm oil, cocoa, and raising livestock for meat causes almost 44% of forest loss. For example, In Indonesia and Malaysia, trees are cut at a rapid scale to produce palm oil.

• Logging – Both legal and illegal logging for wood fuel and expansion of roads accounts for deforestation. Loggers took away the valuable timbers and left, making the logged area exposed to settlers and farmers. Nonetheless, they cut and slash the rest of the forest for growing crops or rearing cattle, finishing the deforestation chain. 

• Urbanization- Forests are also destroyed as a result of growing urban sprawl as lands are developed for dwelling. It is estimated that by 2050, 68% of the world's population will settle in cities. With this urban growth, the roads, ports, rail and other transformation infrastructure will develop which means forest land will decrease. 

Natural Calamities

Besides, the intervention of humans, factors of natural origin also partially give rise to deforestation. Some reasons are as follows.

• Volcanic eruptions, floods, earthquakes and other natural calamities lead to the destruction of forests.

• Invasion of other animal species or some parasites is also capable of destroying the biodiversity of a particular area.  

• Wildfires, although rare in tropical forests, are extremely intense. However, human-lit fires are more common in clearing the lands for varied purposes. INPE has reported more than 74,000 fires in Amazon in 2019 which is almost 84 percent hike than the previous year. 

What is the Effect of Deforestation? 

Deforestation closely impacts the lives of humans and animals as well as the wider world. 

• Biodiversity Impacts- Forests provide habitat for over 80% plants that live on land. Notably, deforestation destroys all these habitats and diminishes biodiversity. Some scientists estimate that four to six thousand rainforest species go extinct each year. Biodiversity plays a key role in both ecosystem and human economies, even though it is much threatened across the globe. 

• Soil Impacts- Deforestation degrades and weakens the soil. The forested soils are organically fertile as well as resistant to erosion. The reason behind it is that deep roots hold the trees upright and tall sun-blocking trees do not let the soil dry out quickly. However, deforestation will only make the land fragile, making them vulnerable to landslides, floods and other natural disasters. 

• Climate Change- Deforestation and climate change are closely associated for multiple reasons. As we all know, they are the biggest absorber of CO2 in the atmosphere, and in return, they release O2 which we breathe. For a matter of fact, tropical forests alone store over 210 gigatons of carbon, as reported by WWF. Therefore the consequences of deforestation will be more than one. 

Firstly, the fallen trees will release the stored carbon to the atmosphere, and secondly, fewer trees will be able to absorb CO₂. Ultimately, it will lead to greenhouse effects and global warming. Studies on deforestation information revealed that it is responsible for 10-15% of anthropogenic carbon emissions.  

• Water Supply- The impact of deforestation is prominent on the water supply. For example, the rainforest of South America greatly influences the regional as well as the global water cycle. The source of clean water will be lost along with the loss of the forests. Also, they help in refilling the aquifers that are a vital source of groundwater. 

• Social Impact- Almost 250 million people live in forests and savannah regions, and most of them are rural poor. They rely on the forests for food and shelter, and they collect the materials of the forest and use them for livelihood. However, in developing countries like Vietnam, Mexico, Brazil, etc. there is no favorable land tenure system. Hence, big businesses often own those lands and employ the local people allowing negligible wages. 

After knowing what deforestation is, now we will discuss how to prevent it. 

Deforestation and the Water Cycle

Because trees play an important part in the water cycle, deforestation may cause substantial disruptions.

• Through the act of transpiration, trees and plants manage the moisture content of the atmosphere. They absorb groundwater via their roots and emit it into the atmosphere via their leaves and flowers.

• Furthermore, their roots penetrate into the earth, forming macropores. These macropores allow water to penetrate deeper into the soil, boosting the soil's water-holding capacity.

• Dead plant material, such as leaves and twigs, that fall to the ground give the soil numerous qualities, including improved water-holding capacity.

• Tropical rainforests may provide over 30% of the world's fresh water supply.

• Due to the absence of transpiring trees, deforestation is accompanied by decreased humidity. In cleared land, the water content of the soil and groundwater levels both decrease.

• It is fairly rare for deforested areas to have severely dry conditions. Deforestation, in fact, has been related to desertification and droughts.

Preventive Measures      

The effects of deforestation are grave but not irreversible. Various preventive measures, involving government policies and individual efforts can curb this crisis to a great extent. Some of them are discussed below. 

Broader Approaches

Along with the individual effort, hands-on and direct actions should be taken by the government or authoritative bodies. 

• Taking strict actions against illegal logging and restricting logging, especially in old-growth forests. 

• Introducing improvised policies to protect forested areas and restoring the forests. Also emphasizing fruitful land practices like wildlife corridors. 

• Revising trade agreements and fixing the value differently for products harvested through cutting trees and increasing incentives to encourage sustainable forestry production. 

• Along with spreading awareness among the local people and tourists to protect forests and encouraging them to participate in ecotourism activities. 

Individual Efforts 

• Consume consciously- If we limit our usage of industrial and processed products that are full of chemicals and food items like cookies, noodles, etc. that are made of palm oil that will be good for both our health and environment. 

Instead, opt for products that are free of chemicals and preservative and organic vegetables and fruits. Try to go for eco-friendly products and buy products from small farmers who practice agroforestry. For example, while buying wooden furniture or products look for the ones made of sustainable woods. 

• Cutting down fossil fuel consumption- Almost half of the palm oil imports of the EU is used as biofuels. The governing body is planning to ban the subsidies in near future. Nonetheless, opting for more eco-friendly options like cycling, walking, carpooling, etc. to lessen the demand can go a long way too.  

• Spreading awareness - Along with the implementation of laws, people need to be aware as well. With every little change in lifestyle, a big difference in deforestation solution can be seen. Also, children should be taught in schools the importance of trees and forests so that they become aware of it from a very young age. 

• Plant trees - Steps like managing forestry sources, eliminating clear-cutting and planting new trees to compensate for those removed will definitely bring positive impacts on our environment. 

Several initiatives are being taken by forest protecting NGOs, workgroups and eco-villages to protect the forests. For example, Jadav Payeng, who is known as Forest man of India, contributed 30 years of his life to create a forest on his own. He planted trees to protect his island and to restore wildlife in it.

Chipko Movement

The Chipko movement, also known as the Chipko Andolan, originated in Uttarakhand, then a part of Uttar Pradesh, in the 1970s and spread around the world as a model for future environmental movements. It is a grassroots movement in India dedicated to the preservation of forests. The Chipko Movement, also known as the Chipko Andolan, was founded to defend the trees of the woods from being chopped down.

The movement's name is derived from the term 'Embrace,' since the locals hugged the trees and prevented the contractors from destroying them. Sunderlal Bahuguna, a well-known environmentalist, founded the Chipko movement. He is most known for coining the Chipko movement's catchphrase, "ecology is the permanent economy." Gauri Devi was the Chipko movement's first female host. In 1980, the campaign won a victory when the government announced a moratorium on tree felling in Himalayan regions.

Deforestation and Clearcutting

Deforestation is defined as the removal of trees from an area with no intention of replanting them. Some human requirements can be met via deforestation. Wood, for example, is a natural energy source that has been used to create heat for centuries. Logging is the practice of removing trees from a forest so that they may be utilized as construction materials for dwellings or in manufacturing operations such as paper making. 

Clear Cutting and deforestation are sometimes used interchangeably. Clearcutting, on the other hand, does not always imply the removal of trees without regard for future development. Clearcutting is the removal of most trees with the goal of replacing or establishing a future stand of trees. Clearcutting, when done correctly, maybe an efficient and cost-effective way of harvesting. It can also create more room for sun-loving tree species to thrive, improving the quality and development of future forests.

Deforestation Facts

• Forests comprise around 31% of the Earth's total land surface. 

• Tropical forests are home to more than half of all land-based animal and plant species on the planet.

• In the year 2018, around 9 million acres of virgin tropical forest were chopped down. 

• The Amazon rainforest, which provides 20% of the world's oxygen, is losing 1.32 acres of land per minute due to deforestation.

• Since 1990, the world's main forest has shrunk by more than 80 million hectares.

• Deforestation is expected to be 10 million hectares per year between 2015 and 2020, down from 16 million hectares per year in the 1990s.

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