Deforestation
Introduction
Trees are one of the most important aspects of the planet we live in. Trees are vitally important to the environment, animals, and of course for us humans. They are important for the climate of the Earth, as they act as filters of carbon dioxide and most importantly provide oxygen to us. Forests act as a habitat and shelters to millions of species. However, these trees are being depleted at a very fast rate. According to some estimates, more than 50 percent of the tree cover has disappeared due to human activity. Deforestation is the destruction of forests and woodlands. The term does not include the removal of industrial forests such as plantations of gums or pines. Deforestation has led to the reduction of forests to four-fifths of their pre-agricultural area. Forests now cover only 21% of the earth's land surface.
The rate at which deforestation is occurring is of great concern. Currently, 12 million hectares of forests are cleared annually! Almost all of this deforestation occurs in the moist forests and open woodlands of the tropics. At this rate all moist tropical forest could be lost by the year 2050, except for isolated areas in Amazonia, the Zaire basin, as well as a few protected areas within reserves and parks. Some countries such as Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Costa Rica, and Sri Lanka are likely to lose all their tropical forests if no conservation methods are used. Although humans have practiced deforestation since ages, it was in the mid-1800s that forests began to be destroyed at an unprecedented rate. One of the most worrying factors today is the massive destruction of the rainforest of the world is affecting the biodiversity adversely, as well as being one of the major contributory factors to the ongoing Holocene mass extinction.
Causes of deforestation The destruction and deforestation of the forests is occurring due to various reasons. Corruption at the government institutions, wealth and power due to harvesting
Trees are one of the most important aspects of the planet we live in. Trees are vitally important to the environment, animals, and of course for us humans. They are important for the climate of the Earth, as they act as filters of carbon dioxide and most importantly provide oxygen to us. Forests act as a habitat and shelters to millions of species. However, these trees are being depleted at a very fast rate. According to some estimates, more than 50 percent of the tree cover has disappeared due to human activity. Deforestation is the destruction of forests and woodlands. The term does not include the removal of industrial forests such as plantations of gums or pines. Deforestation has led to the reduction of forests to four-fifths of their pre-agricultural area. Forests now cover only 21% of the earth's land surface.
The rate at which deforestation is occurring is of great concern. Currently, 12 million hectares of forests are cleared annually! Almost all of this deforestation occurs in the moist forests and open woodlands of the tropics. At this rate all moist tropical forest could be lost by the year 2050, except for isolated areas in Amazonia, the Zaire basin, as well as a few protected areas within reserves and parks. Some countries such as Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Costa Rica, and Sri Lanka are likely to lose all their tropical forests if no conservation methods are used. Although humans have practiced deforestation since ages, it was in the mid-1800s that forests began to be destroyed at an unprecedented rate. One of the most worrying factors today is the massive destruction of the rainforest of the world is affecting the biodiversity adversely, as well as being one of the major contributory factors to the ongoing Holocene mass extinction.
Causes of deforestation The destruction and deforestation of the forests is occurring due to various reasons. Corruption at the government institutions, wealth and power due to harvesting