is not a recent occurrence. It has been occurring for a century or more now. Soon in less than 100 years if the deforestation
rate continues at its current pace there will no longer be any rainforests left. Major industries and countries have used
the rainforests for agriculture and profit. They started logging the rainforest for industrial purposes a couple centuries
ago. Humans use a slash and burn technique which richens the soil. This happening began about a century ago. They burn down
acres and acres for farming land that only lasts 3 to 5 years. Then the soil becomes infertile and farmers burn down more
of the rainforest.
and Causes of Deforestation
The economy today is cutting down to much of the rainforest. They have been doing this more than a century now. We call
this economic issue deforestation. If the same rate of deforestation continues than all of the rainforests will be cut down
in 100 years. This could cause a huge global climate change which would eliminate most of the animal and plant species that
live within the rainforest.
There are many forms and
reasons for deforestation. Most of the deforestation is caused by humans cutting and burning the forest for agriculture purposes.
They call this technique ‘slash and burn’. This technique also helps add nutrients to the soil. After about 3
or 5 years the soil becomes infertile so the humans move on. Humans cut down and burn about 2.47 acres per second. They cut
down around 80,000 acres per year.
Another major cause for
deforestation is logging. Logging is a major business but it also causes deforestation. Worldwide logging causes about 75%
of the forests. Another major cause for deforestation is cattle ranching, especially in Central and Southern America. 2/3 of the rainforest has been turned into these cattle grazing farms.
Long term and short term effects
are many short and long term effects caused by deforestation. These effects will
be tremendously harmful. Some effects are loss of animals, plants and other living
organisms. It will also disturb peoples whose lives are based on and around tropical
forest. Another large scale effect is the change in climate.
long term effects are climate change and loss of biodiversity. Climate change
occurs due to an increase of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Trees and
other vegetation consume carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. When trees die and
rot they produce carbon dioxide. When there is a decrease in live trees,
there is no way of controlling the amount of carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere.
An increase in carbon dioxide will increase the temperature of the earth and will therefore alter the weather. Biodiversity is the variation of different types of life. Large forests contain many types of animals and plants and other species.
Deforestation ruins the habitat of the animals and plants causing them to die or move deeper into the forests. There
is 70% to 90% biodiversity in the forest and if deforestation keeps up with the rate it is going, many plants and animal s
will die. Because we are destroying plants and animals we could be destroying cures and medicines to many diseases our world
The short term effects
is caused because the remaining trees and vegetation are unable to soak up all the rain water, a tropical forest must be thick
with vegetation or else it will flood. Erosion occurs because when trees are
cut down the rain washes away some of the nutrients from the soil. Also without vegetation the sun will heat the soil, and
when it reaches 25° Celsius, it will loose some nutrients through evaporation. The
loss of nutrients makes it difficult for vegetation to grow.
healthy forest restoration act of 2003 was passed by President Bush. This law helps prevent needless destruction of forests.
June of 2003, two U.S. representatives ( Jay Inslee), Sherwood Boehlert re-introduced a law called the National Forest Road less Area
Conservation Act . This law protects forests from mining, drilling or logging.
In 1989 there was a petition sent to the UN to stop deforestation. This petition had 3 million signatures. This
was made by the World Rainforest Movement. It was put down by the UN.
The Brazilian army has joined forces with the environmental ministry to stop or at least slow down illegal deforestation
in the Amazon. There will be many road blocks put in to stop some machinery. Also 100 soldiers and 20 helicopters will be
used to help move around the environment agents.
Steps taken on deforestation
have been certain steps that have been taken to stop deforestation. There was a program that was launched in 1985 to stop
deforestation called The Tropical Forest Action Plan (TFAP). This project did not work at all.
What should be done to one region is not what
should be done in another tropical forest region. For emphasizing community based tolerable agroforestry would probably work
in Guinea but not in Brazil.
What is being done is much different. There have been laws and policies
on deforestation. But these really don’t work so well. There has also been a bunch of groups that try to stop or even
reverse deforestation. Some of them might have made a little differnce but not enough. Some even made it worse and increased
deforestation rates. Also other programs have planted millions of trees. Also Brazil
has put aside tracts of a forest about the size of MA where deforestation is prohibited.