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DEFORESTATION

SOME DEFINITIONS
Deforestation: The conversion of forest to another land use or the long-term reduction of the tree canopy cover below a 10 percent threshold. Deforestation implies the long-term or permanent loss of forest cover and its transformation into another land use.

Primary forest: is a forest that has never been logged and has developed
following natural disturbances and under natural processes, regardless of its age.

Secondary forests: are forests regenerating largely through natural processes

after significant human or natural disturbance, and which differ from primary forests in forest composition and/or canopy structure.

Disturbed forests Any forest type that has in its interior significant areas of :
disturbance by people, including clearing, felling for wood extraction, anthropogenic fires, road construction, etc.

Frontier forests large, ecologically intact, and relatively undisturbed forests that :
support the natural range of species and forest functions (WRI definition).

Forest plantation:is one established by planting or/and seeding in the process of

forestation or reforestation. It consists of introduced species or, in some cases, indigenous species.

IMPORTANCE OF FORESTS
Forests provide important products for human use and consumption, and they provide valuable ecosystem services. Let's look at each in turn.

Forest Products
In poor areas where wood is scarce, people, usually women, walk long distances to gather wood for cooking.

Forests provide useful wood products. Roundwood (whole logs) can be processed into building materials, or made into plywood products, furniture, etc. Pulp is used not only for paper and boxes, but for a wide variety of products (including the sponge you used to wash your dishes).

Forests are the source of numerous non-wood products, including bark, dyes, fibers, gums, incense, latexes, oils, resins, shellac, tanning compounds & waxes. Fruits, nuts and berries are harvested as food. Maple syrup is an example of a unique non-wood product from the sap of the maple tree.

Ecosyste Serv ices m

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Forests in f l uence cl imate . with in - year The fluctuations in atmospheric in CO2 the temperate zone inc lude a spr ing - through- autumn decl i ne due to plant photosynthes i s during the growing season, and an autumn-through- spr ing r i se in CO2 as resp i ra t i on and decomposi t i on exceed photosynthet i c uptake. At a more reg iona l scale , fores ts in f l uence loca l cl imate and weather . Rain forests transport great quant i t i e s of water to the atmosphere via plant transp i ra t i on . (Water i s taken up by plant roots , br ing ing disso lved mineral s in to plant t i s sues . Plants exchange gases with the atmosphere through openings in the i r leaves , and lose water in the same way. That water loss provides the plant with a means to transport materia l s upwards, and so i s benef i c i a l , so long as water loss i s not excess ive ) .that transp i red Much of water rep len i shes the clouds and ra in that mainta in the raIin the f forest . forest i s cut , much more of that ra in wi l l become r i ve r water , f l ow to dis tan seas, and the reg ion wi l l become permanently dr ie r .in fores t can No ra regenerate i f th i s occurs . Forests mainta in loca l cl imate and st rong ly in f l uence global f l uxes of oxygen and carbon diox ide . green plants Before appeared, i t i s bel ieved that there was very l i t t l e oxygen in the atmosphere. Forests protect the top soi l and husband important nutrfamous study A i en ts . of Hubbard Brook, New Hampshirefound that , afte r forest harvest , summer st reamf lows great l y increased (because the fores t was no longer transp i r i ng water) and nutr i en t outf l ow also increased great annual f l ood crest of The l y . the Amazon River has increased over recent years without any concomitant increase in ra in fa l l , presumably due to deforesta t i on . f l oods are Damaging one f requent consequence of deforesta t i on . Forests harbor tremendous bio log i ca l divers i t y , and have the potent ia l to provide us with new crop var ie t i e s and medicines . A good example of medicina l use of trop i ca l ra in fores t plants i s the success of the drugs vincr i s t i n e and vinb las t i ne , developed over the past 20 years f rom a wi ld per iw ink le found in the forests of Madagasgar. These drugs dramatica l l y improved the ef fect i veness of treatments for leukemia and other forms of cancer , Since fewer than 1% of trop i ca l plants have been screened for possib l e use to medical science , ongoing deforestat i on resu l t s in the permanent loss to sc ience of other species before the i r value can be recognized. The winged bean i s a new food crop whose value has only recent l y has been recognized .

Carbon Sequestration

Tropica l deforestat i on contr i bu tes as much as 90% of the current net re lease of biot i c carbon diox ide in to the atmosphere. This change may represent as much as 20% - 30% of the tota l carbon f l ux due to humans - i . e . , r iva l i ng the carbon re lea due to foss i l fue l burning . Deforestat i on thus i s an important potent i a l source of carbon. But what i f we al l ow fores ts to regenerate? grow, fores ts wi l l store As they or sequester carbon, and so carbon sequestra t i on has become part of the global warming debate. What i s the current balance sheet are the world s fores ts a source or a sink for atmospheri c CO2? i s uncerta in for three main reasons. This We are not sure how much fores t i s being burnt , vs the amount of We dont regrowth. know enough about the fate of deforested land, ie , how much i s revert i ng to

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secondary fores t .We dont know how forest dis tu rbance i s af fec t i ng soi l and fores t f l oor carbon stores . St i l l , there i s good evidence that the regrowth of previous ly deforested areas in Europe and North America dur ing the 20th century has sequestered considerab le amounts of CO2 f rom the atmosphere.

DEFORESTATION

Deforestat i on i s the process of convert i ng fores ted lands in to non- fores t si tes th are idea l for crop ra i s i ng , urbanizat i on and indust r i a l i z a t i on . Because deforesta t i s a ser ious concept , there are also ser ious ef fects to the surroundings .

Ef fec ts of deforesta t i on can be class i f i e d and grouped in to ef fects to biod ivers i t y envi ronment and socia l sett i ngs . Because deforestat i on basica l l y invo lves ki l l i n g trees in forests , there are so many ef fects that can be enumerated as resu l t s of t act i v i t y . When forests are ki l l ed , nature basica l l y requi res people to renew the fores t . Reforestat i on i s one concept that i s in the opposi te di rect i on as deforestat i on , proven to be a much harder ef fo r t than deforesta t i on . So the rate of deforesta t i on has not been of f se t by the rate of refores ta t i on . the world i s now in a troub led state when i t comes to i ssues concern ing the envi ronment.

Thu

Pol lu t i on i s rap id l y growing along with populat i on . Forests are great l y help ing reduce the amount of pol lu tants in the ai r . So, the deplet i on of these groups of t i s great l y increas ing the r i sk that carbon monoxide would reach the atmosphere and resu l t in the deplet i on of the ozone layer , which in turn resu l t s to global warmin

CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION

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DEFORESTATION
The destruct i on of the fores ts i s occurr i ng due to var ious reasons, one of the ma reasons being the short term economic benef i t s . Given below are some more common causes of deforestat i on :

Used for Urban and Construction Purposes: The cutting down of

trees for lumber that is used for building materials, furniture, and paper products. Forests are also cleared in order to accommodate expanding urban areas.

To Grow Crops: Forests are also cut down in order to clear land for
growing crops.

To Create Grazing Land: Forests are cut down in order create land for
grazing cattle.

Used for Fuel: Trees are cut down in developing countries to be used as
firewood or turned into charcoal, which are used for cooking and heating purposes. Some of the other causes of deforestation are: clearing forests for oil and mining exploitation; to make highways and roads; slash and burn farming techniques; wildfires; and acid rain.

THE EFFECT OF DEFORESTATION

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DEFORESTATION

Deforestat i on i s the process of convert i ng fores ted lands in to non- fores t si tes th are idea l for crop ra i s i ng , urbanizat i on and indust r i a l i z a t i on . Because deforesta t i s a ser ious concept , there are also ser ious ef fects to the surroundings .

Ef fec ts of deforesta t i on can be class i f i e d and grouped in to ef fects to biod ivers i t y envi ronment and socia l sett i ngs . Because deforestat i on basica l l y invo lves ki l l i n g trees in forests , there are so many ef fects that can be enumerated as resu l t s of t act i v i t y . When forests are ki l l ed , nature basica l l y requi res people to renew the fores t . Reforestat i on i s one concept that i s in the opposi te di rect i on as deforestat i on , proven to be a much harder ef fo r t than deforesta t i on . So the rate of deforesta t i on has not been of f se t by the rate of refores ta t i on . the world i s now in a troub led state when i t comes to i ssues concern ing the envi ronment.

Thu

Pol lu t i on i s rap id l y growing along with populat i on . Forests are great l y help ing reduce the amount of pol lu tants in the ai r . So, the deplet i on of these groups of t i s great l y increas ing the r i sk that carbon monoxide would reach the atmosphere and resu l t in the deplet i on of the ozone layer , which in turn resu l t s to global warmin

Erosion of Soil

When forest areas are cleared , i t resu l t s in exposing the soi l to the sun, making very dry and eventual l y , in fe r t i l e , due to volat i l e nutr i en ts such as ni t rogen bei los t . In addi t i on , when there i s ra in fa l l , i t washes away the rest of the nutr i en t which f l ow with the ra inwater in to waterways. Because of th i s , merely rep lant i ng trees may not help in solv ing the problems caused by deforestat i on , for by the t im the trees mature, the soi l wi l l be tota l l y devoid of essent ia l nutr i en ts . Ult imate cul t i va t i on in th i s land wi l l also become impossib l e , resu l t i ng in the land becomi useless . Large tracts of land wi l l be rendered permanently impover i shed due to soi eros ion .

Environment change

One major ef fec t of deforesta t i on i s cl imate change. Changes to the surroundings done by deforesta t i on work in many ways. One, there i s abrupt change in temperatures in the nearby areas. Forests natura l l y cool down because they help reta in moisture in the ai r . Second i s the long process of global cl imate change. As mentioned above, deforesta t i on has been found to contr i bu te to global warming or that process when cl imates around the world become warmer as more harmful rays of the sun comes in through the atmosphere. The ozone layer i s a mass of oxygen or O3 atoms that serves as shie ld in the atmosphere against the harmful ul t rav i o l e t rays f rom the sun. Because ozone i s made up of oxygen atoms, oxygen react with carbon monoxide. Such react i on would use up oxygen atoms.

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I t fo l l ows that when there are more carbon monoxide atoms going to the atmosphere, the volume of oxygen would decl i ne . Such i s the case of ozone deplet i on .

Disruption of the Water Cycle

The th i rd ef fec t to the envi ronment would be on the water tab le underneath the ground. Water tab le i s the common source of natura l dr ink ing water by people l i v i n around fores ts .

Water tab le i s rep len i sh ing . That means, the supply of water underground could also dry up i f not rep len i shed regular l y . When there i s ra in , fores ts hold much of ra in fa l l to the soi l through the i r roots .

Thus, water sinks in deeper to the ground, and eventual l y rep len i sh ing the supply water in the water tab le . Now, imagine what happens when there i s not enough forests anymore. Water f rom ra in would simply f l ow through the soi l surface and no be reta ined by the soi l .

Or other than that , the water f rom ra in would not stay in the soi l longer , for the process of evaporat i on would immediate ly set in . Thus, the water tab le i s not rep len i shed, lead ing to drying up of wel l s .

Effect to biodiversity

Forests are natura l habi ta t s to many types of animals and organisms. That i s why, when there i s deforestat i on , many animals are le f t without shel te r s . Those that manage to go through the f l a t lands and res ident i a l si tes are then ki l l e d by peopl

Through the years , i t i s est imated that there are mil l i ons of plant and ext inc t an species that have been wiped out because they have been depr ived of home. Thus, biod ivers i t y i s sign i f i c an t l y lowered because of the savage deforesta t i on pract i ce some people . Wild l i f e advocates have been constant l y reminding that severa l wi ld animals le f t i the world could st i l l be saved i f deforested forests would only be refores ted and pract i ce of slash and burn of fores ts would be tota l l y abandoned.

Social effects of deforestation

Deforestat i on i s hard ly hi t t i ng the l i v i ng condi t i ons of ind igenous people who consider forests as the i r pr imary habi ta ts . Imagine how they are rendered homeless when forests are depleted . These nat ives would be forced to l i ve elsewhere, and ar usual l y le f t to becoming mendicants in rura l and urban areas.

Flooding and Drought

One of the vi ta l funct i ons of fores ts i s to absorb and store great amounts of wate quick ly when there are heavy ra ins . When forests are cut down, th i s regulat i on of the f l ow of water i s dis rupted , which leads to al te rnat i ng per iods of f l ood and th drought in the af fec ted area.

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Climate Change

I t i s wel l known that global warming i s being caused la rge ly due to emiss ions of greenhouse gases l i ke carbon diox ide in to the atmosphere. However, what i s not known qui te as wel l i s that deforesta t i on has a di rec t i on associa t i on with carbon diox ide emiss ions in to the atmosphere. Trees act as a major storage depot for carbon, since they absorb carbon diox ide f rom the atmosphere, which i s then used to produce carbohydrates , fats , and prote ins that make up trees . When deforesta t i on occurs , many of the trees are burnt or they are al l owed to rot , whic resu l t s in re leas ing the carbon that i s stored in them as carbon diox ide . This , in leads to greater concentrat i ons of carbon diox ide in the atmosphere.

Overal l , ef fects of deforesta t i on cannot be of f se t by the contr i bu t i on of the prac to development. While i t i s log i ca l that progress i s very much needed by mankind, must also be noted that nature knows no defeat . Destruct i t and i t would certa in l y reta l i a t e , one way or another .

THE EFFECTS OF DEFORESTATION ON OUR ENVIRON MENT TODAY

Deforestat i on has been descr ibed as the cutt i ng down of trees without plant ing others in the i r place. I t i s hard to th ink that there was a t ime when 90% of the earth was covered by trees , but th i s was once the case. I f so, one asks, natura l l y , what happened to al l these trees? Why do people cut down trees? The fo l l ow ing are probable reasons:

a) Demand for land for cultivation.

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This has been seen both in Kenya and other parts of the world especia l l y countr i e s that have Agricu l tu re as the backbone of the i r economy. Trees have been cut down to obta in land for cul t i va t i on of both subsis tence and cash crops, both by governments and ind iv i dua l s .

b) Need for f i rewood

People, especially those who live in rural areas where electricity and gas are unavailable, resort to use of firewood as a source of heat. Here, wood is cut down and burnt.

c) Need for land to build industries

Industries require a lot of land and while industrialization is important for every country, it is the bane of large tracts of forest. People need jobs in order to provide for their daily needs.

d) Need for land to build houses

With the worldwide increase in population, land to build houses for people to live in is very much required.

e) Need for wood for furniture, pencils , paper etc

Whereas the above needs are important and have to be satisfied, cutting down trees is not the most probable solution to these problems. Why? This is because, most people who cut down trees do not plant others in their place. Also, if all the above needs are to be met by cutting down of trees, even planting two for every tree cut will not prevent desertification. This is because trees take so long to grow and mature, especially so for hard wood trees. Deforestation has the following dangers: Destruction of carbon sinks: Carbon sinks are huge stores of carbon, e.g. Swamps and forests

Soil Erosion:
Deforestation makes soil prone to erosion by agents such as wind and water. The roots of trees hold the particles of soil together thus, preventing the fertile top soil from being carried away. Soil erosion leads to loss of productivity of the land due to loss of mineral nutrients and soil microorganisms

Destruction of animal habitats:

Apart from domesticated animals and marine and fresh water animals, all other animals need forests as their habitats. These forests do not only provide a place for the animals to roam day but also provide their food and act as a source of protection from predators through camouflage. Destruction of the animals habitats literally kills the animals.

Medicinal Plants:
Some trees are used as herbs. Trees such as the Cinchona have been used as treatment against Malaria since time immemorial. Destruction of these forests leads to destruction of medicinal plants that could be used as treatment for various ailments.

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DEFORESTATION Trees act as windbreakers:

Absence of these trees enables strong winds and or storms e.g. Hurricanes and Tornados. I write this in the wake of a Tsunami at the Indonesian coast where about 150 people have just lost their lives. Hurricanes like Katrina are still fresh in our memories. I cannot over emphasize this point.

Greenhouse effect and global warming:

Nature balances the flow of energy and nutrients. Forests plan a very vital role in these cycles e.g. the carbon cycle where deforestation causes carbon dioxide to remain in the atmosphere. Accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere acts as a blanket that traps long wave radiation of heat and prevents it from escaping the surface of the earth back into the atmosphere. This phenomenon is known as the greenhouse effect. The trapped radiation is converted into heat. This heat causes global warming. Destruction of forests also causes modification of climate of an area mostly leading to desertification and aridity.

What then should be recommended as solutions to these problems? a) For every tree that is cut, three, not two should be planted in its case. We have reached such a critical point that to prevent the desertification of the world that many more trees need to be planted. b) Unless it is necessary, water catchments areas should strictly be left alone c) Quick growing varieties of soft wood trees should be grown for commercial uses e.g. making of furniture, pencils and paper. d) We should carry out consistent mass education on a worldwide scale, on the importance of reforestation and the dangers of deforestation e) We need to enact and enforce strict laws against deforestation, worldwide. f) It is high time that we reduced our dependence on charcoal as a source of fuel and make use of wind and solar energy. Nature works as a whole cycle. This is seen not only in animals where predator and prey work together but also in the different energy and nutrient cycles. As already explained earlier, forests play a crucial role in this equation. The knowledge of how to conserve

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DEFORESTATION

WH OS TO BLAME?
Envi ronmental i s t s have ident i f i e d the main "cu lp r i t s " as la rge corporat i ons clear i ng land to plant trees for pulpwood and palm oi l . . Small farmers sett i ng f i r e s to clear plots for crops are responsib l e for 10% to 20% of the scarred acreage. Both smal l farmers and large corporat i ons have tr i ed clear i ng mangroves to estab l i sh r i ce paddies . This has general l y fa i l ed because the soi l s under mangroves are f rag i l e , high ly acid i c and tend to form sol i d , impermeable pans when exposed to the trop i ca l sun.

Average temperature was between 23C and 26C (73.5F and 78.8F) before the advent of heavy logg ing . After logg ing , temperatures of 40C (104F) were recorded regular l y .

Where the land has been logged, there are no longer trees to produce the ra in cycl which cools down the atmosphere. This would exacerbate the drought and worsen condi t i ons .

Logging has been estab l i shed on the Malaysian peninsu la since the 19th century but developed most rap id l y in the 1970s; t imber product i on peaked in 1979. For a long t ime, the act ions of the logg ing companies went la rge ly unchecked. Even when laws were created to curb the deplet i on of th i s resource , they were not always bee enforced. The government has banned del ibera te use of f i r e s , but the head of Rubber Associa t i on of Indonesia says burning i s the most ef f i c i en t and pract i ca l w to clear land. I f an of f i c i a l tr i e s to enforce the ban, "you jus t br ibe him," the groups A.F.S . Budiman to ld the Far Eastern Economic Review. Money has a way of placat ing many of the moral views and laws in socie ty . Scott paper company abandoned i t s plantat i on projec t to i t s partner P.T . Astra In te rnat i ona l af te r severe opposi t i on f rom Indonesian and Western groups. The government was angered at the strength of the campaign against Scott and launched a $2.5 mil l i on publ i c - re la t i ons counter - attack :

The est imated cost of th i s project i s $1 bi l l i o n . The t imber plantat i on component alone wi l l cost $342 mil l i on , 35 percent of which wi l l come f rom the Forest ry Departments Reforesta t i on Fund, which in turn comes f rom a state tax lev ied against logg ing companies for the refores ta t i on of degraded fores t .

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I t seems somewhat i ron i c that the money set aside f rom the protect i on and regenerat i on of the envi ronment wi l l be the very money which wi l l fund a projec t t cut down more trees .

FOREST MANAGE MENT AND RECOVERY

Forest management may have many goals . Under rotat i on harvest , the goal typ ica l l y i s to maximize annual harvest whi le ensur ing that the area harvested i s consis tent with forest regrowth rates and tota l area under management. This might resu l t in a second harvest of the same fores t plot afte r some 60- 100 years . The length of t ime between success ive harvests of a forest i s cal l ed the rotat i on leng Forests on federa l and state lands are usual l y managed accord ing to mult ip l e use doctr i ne . This means that in addi t i on to forest harvest , the land i s avai l ab l e for recreat i on and mainta ins a heal thy fores t ecosystem. Managing to protect biod ivers i t y and to restore pre- sett l ement condi t i ons are re la t i ve l y In recent goals . many parts of the world forests may be used by ind igenous people for subsis tence hunt ing , forest harvest , and as a place These people add yet more to l i ve . considerat i ons , and more stakeholders , to the chal l enge of fores t management. Forest restora t i on may seek to restore the system to a near- natura l or complete ly natura l state , or to restore many aspects of the struc tu re and funct i on of an undis tu rbed forestThe la t te r i s usual l y re fe r red to as rehabi l i t a t i on , to emphasize . that the desi red endpoint i s not necessar i l y that of pre- sett l ement condi t i ons . Forest management in the USA of ten invo lves the controvers i a l ro le of f i r e , and whether to attempt to di rect the course of fores t success ion . ts in the Most fores lower 48 states are re la t i ve l y young second- growth, and may have developed under an unnatura l degree of f i r e suppress ion . In the upper Midwest, for example, aspen covers much of what was once white pine. Roughly 80 years old , these aspen forests are at the age when they are l i ke l y I ttoi sdie . uncerta in what type of fores t wi l l rep lace them. Within oak- maple hardwood forests , the overstory i s dominated by oaks, whereas the seedl ings are dominated by maple. To mainta in oak fores ts , some combinat ion of f i r e and th inn ing i s needed to favor recru i tment by oaks. Fi re plays a major ro le in many forest types, inc lud ing some that are high ly f i r e adapted. The jackp ine of Michigan, for example, re leases i t s seeds only afte r f i r e heats i t s cones. re suppress ion has been US Forest Serv ice pol i cy since some Fi devastat i ng f i r e s of the 1950s brought cal l s for f i r e management. Since then, fue lwood on the forest f l oor has accumulated and people att rac ted by scenic sett i ngs have increas ing ly bui l t houses in wooded areas. As a consequence, cal l s for f i r e suppress ion are even stronger , and the human costs of f i r e are even great than before . Forests often wi l l recover on the i r own, but perhaps not in the di rec t i on or as qu as we might prefer .The old growth spruce- hemlock forests of Southeast Alaska appear to recover toward the i r or ig i na l state , but i t i s hard to say how long th i s take. After al l , extensive clear - cuts f i r s t took place only some 50 years ago, so there are no forests that have fu l l y recovered. imates f rom comparisons of Best est plots of di f f e ren t ages, some caused by long- ago natura l dis tu rbances, suggests

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200- 400 years . I t of ten i s said that trop i ca l fores ts wi l l never recover f rom deforesta t i on , especia l l y i f the land i s burned and the top soi l This dis tu rbed. i s may be true in some ins tances , but examinat ion of lands abandoned 50, 100, or more years ago suggests that we should be more opt imis tambitious plan to restore An i c . a dry forest (one that sheds its leaves in the dry season) in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, serves as a good example. Using fire and grazing to control invasive plants, and working with a detailed knowledge of forest ecology, workers there hope to return this area to its original forested state. In other regions of the tropics, native seedlings are grown in nurseries and planted in forest openings to help speed recovery.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
Protecting Their Lands There are several different views of the effect upon the indigenous people in this area. Sarawak vs. logging company the Sarawak fighting for their traditional lands.

Several Sarawak had been arrested for blockading a logging road through their ancestral lands. They brought case on the grounds of infringement into their homeland.

This case addresses the controversial question of whether tribal land rights include forested areas where hunting, fishing, gathering, and burials are carried out. Or, as the government contends, these rights are limited to areas cleared for agriculture, leaving the forest open for commercial logging. The defendants claim that the Sarawak are already "legally dispossessed" from the forest, that they have no rights to it, no legal standing. Whatever the decision reached by the court, the case will be appealed to the Malaysian Supreme Court. The trial could take up to five years, during which time the logging could continue.

ON THE TIDE OF CHANGE

T.R. Reid in an article in National Geographic presented a different view of the indigenous people. Malaysians know that their economic leap ahead may threaten the delicate balance that keeps the diverse population functioning as a harmonious community. In his view, the Iban seem to be adapting to the ways of the modern twentieth century and losing their traditional customs:

"The tribe once notorious for headhunting had posted a "No Smoking, Please" sign on the entrance to their longhouse." The children said that the longhouse was "OK", but they much prefer living in the dorm at school with its electric lights, flush toilets, and TV.

In the face of modern luxuries, many people are reluctant to maintain their old ways, the young especially. The elders see the beauty of tradition, the importance of keeping it alive. The young tend to go more for comfort, for money, for peace,

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and for ambit ion . Reid wri tes in his art i c l e , "As the only get the uneasy fee l i ng that the whole shebang ( t rad i t i ona l had been staged for my benef i t . . . s e ve ra l made i t appear to chore. . . t he chie f of the longhouse said "Don t worry , i t s package."

outs ider present I bega dance and ceremony) be an unpleasant al l part of the tour

The old trad i t i ons have almost become more a tour i s t att rac t i on than a pract i ce passed onto the youth. When anthropolog i s t s , tour i s t s , and wri te rs go to vis i t the ind igenous tr i bes , they expect to see the r i tua l s , the trad i t i ons . The people do n disappoint them. The outs iders are given what they desi re , not the modern day accl imat i on in to the technolog i ca l socie ty , but the i r mental image of how ind igeno people l i ve .

There are, of course , many ind igenous people who st i l l l i ve the i r "pr imi t i ve " l i f e l i ke the Sarawak. But many others l i ke the Iban have begun to adapt to the cul tu re of the ci t i e s as they send the i r chi l d ren to schools in the ci ty to grow up with "c iv i l i z ed " ways. In many ind igenous cul tu res , vio lence i s a wel l estab l i shed fact l i f e and many people die f rom in te r - tr i ba l feuding and ra ids . Sometimes the people of these cul tu res real i z e that the i r ways no longer f i t in to the world in which th l i ve and thus they begin to ass imi l a te themselves in to the predominant cul tu re . Th i s not always the case, of course , as, for example, the Sarawak are try ing to reta the i r way of l i f e . Many anthropolog i s t s tend to view ind igenous cul tu res as being apart f rom change. But these cul tu res are changing and wi l l change, especia l l y wit the in f l ux of outs iders in to the i r homelands and the destruct i on of the i r lands . S tr i bes try to counter th i s by f i gh t i ng for the i r land, as the Sarawak are doing. O try to counter i t by adapt ing to the predominant cul tu re .

DEFORESTATION IN PAKISTAN

The main cause of deforestat i on i s fe l l i n g for fue lwood, the demand for which exceeds product i on in most parts of the country . Consumption i s expected to cont inue r i s i ng as the populat i on i s growing at a rate of 3% a year . Deforestat i on threaten ing the l i ve l i h oods of many who depend on the fores ts , as wel l as having ser ious consequences for ecosystems and biod ivers i t y and the impacts of natura l disaste rs such as earthquakes. Experts stated in Ju l y 2008 that deforesta t i on was behind the expansion of the country ' s heat zone, reduced f l ow in the Indus River and shr inkage of the Indus del ta .

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DEFORESTATION
To help meet Pakis tan ' s demand, large amounts of t imber have been smuggled over the border f rom Afghanis tan where the government has l i t t l e contro l over the forests and corrupt i on i s r i f e .

In 2007, al l egat i ons were made about la rge quant i t i e s of valuable sheesham wood being smuggled to Dubai . Pakis tan furn i tu re indust ry representat i ves said they wer fac ing a lack of t imber due to low plantat i on rates and i l l e ga l cutt i ng and cal l ed the government to crack down on the smugglers , said to be part of a t imber mafia . The government and loca l author i t i e s have been accused of showing l i t t l e in te res t in combating the problems of i l l e ga l logg ing or deforesta t i on , and have been cr i t i c i s ed for a lack of conservat i on and protect i on measures or ef fect i ve enforcement.

PAKISTAN H AS HIGHEST A N AL N U DEFORESTATION RATE IN ASIA

Karachi - While fores ts current l y cover only 2.5 per cent of the country s land, Pakis tan has the highest annual deforesta t i on rate in Asia , accord ing to the la tes t f ind ings of the World Wide Fund for Nature . The WWF report, which is being launched on Friday, warns that if the current deforestation rate of 2.1 per cent and trend of land conversion from forest to other uses is not checked, the country will not be able to meet its international commitments under the Millennium Development Goals to increase its forest cover from 2.5 per cent to six per cent by 2015. The report says that more than 61,000 hectares (approx. over 151,500 acres) of forest land have been converted to non-forest use in the country since its inception. The urgent measures recommended to the relevant authorities to curb the negative trend are immediate placement of a ban on forest land conversions, commercial harvesting and allotments; spread of awareness among lawmakers for proper legislation to restrict land conversions; and recovery of forest land from encroachers and its subsequent reforestation. In extremely important cases where conversion of forest lands becomes unavoidable, necessary provisions in the law must be made for compensatory forestation on twice the land being converted / allotted, the report recommends.

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DEFORESTATION Mangroves depletion on the top

Over 4.242 million hectares in the country were forest land in 1992. However, it declined to 3.44 million hectares by 2001, the report says. The highest rate of deforestation has been found in the Indus delta mangroves, which has depleted at a rate of around 2.3 per cent, while the coniferous forest depleted at 1.99 per cent and ravine forests at 0.23 per cent. The WWF report says that over 99,711 acres of forest land in Punjab and 27,874acre forests in Sindh have been converted to non-forest uses. In this regard, it says, the beneficiaries remain some government departments, politicians and other influential people having close contact with respective governments. A province-wise breakdown of forest land converted to other uses shows that Punjab tops the list with conversion of 99,711 acres, followed by Sindh with 27,874 acres, Balochistan with 13,693 acres, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 9,692 acres, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir with only 577 acres. This way the WWF tally of forest land conversion becomes 151,548 acres.

Beneficiaries
While forest lands have been given to various government departments, some civilians and non-government/commercial organisations also have got the forest land allotted in their name in an exchange. Some of the beneficiaries in Sindh include Pir Syed Shah Mardan Shah, Pir S. Sibghatullah Rashdi, Pir Syed Nadir Ali Shah, Abdullah Fakir, Kamat Fakir, Syed Mohammad Qaim Shah, Ghulam Nabi, Ghluam Rasool and Abdullah Sanjarani, Chaudhry Mohammad Ashraf and Ghulam Haider Ghalio. The government and private organisations having got the forest land in and around Karachi include the Defence Housing Authority, which has been provided with the largest chunk of over 11,500 acres, the city district government of Karachi for garbage dump, Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, Barrette Hodgson Education Institution, Dawood College of Engineering and Technology, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, Aga Khan University, Sindh Madressah, and Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture. In Punjab, the people and organisations having obtained the forest land include H. Syed Mohammad Ishaq, Malik Khalid for chairlift in Bansra Gali, Brig Mohammad Aslam Khan for Shangrila Hotel in Murree, Pearl Continental Hotel in Bhurban, Redco for hotel in Bhurban, Youths Hostel in Bhurban, Zafar Iqbal for houses in Murree, for chairlift in Patriata, InstaPhone, Journalists Housing Colony, and Punjab Government Servants Housing Foundation.

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DEFORESTATION
In Baloch is tan , a CNG company and SOS chi l d ren s vi l l age have been given forest land in Quetta . In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, benef i c i a r i e s inc lude Mohammad Pervaiz Khan and PMA hut in Naran; Pakis tan Youth Hoste l in Sharan, Hotel Pine Park Complex in Shogran.