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, they act as filters of carbon dioxide, they are habitats and shelters to millions of species, and they are also important for their aesthetic appeal. However, the trees on our planet 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. Although humans have been practicing deforestation since ages, it was in the mid !"00s that forests began to be destroyed at an unprecedented rate. As a matter of fact, throughout the earlier part of the medieval age, Europeans used to live amongst vast areas of forested land. #ut later, they began deforestation at such a high rate that they started to run out of wood for coo$ing and heating. Also, due to the depletion of their natural habitat, wild game too began disappearing, which the Europeans largely depended upon for their nutritional re%uirements. Today, parallels can clearly be observed in the deforestation that is occurring in most developing countries. &ne of the most worrying factors today is the massive destruction of the rainforests of the world, which is affecting the biodiversity adversely, as well as being one of the ma'or contributory factors of the Holocene mass extinction that is ongoing. (hat are the )auses of *eforestation+ The destruction of the forests is occurring due to various reasons, one of the main reasons being the short term economic benefits. ,iven below are some more common causes of deforestation.sed for .rban and )onstruction /urposes- The cutting down of trees for lumber that is used for building materials, furniture, and paper products. 0orests are also cleared in order to accommodate expanding urban areas. To ,row )rops- 0orests are also cut down in order to clear land for growing crops. To )reate ,ra1ing 2and- 0orests are cut down in order create land for gra1ing cattle. .sed for 0uel- Trees are cut down in developing countries to be used as firewood or turned into charcoal, which are used for coo$ing and heating purposes. 3ome of the other causes of deforestation are- clearing forests for oil and mining exploitation4 to ma$e highways and roads4 slash and burn farming techni%ues4 wildfires4 and acid rain. (hat are the Effects of *eforestation+ There are a number of adverse effects of deforestation, such asErosion of 3oil- (hen forest areas are cleared, it results in exposing the soil to the sun, ma$ing it very dry and eventually, infertile, due to volatile nutrients such as nitrogen being lost. 5n addition, when there is rainfall, it washes away the rest of the nutrients, which flow with the rainwater into waterways. #ecause of this, merely replanting trees may not help in solving the problems caused by deforestation, for by the time the trees mature, the soil will be totally devoid of essential nutrients. .ltimately, cultivation in this land will also become impossible, resulting in the land becoming useless. 2arge tracts of land will be rendered permanently impoverished due to soil erosion.

*isruption of the (ater )ycle- Trees contribute in a large way in maintaining the water cycle. They draw up water via their roots, which is then released into the atmosphere. A large part of the water that circulates in the ecosystem of rainforests, for instance, remains inside the plants. (hen these trees are cut down it results in the climate getting drier in that area. 2oss of #iodiversity- The uni%ue biodiversity of various geographical areas is being lost on a scale that is %uite unprecedented. Even though tropical rainforests ma$e up 'ust 6 percent of the surface area of the Earth, about "0 70 percent of the entire species of the world exist here. *ue to massive deforestation, about 50 to !00 species of animals are being lost each day. The outcome of which is the extinction of animals and plants on a massive scale. 0looding and *rought- &ne of the vital functions of forests is to absorb and store great amounts of water %uic$ly when there are heavy rains. (hen forests are cut down, this regulation of the flow of water is disrupted, which leads to alternating periods of flood and then drought in the affected area. )limate )hange- 5t is well $nown that global warming is being caused largely due to emissions of greenhouse gases li$e carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. However, what is not $nown %uite as well is that deforestation has a direction association with carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Trees act as a ma'or storage depot for carbon, since they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is then used to produce carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that ma$e up trees. (hen deforestation occurs, many of the trees are burnt or they are allowed to rot, which results in releasing the carbon that is stored in them as carbon dioxide. This, in turn, leads to greater concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

*eforestation- The 8eans to an End &ur natural resources are being exploited4 things that were once plentiful are now a scarcity. &ur air and water are becoming contaminated due to pollution, causing great harm to the environment. 0ortunately, the earth has a natural filter- forests. Trees composing forests around the world absorb pollutants, fight erosion and produce oxygen for our breathing needs. .nfortunately, this filter is being cut down as we spea$. Although forests can be harnessed for valuable commodities, deforestation causes irreversible harm to the environment and civili1ation because it affects biodiversity, results in nutrient depleted soil and enhances greenhouse gas emissions. 0orests, especially those in tropical areas are largely uncharted territory. The life and function of extinct animals such as dinosaurs are well $nown. However, this will never be the case for many of the microorganisms, plants and small animals inhabiting tropical forests. As the biologically diverse Ama1on rainforest is being slashed and burned, complex ecosystems are as well. 93cientists estimate that we are losing more than !:; species of plants and animals every single day because of rainforest deforestation<=9>ainforest 0acts<, ?007@. The greater the biodiversity in an ecosystem, the more resilient and productive it will be. As basic biology will tell you, the removal of one species will affect many more. This is nothing to be ta$en lightly when 9scientists believe that the canopy may contain half of the worldAs species<=9Ama1on >ainforest,< ?00:@. Each one of the approximately 5 million species found in tropical rainforests rely on other animals to survive and hopefully thrive. At the current rate of destruction, !.5 acres a second, rainforests will be a mere memory by ?050 =9>ainforest 0acts<, ?007@. (ith such 'aw dropping facts, it is a wonder why such an important and ama1ing thing is being destroyed. .nfortunately, it seems money is the ultimate motivator, especially in poor areas. Environmental conservation will continue to ta$e a bac$ burner while deforestation pillages our earth. Humans have been cutting down tress since the dawn of time. The wood is a great source of fuel and building materials, while the barren land can be used for farming and cattle rearing. However, with every action there is an e%ually and opposite reaction. *eforestation results in nutrient depleted soil and eventually erosion. The freshly exposed soil of the forest floor is extremely vulnerable to the elements. 5n itAs natural environment, the soil is shielded by the canopy and receives very little light. The Ama1on rainforest alone receives nine feet of rainfall a year4 fifty percent of it returns to the atmosphere through the foliage of trees =9Ama1on >ainforest,< ?00:@. (hen all of these protective layers are removed, the result is detrimental. The rain washes away nutrients and the sun dries the soil. 5n a few short years, the land is no longer fertile and soon abandoned. *ue to nutrient depletion, there is little to no hope of reforestation =0rey, ?00?@. This unfortunate cycle is exemplified in Africa. Africa is currently experiencing deforestation four times faster than other countries. 5t is thought in the early !700As Africa was home to !7:,000 s%uare miles of coastal rainforest, currently, only ??." percent is left standing =#utler, ?007@. *eforestation has resulted in the dessert we now $now Africa to be. The visible affects of deforestation are alarming, however the seemingly invisible conse%uences are detrimental to life on earth. Trees are vital to life4 they capture carbon dioxide and produce oxygen for us to breathe through photosynthesis. These 9carbon sin$s< assist in cleaning up after carbon producing humans and are overall vital to life. 9Every year humans add over :0 billion tons of carbon dioxide BtoC the atmosphere< through simple actions such as breathing, fires, and deforestation =Hopewod D )ohen@. 5n order to harness the forestAs valuable commodity, the trees are either cut down or burned to create coal. 9The largest anthropogenic contributor to the greenhouse effect is carbon dioxide gas emissions, about ;;E of which comes from the combustion of fossil fuels and ??E of which is attributed to deforestation<=Hopewood D )ohen@. The fuel to run chainsaws and heavy machinery as well as the truc$s to transport the timber and coal contribute to this statistic. 5n addition, 9as we burn down BtreesC, carbon is released into the air and the carbon bonds with oxygen to form carbon dioxide, adding to the greenhouse effect<= Hopewood D )ohen@. Formally, the production of

excess carbon would be counteracted with the naturally occurring process of photosynthesis. 9The .nion of )oncerned 3cientists estimates that ..3. forests absorb between one million and three million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year, perhaps offsetting between ?0 percent and G6 percent of the countryAs greenhouse gas emissions<=Hohnson, ?007@. .nfortunately, as deforestation progresses, less carbon dioxide can be recycled resulting in additional carbon. *eforestation is a recogni1ed contributor of green house gasses and subse%uently global climate change. 8any nations have recogni1ed this pressing issue and have started action, however it is impossible to $now if the world will ever recover. There is no doubt deforestation has caused irreversible harm to the environment. &ur carbon absorbing forests save us from ourselves, while we destroy them. As extreme deforestation continues, the biodiversity of forests are affected. Hundreds of plants and animals loose their homes each day with little chance of recovering. 5n addition, the newly exposed soil does not stay fertile for long. 0armers will only be able to utili1e the land for a few years as it soon becomes infertile. (ith the absence of trees, carbon dioxide is no longer absorbed and oxygen produced. This result is detrimental to our environment and our health. There is little hope that our forests, especially our tropical rainforest will ever recover. &ur only option is to ma$e conservation efforts and limit deforestation while we still can.

(hat is *eforestation+ The destruction of natural forests because of cutting trees, logging, ma$ing space for cattle gra1ing, mining, extraction of oil, building dams and population expansion is $nown as deforestation. As per the reports of Fatural )onservancy, logging accounts for :? million acres of earthAs natural forests every year. #y ?0!! half of earthAs forests disappeared. A ma'or part of this loss too$ place in the last 50 years alone. 0orest goods and most importantly the wood, has been the essential need of the human civili1ation for over centuries and continues to be the main source of several activities that a man performs in his day to day proceedings. 0or example, paper is indispensible part of personal or official means of conducting the dealings. 5nvariably, this would necessitate human beings to source the wood from the forests leading to deforestation. 3ee more at- http-IIreadanddigest.comIdeforestation causes and effects on ecological balanceIJsthash.:xm5ep?b.dpuf

CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION

Timber Production Feed for the production of timber is the prime cause of deforestation. The timber is used as important construction material and also forms an important source of raw material for paper production. To ma$e the timber products cheaper, governments allowed deforestation without reali1ing the fact that it would destroy ecological balance. Division of Habitation )onstruction of roads through the forests leads to division of habitation of animals, birds and other species. &nce the roads are put to use, they pose a barrier for free movement of wildlife. Although, a small portion of forest land would have been used by felling trees, the division of habitation would be strongly felt by wildlife leading to imbalance. 0urther, such construction of roads provides easy access to logging and encourages uncontrolled activity of timber production. Cut and !a"e Farmin# /oor nations and developing countries tend to practice farming by claiming forest land to grow crops by cutting and setting the forest areas fire claiming that the forest land is fertile due to forestAs flora and fauna. This way large tracts of forest land is deforested for cultivation. .nfortunately, most of these countries do not reali1e that the land itself is responsible for its fertility rather than the forest mass. )ut and bla1e farming is possibly sustainable provided density of population is below " per s%uare $ilometer. #ut in reality, more than :0 people habitat a given s%uare $ilometer leads to the destruction of complete balance. Deforestation for $rass and %and Deve!o&ment ,rass lands are needed for cattle feeding and developing the cattle growing industry. 5n order to raise the cattle cheaply, some counties followed the deforestation route at it is and cheap allowing local industry to meet the demand of multinationals for cheaper animal products. Forest as Source of Fire 'ood 2ess privileged nations, because of poverty and poor economic conditions, are forced to use forest as a principle source of fire wood for its people. They tend to deforest for fuel wood production leading to large tracts of forest land becoming barren. To replenish the deforested area it would ta$e not less than !? to !5 years but such duration greatly imbalances the forest sustainability. #esides, it is a widely recogni1ed fact that fire wood as fuel is the most pollution producing material.

Effects of Deforestation(

There are several effects of deforestation on earthAs climate and nature. Atmos&)eric 0or global warming deforestation is the ma'or contributor. *eforestation causes of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As the concentration of carbon dioxide increases, a layer forms in the atmosphere that traps sun radiation. This radiation gets converted to heat and causes global warming. 5n other terms it is $nown as greenhouse effect. =Know what are the greenhouse gases@ *eforestation also influences trees to release carbon stores. 3cientists say that almost !.5 billion tons of carbon is released each year by tropical deforestation. H*dro!o#ica! (ater cycle in the nature gets affected by deforestation. Trees pull up ground water with the help of their roots and then release the water vapour into the atmosphere. 5f trees are

reduced, the water vapour content in the atmosphere is reduced and it results in drier climate. 5t also results in soil erosion which may lead to landslides or floods. >educing forest cover reduces the capacity of the soil to perspire. 5t means the absence of trees can influence the %uantity of water on the land, in the atmosphere or in the soil. 5t affects the ecological cycle. Soi! 0orests as such have a very low soil loss rate. 5t is at approximately two metric tons per s%uare $ilometer. *eforestation results in soil erosion because tress can bind the soil together. 5f trees are removed from steep slopes, it may result in landslides. iodiversit* *eforestation results in the decline in biodiversity and many species of living organisms are becoming extinct. 0orests support wildlife habitat and the tropical rainforests contribute to "0Eof the biodiversity. The removal of trees has led to the degradation of environment and biodiversity. #ecause of rainforest deforestation, we are losing an average of !:; plants, insects and animal species every day. 5t will account to almost 50,000 species over an year. There is a serious threat to several endangered species. 5t is estimated that almost 70 percent of predicted extinctions will ta$e place within next forty years. Economic *eforestation and its effects can change the living standards of the people. Human societies utili1e timber and wood from forests for building houses and ma$ing paper. &n an average it is estimated that three million people depend on wood for coo$ing and other purposes. >apid increase in economic growth also has the impact on forests. As population increases, there is demand for new homes and empty spaces. >oads are laid to expand cities and it results in the reduction of forest cover.

Possib!e So!utions(

Reduction in emissions 3everal international organi1ations along with .nited Fations and (orld #an$ have been implementing various programs to curb deforestation. >educing Emissions from *eforestation and 0orest *egradation =>E**@ advices and encourages developing countries to reduce deforestation. Farmin# Few farming technologies should be invented so that the existing resources are not depleted. )rop yield per acre of land should be increased so that with limited land more produce can be harvested. +onitorin# deforestation 3atellite data can be used to effectively assess the deforested areas. /ositive steps by all governments will result in maintaining the forest cover. Reforestation 5n East Asian countries reforestation and afforestation are increasing slowly. #etween ?000 and ?005, ! million hectares of lost forest area was again brought bac$ to life.

*epending on the latest trends, it is believed that by ?050 there will an increase in forest cover globally by !0E. 3ee more at- http-IIreadanddigest.comIdeforestation causes and effects on ecological balanceIJsthash.:xm5ep?b.dpuf