IMPORTANCE OF FORESTS

Forests and biodiversity is key to all life forms. The richer the diversity of life, the greater the
opportunity for medical discoveries, economic development and adaptive responses to such new
challenges as climate change.
Below are some more importance of forests:
WATERSHED
Forests serve as a watershed. This is because almost all water ultimately comes from rivers and
lakes and from forest-derived water tables. Some rivers running through forests are also kept
cool and from drying out.
HABITAT AND ECOSYSTEMS
Forests serve as a home (habitat) to millions of animals. Think of the many types of reptiles
(snakes and lizards) wild animals, butterflies and insects, birds and tree-top animals as well as all
those that live in the forest streams and rivers.
Animals form part of the food chain in the forests. All these different animals and plants are
called biodiversity, and the interaction with one another and with their physical environment is
what we call ecosystem. Healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of
disasters such as floods and wildfires.
ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Forests are of immense economic importance to us. For example, plantation forests provide
humans with timber and wood, which is exported and used in all parts of the world. They also
provide tourism income to inhabitants (people living in or close to forests) when people visit to
see the best of nature.
CLIMATE CONTROL
Climate control and atmosphere purification is key for human existence. Trees and soils help
regulate atmospheric temperatures through a process called evapotranspiration. This helps to
stabilize the climate. Additionally, they enrich the atmosphere by absorbing bad gases (example
CO2 and other greenhouse gases) and producing oxygen. Trees also helps to remove air
pollutants.

Immediate Causes:

CAUSES OF FOREST DESTRUCTION

The immediate causes of rainforest destruction are clear. The main causes of total clearance are agriculture and in
drier areas, fuelwood collection. The main cause of forest degradation is logging. Mining, industrial development and
large dams also have a serious impact. Tourism is becoming a larger threat to the forests.
1.1

Logging
Commercial logging companies cut down mature trees that have been selected for their timber. The timber
trade defends itself by saying that this method of 'selective' logging ensures that the forest regrows naturally
and in time, is once again ready for their 'safe' logging practices (WWF).

1.2

Agriculture - Shifted Cultivators

'Shifted cultivators' is the term used for people who have moved into rainforest areas and established smallscale farming operations. These are the landless peasants who have followed roads into already damaged
rainforest areas. The additional damage they are causing is extensive. Shifted cultivators are currently being
blamed for 60% of tropical forest loss

1.3

Agriculture - Cash Crops and Cattle Ranching

Undisturbed and logged rainforest areas are being totally cleared to provide land for food crops, tree
plantations or for grazing cattle (Colchester & Lohmann). Much of this produce is exported to rich
industrialised countries and in many cases, crops are grown for export while the local populace goes
hungry.

1.4

Fuelwood
The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that '1.5 billion of the 2 billion people
worldwide who rely on fuelwood for cooking and heating are overcutting forests'. This problem is worst in
drier regions of the tropics. Solutions will probably involve a return to local peoples' control of the forests
they depend on.

1.5

Large Dams
In India and South America, hundreds of thousands of hectares of forests have been destroyed by the
building of hydro-electric dams. It was the dominant view that new dams had to be built or otherwise these
countries would suffer an energy crisis. However, a recent study by the World Bank in Brazil has shown that
'sufficient generating capacity already exists to satisfy the expected rise in demand for power over the
medium term, provided that the energy is used more efficiently' (WRM).

1.6

Mining and Industry

Mining and industrial development lead to direct forest loss due to the clearing of land to establish projects.
Indigenous people are displaced. Roads are constructed through previously inaccessible land, opening up
the rainforest. Severe water, air and land pollution occurs from mining and industry.

1.7

Colonisation Schemes
Governments and international aid agencies for a time believed that by encouraging colonisation and transmigration schemes into rainforest areas, they could alleviate some of the poverty felt by the people of the
financially poorer countries. It has since become increasingly obvious that such schemes have failed,
hurting the indigenous people and the environment

1.8

Tourism
The creation of national parks has undoubtedly helped to protect rainforests. Yet, as national parks are open
to the public, tourism is damaging some of these areas.

Underlying Causes:
Poverty and overpopulation are believed to be the main causes of forest loss,
according to the international agencies such as the FAO and intergovernmental
bodies. They believe they can solve the problem by encouraging development and
trying to reduce population growth. However, the World Rainforest Movement and
many other non-governmental organizations hold unrestrained development and
the excessive consumption habits of rich industrialized countries directly
responsible for most forest loss.
2.1 Development and Overconsumption: the Basic Causes
The roots of the problem of deforestation and waste of resources are located in the
industrialized countries, where most of our resources, such as tropical timber end
up. The rich nations with one quarter of the world's population consume four fifth of
the world's resources.
2.2 Colonialism
Tropical rainforests are found mainly in the Third World countries, Australia and
Hawaii being the only exceptions. All of these countries have indigenous
populations who had their own system of land management and/or ownership in
place for thousands of years before the intervention of colonists from rich
industrialized nations. The colonial powers (Britain, France, Spain and Portugal),
whilst exploiting the resources of many of these countries, attempted to destroy
indigenous peoples' rights to remain on their land. Colonialism turned previously
self-sufficient economies into zones of agriculture export production (Colchester and
Lohmann). This process continues today and the situation is worsening.
2.3 Exploitation by Industrialized Countries
Wealthy countries have been consuming so much of their own resources that they
are no longer sustaining their growing populations and increasingly, they are
turning to the resources of the financially poorer countries.
2.4 The Debt Burden
The governments of the financially poorer countries feel they need to make money
in order to repay their huge international debts. In the 1970's and 80's, they
borrowed vast sums of money from development agencies in industrialized
countries in order to improve their own economies.
2.5 The Role of Poverty and Overpopulation
Poverty, while undeniably responsible for much of the damage to rainforests, has to
a large extent been brought about by the greed of the rich industrialized nations
and the Third World elites who seek to emulate them.

506 Country Lane

North Baysville, CA 53286
July 16, 2007

Dear Susan,
It feels like such a long time since the last time I saw you. I know its only been several weeks
since I saw you. So far my summer has been great!
I spend my all my weekends at the beach. I am getting a nice tan and you can no longer say I am
paler than you. I have been playing lots of volleyball, surfing and building a nice collection of
sea shells. Just this past weekend I took second place in a sandcastle building contest!
On the weekdays I work. I drive an ice cream truck around and sell ice cream to the kids. It is so
cool. It is a combination of the two things I love most, ice cream and kids. The pay isnt too great
but I love the job so much.
I hope the summers been going well for you too. Theres only a month and a half left in summer
vacation and after that its back to school. Would you like to meet up some time to before school
starts?

Your friend,
Agnes

506 Country Lane

North Baysville, CA 53286
July 16, 2007

Dear Susan,
It feels like such a long time since the last time I saw you. I know its only been several
weeks since I saw you. So far my summer has been great!
I spend my all my weekends at the beach. I am getting a nice tan and you can no longer
say I am paler than you. I have been playing lots of volleyball, surfing and building a nice
collection of sea shells. Just this past weekend I took second place in a sandcastle building
contest!
On the weekdays I work. I drive an ice cream truck around and sell ice cream to the kids.
It is so cool. It is a combination of the two things I love most, ice cream and kids. The pay isnt
too great but I love the job so much.
I hope the summers been going well for you too. Theres only a month and a half left in
summer vacation and after that its back to school. Would you like to meet up some time to
before school starts?

Your friend,
Agnes