For the Glory. That We Advocate..
Deforestation: The Story of Our Trees
Introduction
Forests cover 31% of the land area on our planet -WWF.1 Its truly amazing how much
forests do for us and provide for not only us, but for animals, plants, and the entire envi-
Source: "Graphs, Infographics." Infographics
Graphsnet. Accessed April 5, 2015, http://graphs.net/
deforestation-infographics.html
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ronment, too. Lately, our beloved forests have
been under the devastating effects of deforesta-
tion and threats for further deforestation to oc-
cur. Deforestation can come in different ways
ranging from fires to logging for timber. The
underlying question is why is this happening?
What is the cause of deforestation and how can
it be put to a permanent halt, once and for all?
The WWF states that half of the trees that
are illegally removed from forests through de-
forestation are used for fuel purposes.1 Defor-
estation is also done in an effort to make room
for more homes and cities. The timber taken
from deforestation can be used for constructing
different things such as furniture and other
things that are made from wood. The trees that
are cut down can be useful in making natural
ingredients that protect plants from diseases
and insect attacks called alkaloids. Other times,
forests are cut down to make space for animals
such as cattle. Deforestation is also caused by
things such as mining, logging, and climate
change. Fires are another common cause of
deforestation in forests.
Causes of Deforestation
Deforestation can be approached in a few
different ways. Obviously one way is simply
burning the trees. This is done quickly, and in
large portions of the land. Clear cutting is the
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 For the Glory. That We Advocate..
deforestation method used when large areas of the forests are cut down at once. A third
method is called the slash-and-burn technique. This method is executed when a patch of
trees is cut down, the trunks are burned, and then finishes by growing crops on the new
barren land or raising cattle on the clear pastures for beef pro-
duction. The ash from the burning prevents weed growth and
adds some nourishment to the soil. Slash-and-burn is a never-
ending process because once the nourishment from the soil is
no longer sufficient, farmers move on to do it all over again.2
According to Think Global Green, deforestation in the rainfor-
est, more specifically in the Amazon, has more than dou-
bled in the last 6 months.3 This dramatic increase occurred
after the massive three quarters decline in deforestation in
Brazil from 2004 to 2011. But if the amount of deforestation
had decreased so very much in that seven year span, what
could have caused it to double in a short amount of time such
as 6 months?
The Council on Foreign Relations stated that the loss
of forests contributes to 30 percent of greenhouse-gas emis-
sions every year. Recently, President Obama ordered cuts in
greenhouse-gas emissions on a federal level.4 In efforts to stop
the main causes of climate change and entice others to follow
in his footsteps, President Obama requested that the federal
agencies cut down on greenhouse-gas emissions by 40 percent.
Not only that, but he also requested to raise the use of renew-
able sources by 30 percent.

Effects from Deforestation

Deforestation has many negative effects on the envi-
Source: Forest Products." Defor-
ronment. For example, biodiversity tends to decline when
estation. Accessed April 8, 2015,
forests are removed through deforestation. The wildlife then http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/
becomes vulnerable to hunting and other predators which globalchange2/current/lectures/defor-
causes the biodiversity of the Earth to be at major risk. It can est/deforest.html
also lead to an imbalance of climate. Since trees release water
vapor into the air and give the soil the proper shade to keep it
moist, without them, the atmospheric temperature would be off
balance and make it difficult for species to survive or adapt to different habitats.5 The soil
would be exposed as well and this could lead to dry soil erosion. Trees also absorb a lot
of water when it rains. If deforestation persists, there will no longer be trees to absorb wa-
ter from the heavy rains and this can lead to flooding in some places.

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Animal extinction is just another negative effect that deforestation has on the en-
vironment. The threat of animal extinction relates right back to the major declines of bio-
diversity that occur when deforestation happens. When these forests are gone, many plant
and animal species disappear with the trees. This occurs due to the fact that these living
beings are losing their habitats during the process of deforestation.

A long-term change in the Earths climate due to things such as a rise in the at-
mospheric temperature is known as climate change. Climate change is something else
that deforestation negatively affects in the environment. Being such a huge part of the
carbon cycle of the
Earth, forests are vital
to the controlling of
harmful chemicals let
off into the air and
also in keeping our
air clean.6 Tempera-
tures that would
otherwise be regulat-
ed from the shelter
provided by the trees
in forests like the
rainforest would be-
gin to vary widely
because of the lack-
ing canopy that the
trees used to provide.

Source: "Graphs, Infographics." Infographics Graphsnet. Accessed April 5,

According to NASA, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is at an all

time high.2 Forests can control climate change in the sense that they absorb the carbon
dioxide that we release into the air. Without the trees, the level of these carbon emissions
will be unnecessarily higher than it already is. These forests that are being cut down are
important to having a stable carbon cycle. Trees release carbon in a process called respi-
ration. They release oxygen and take in carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. When
trees are old and rotting, the carbon dioxide of that tree is released to the atmosphere.
Luckily, the small, new trees that begin to grow in these areas absorb the extra carbon
emissions.

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How much pollution comes from this tropical deforestation? According to the
Natural Resources Defense Council, burning trees to produce electricity increases carbon
pollution to a point where it is supposedly worse than burning coal.7 When trees, or any
plants for that matter, are burned to be used for electricity, this is what we call biomass
energy. This source of energy is very useful; however, it has many downfalls. Biomass
energy, also known as biopower, can be harvested at large rates that would potentially
produce air pollution from the carbon that is released in this process, the greenhouse
emissions can be large, water supplies could run low due to the amount of water needed
for biopower, and ecosystems can be severely damaged.8 Biomass energy is very sustain-
able in the sense that we have the opportunity to add costs to forest owners by using ex-
isting forest management programs to ensure that the sustainability of the biomass energy
production is as sustainable as possible.
The carbon pollution released through biomass energy production, especially at
facilities with stoker boilers where coal is fed into the machine and then burned in a rate
that is compatible with the type of grate system used, whether it be spreader or chain-
grate stokers, tend to let off large quantities of carbon monoxide. To reduce these emis-

Source: "Graphs, Infographics." Infographics Graphsnet. Accessed April 5, 2015, http://graph-

s.net/deforestation-infographics.html

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 For the Glory. That We Advocate..
sions, one must implement a gasification system of a fluidized bed. These give off no-
ticeably lower harmful emissions like the coal plants do
Many indigenous tribal people live in tropical forests and rainforests. For exam-
ple, there is a tribe in Brazil known as the Awa-Guaj. They thrive in the Amazon rainfor-
est in an isolated setting as compared to the hustle and bustle of everyday life that many
choose. Deforestation, something that has given jobs to many people including loggers
and miners, is also tearing apart a civilization. The members of the Awa-Guaj are losing
their land. The forests that are being cut down provide a home and way of living for these
people and it is just being stripped from their bare hands. Nowadays, this tribe is being
threatened by the deforestation that is happening in hopes of further developments. The
Awa-Guaj was forced to move into a reserve area for protection against threats to their
well being. Reports from Brazils National Indian Foundation state that 31% of the forest
in the reserves has been illegally logged already.8 Since their home forests are being an-
nihilated, food supplies are low and tribe members are going hungry and starving. The
tribes that use the forests as their own homelands are of much greater value than anything
we could use the wood or land for.

Possible Solutions
Reforestation is the process of reestablishing forest cover by replanting areas of
the forest that were damaged or de-
stroyed in the past.9 Regeneration is
possible if there are enough trees in
nearby areas to produce seeds that
can be carried into the barren, de-
forested areas by means of wind or
animals. Areas that lack the neces-
sary amounts of nearby trees also
lack the means of reforestation in
this sense and therefore need to re-
plant tree species native to the spe-
cific area by hand. Afforestation is a
slightly different process. This oc-
curs when you establish a new for-
est in an area where no previous
forest once stood.
Source: "INFOGRAPHIC: Celebrate International Day of
Global Forest Watch has Forests with These Important Forest Facts." Deforestation.
dedicated a part of their website to Accessed April 5, 2015, http://agreenliving.org/tag/deforesta-
create awareness for deforestation at tion/
http://www.globalforestwatch.org.

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 For the Glory. That We Advocate..
They use satellites to observe and calculate the deforestation that occurs everyday. It
might not be happening in your backyard, but it is definitely happening and thats what
the Global Forest Watch is trying to advocate.
Finding an absolute solution to deforestation is extremely difficult. However,
steps can be taken to make deforestation less common and less extreme than it is right
now. In todays world, consumers have the option to purchase eco friendly and recy-
cled products. For example, when purchasing wooden products, there is an option to
choose to buy wood that comes from brands with zero deforestation policies.10 If con-
sumers were to only purchase products from companies with this policy, then it would
force other companies to en-
force the same policy in order
to regain the business that they
lost in this instance.
By implementing laws and
rules against deforestation, we
can begin to work towards
combatting this once and for
all! Higher ups in the political
scene and in large corporations
can begin to enforce laws that
will protect the forests and the
precious plant and animals that
are being affected by deforesta-
tion in a negative way in their
own home habitats. Large cor-
porations could also insist that
Source: Deforestation Infographic - Ryan Tran." Deforestation Info- company suppliers produce
graphic - Ryan Tran. Accessed April 6, 2015, http://ryantran.ca/Defor-
estation-Infographic
certain things in the most eco
friendly way possible in an
effort to leave as little impact
on the forests and climate as humanly possible. Financial assistance is inevitably going to
be needed in any one of these circumstances.
Even though there is no single solution that can return all of the forests that have
been exiled, there are certainly steps that can be taken to get back on the right track. If a
tree is cut down for whatever purpose, more trees should be replanted in its place. Urban-
ization should not stop people from planting trees at their homes. Deforestation effects so
many people and so much wildlife that it is vitally important to take necessary measures
so that we can begin to move in a path towards allowing more forests to grow, along with
the inhabitants within.
By: Shannon McCulloch

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 For the Glory. That We Advocate..
Endnotes
1. Deforestation." WWF Accessed April 5, 2015, http://wwf.panda.org/
about_our_earth/about_forests/deforestation/
2. Lallanilla, By Marc. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Causes & Sources. Live-
Science. Accessed April 7, 2014, http://www.livescience.com/37821-greenhouse-gas-
es.htm
3. Deforestation." Deforestation. Accessed April 6, 2015, http://www.think-
globalgreen.org/deforestation.html
4. Davis, Julie Hirschfeld. "Obama Orders Cuts in Federal Greenhouse Gas
Emissions." The New York Times. The New York Times, Last revised March 19,
2015. Accessed April 7, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/20/us/politics/oba-
ma-order-to-cut-federal-greenhouse-gas-emissions.html?_r=1
5. "Deforestation Facts, Deforestation Information, Effects of Deforestation -
National Geographic." National Geographic. Accessed April 7, 2015, http://environ-
ment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation-overview/
6. Biomass Energy. Definition of Biomass Energy and the Types of Biomass
Energy, Pros and Cons. Accessed April 9, 2015, http://www.altenergy.org/renew-
ables/biomass.html
7. Rare Amazon Tribe Nearly Extinct from Deforestation. TreeHugger. Ac-
cessed April 6, 2015, http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/rare-amazon-tribe-
nearly-extinct-from-deforestation.html
8. Reforestation. Reforestation. Accessed April 9, 2015, http://
www.arkive.org/reforestation/
9. Solutions to Deforestation. Greenpeace. Accessed April 8, 2015, http://
www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/forests/solutions-to-deforestation/

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