Background

Deforestation has a few definitions. The main definition is the destruction of forests for other purposes. Another not so known definition is the degradation of the forest which reduces its quality. Deforestation, which is permanently destroying forests as well as woodlands, is carried out because of a few reasons. In recent years, more and more forests and woodlands have been converted into agricultural land so that more crops can be grown in order to feed the rising population in countries. There are a few kinds of deforestation, sudden clearcutting, slash-and-burn and wildfires. In recent years, agricultural development schemes have been expanded into rainforests, thus increasing the rates of deforestation. Going at its current rate, it has been estimated that all of the planet’s tropical rainforests may be deforested by 2090, which is not too far away.

Modern machinery much increases the rate of logging and deforestation(above). Photo courtesy of Fir0002

Clearcutting

Clearcutting is a logging practice where most or almost all the trees in a specific sector are cut down. Before forestry, the major method of logging was clearcutting. This was done without any plans to redevelop the trees in that area. In certain countries where such plans are still not undertaken, clearcutting is still the main method of logging.

Slash-and-burn

Slash-and-burn is another logging practice where forests are cut down and burnt for the creation of agricultural fields. This practice has been carried out throughout most of the world for hundreds of years. Slash-and-burn, like most of the other methods of deforestation, is not encouraged as they are not usually followed by cropping.

Devastation to a jungle after utilizing the slash-and-burn technique of deforestation(left). Photo courtesy of Jami Dwyer

Development of cattle ranches

Cattle ranches are also being developed to earn money for tropical countries, thus increasing the rate of deforestation. Commercial logging is also a reason for deforestation, where trees are destroyed in order to supply the world with wood such as mahogany or teak. Trees are also chopped down for one of the most basic reasons, the need for firewood and construction materials.

Cattle being lead to graze on pastures that are usually developed from deforested land(right). Photo courtesy of Ellmist

Indirect causes of deforestation

Other than these methods of deforestation which are done directly by people, another cause is acid rain, which is a rain which is more acidic as compared to normal rain. Although this is also a method of deforestation, it is caused indirectly when human activity emits sulfur and nitrogen compounds which then form acids when they react in the atmosphere. When acid rain falls on forests, leaves will turn brown and drop from the trees. Even after the acid rain has fallen, their effects can still be seen for a while after. An example of such an effect is the loss of nutrients in plants. Though some microbes can consume the acid from the acid rain quickly, some others are unable to do so and get killed. When acid rain causes the soil to lose nutrients, growth of the plant may become stunted.

Devastation caused to a forest by acid rain(below). Photo courtesy of Lovecz

Carbon and water cycle

Trees are currently the main source for the production of oxygen for the planet. A lot of carbon dioxide is also taken in by the trees to produce carbohydrates, fats, and proteins which make up the trees. When these trees are cleared during deforestation, they are either burnt or left to rot. This causes the carbon to be released once again as carbon dioxide, which then leads to an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Given that carbon dioxide contributes a lot to the greenhouse effect, this will of course, in turn speed up global warming. This is known as the carbon cycle.
Through its roots, trees draw water from the ground and release it into the atmosphere during transpiration. In the Amazon rainforest, more than half of its water is taken in and stored by the plants. When the rainforest is deforested, the region can no longer hold as much water as it used to. Thus, it loses a lot of its water, resulting in a drier climate.

Analysis

Although deforestation can only be carried out in countries with large forests, the smoke that is released during slash-and-burn and wildfires may still be blown to other countries and may cause haze and respiratory problems for their citizens. Our group feels that even though these countries do not care for their own people, they should still spare a thought for the other citizens of the world. However, these countries should consider cutting down on deforestation by as much as possible if they are unable to stop carrying it out. We feel that this is an important step to preventing further environmental degradation. Even if these countries decide to stop carrying out slash-and-burn techniques and instead change to other methods of deforestation, it will not help in preventing environmental degradation as deforestation, done in any way, will still destroy our environment. If deforestation or illegal logging is not clamped down as much as possible, our world will continue to be destroyed steadily at a fast pace. From what is seen, the effects of deforestation usually end up in a continuous cycle of environmental degradation. When trees are removed, many cycles such as the growth of plants, carbon cycle and water cycle are disrupted, trees cannot grow like they originally did and this usually ends in a broken cycle caused by the simple and irresponsible act of deforestation.