Forests : Solutions
Reforestation
We need everyone’s support to start reforesting now and right away. Reforestation is a process of replanting trees to replace the cleared trees. By reforesting, the canopies of the forests can still be sustained to hold heavy rainfall from eroding the soil and sunlight from reaching the soil surface resulting faster evaporation. It decreases the water supply in the underground for the indigenous people. Reforesting will restore forests and sustain bio-diversities as well as control the rate of carbon dioxide in the air that will affect the global climate.
When reforesting, usually the fast-growing trees are supposed to replace the deforested forests such as the using of the Paulownia tree in US. It is inexpensive and has a lot of benefits. The leaves of the tree itself can replenish clean oxygen, lower the rate of carbon dioxide and absorb pollutants. It also contributes to soil fertility as it is able to gain nutrients from deeper ground hence regulates the water table. The Paulownia tree is able to grow faster and will eventually grow again if it is harvested from its stump by using its own root system. Most importantly, it produces more timbers than most other common trees.
In Malaysia, they use the Angsana tree to reforest the cleared forests. The tree is able to grow in a short time and produces a fine quality wood. It has large stems and branches allowing the tree to provide shade.
Rights of Indigenous People
Do you know there are indigenous people who live in the forests since our ancestors? The forests are their natural home and they need the forests for their livelihood. They hunt animals and collect wild fruits for food, find herbaceous plants for traditional remedies and water supply from the rivers and wells (underground water). They have the right to sustain their home because they are far more experienced and have lived in the forests for a long time. With their knowledge and experience, excessive forests deforestation can be reduced as they know about the forests better and we might have a better chance of finding new species. The existing forests can be made into forest reserves to sustain the natural bio-diversities of rare herb plants for more advanced cures, wild fruits and trees and even discover rare species.
Many environmental societies cooperate to raise funds to buy the forests so they are reserved and not deforested.
Minor Resources
We often overlook other benefits of the forests. Forests can now be valued for the producing of other sources other than timbers, such as wild fruits, medicines, firewood, animal products which have been commercialised successfully. This is one of the reasons why the forests should not be deforested. Many cures which have been invented for vital diseases come from the forests.
However, if deforestation continues, these sources will lessen and may become extinct. Presently, the minor sources found in the forests have been valued for many important uses and the demand for timbers have reduced drastically. Companies are commercialising more new products made from these minor resources and have met high demands.
Solutions to Deforestation
| Wild berries on research. Source: flickr.com/fmc550uz |
Forests for the home of indigenous people. Source: apimal.org/blogcms |
Self - Realisation
Most companies, farmers and even selfish individuals are too busy clearing the forests that they have forgotten to consider the impact of deforestation. They cut down trees just for the sake of profits and to meet high demands. We should realise the bad effects of deforestation, if it continues without proper supervision, all of our forests will be used up. Forests destruction causes the extinction of bio-diversities including animals, plants, habitats and indigenous people’s home. Realise now that these activities will silently destroy innocent living things eventually. Endangered species are facing decreasing fast in numbers and deforestation is disrupting their conservation. When there is only a minimum number of trees remaining, climate will be unbalanced, there will be insufficient sources and other vital effects. Mankind will finally realise the importance of conserving forests but at that time it will be too late.
Population Balance
The rising population leads to more destruction; including deforestation. More timbers are needed to build real estates, for the paper industry and other high demands to fulfil our needs. However, according to religion, birth control is something that should be resisted. Depending on the individual, if they do not want to control population growth, certain steps should be taken to control the rate of deforestation.
As the population increases, there is not just more deforestation but it would lead to the use of more vehicles, open burning, rising temperatures due to the increase in carbon dioxide and most importantly, our resources will be used up faster than expected. The pressure of the growing population encourages more scientists to invent and research other alternatives because at the same time resources are decreasing . If population growth cannot be controlled, it can be balanced by reforestation to restore and restock the loss of trees so there will be a balance. Meanwhile, deforestation must be done efficiently.
Support Eco-Tourism
Companies have carried out deforestation for tourism and destroyed nature in the process. They do not realise how to appreciate the beauty of forests. Instead of deforesting forests for building hotels and shopping malls, forests can also be turned into a place for tourism. Many tourists agree and love nature more than inhaling polluted air and the loud noise from urban areas. Forests have the natural ability to relax minds and create peaceful surroundings. Governments will not suffer a loss of income for their countries because eco-tourism have atrracted great numbers and it is suited to the scheme of conserving the forests without experiencing great losses. Therefore the natural habitat of animals and plants will not be harmed and the ecosystem will not be disrupted.
You! - Recycle, Reuse, Reduce & Reserve
Currently, our most promising "life line" for saving the forests is by recycling. Recycling is when people use old waste material to make entirely new things. When we recycle substances such as paper, no new trees are needed to make more paper as we have old paper. Recycling does not only save trees, but also the countless species of animals that live in the forests. Recycling is an easy, cheap process which involves very little labour, unlike logging.
Did you know that if you recycle 1 ton of paper, you can save 17 trees?
You can also avoid wasting paper by reusing your old notebooks for writing or as waste paper, reuse any unused shoe boxes as compartments for stationery or make handicraft out of it and reuse plastic bags rather than throw them away.
Reducing wastes disposal from getting buried in landfills that require a lot of space, means more deforestation. Reduce wastes by recycling and reusing to reduce the amount of timber wastes such as paper.
We can raise funds to save the forests. Environmental societies can raise funds to adopt the forests themselves so they can reserve and save wildlife in the forests from irresponsible companies or individuals who cut down trees for the sake of timbers that provide a lot of profits.