| Deforestation conjures up images of acres of land, barren and bleak. So when someone sees the "highly deforested" areas in parts of the tropics, they are surprised and puzzled to see that there are many trees still there. In fact, it does not look deforested at all. The reason for this is because in these tropical forests, at least 10 percent of the land is covered by the crowns of the trees or bamboo. When the percentage of forest falls below 10 percent, tropical areas are considered deforested. |
Rainforest is cleared for agriculture and houses in many areas, but not to an extent great enough to be called deforestation. Photo courtesy Naomi Woods. |
| But just because some trees can be seen does not mean that the forest is not being damaged. Any reduction in the forest is a problem for its ecosystem. Deforestation occurs when the forests are turned into farms to feed people or converted into cash crops or used for raising livestock. Also, logging trees for commercial use or for firewood leads to the destruction of the forests and to their use as land for agriculture. |
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