Deforestation is the large-scale clearing of forests. Methods of deforestation range from cutting down trees to burning them to bulldozing them entirely. Such destruction most often results in the loss of habitats for a myriad of species of plants and animals. In addition, the loss of tree canopy to shield the soil from the sun will result in once fertile and moist soil becoming dry and barren. Approximately 30% of the Earth’s landmass is covered in forests, but patches nearly the size of Panama are removed each year to deforestation. Trees play a vital role in the natural carbon cycle, by converting carbon dioxide in the air to oxygen. The reduced number of trees means an increased amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Deforestation - Research Document
Deforestation Facts
- Forests cover 30% of land
- Forests the size of Panama are lost each year
- At the current rate the worlds forest could be gone in a hundred years
- Cut down for money
- Not all is intentional
- Wild fires and over grazing
- Loss of habitat for species
- 70% of animals and species that live on land live in forests
- Climate change- loss of trees cause soil to dry out
- Trees help absorb greenhouse gases
- Solution- stop cutting down trees
- Trees filter carbon dioxide, act as shelters
- Causes
- economic benefits
- Urban purposes
- lumber used for material, furniture and paper products
- To grow crops
- Grazing land for cattle
- Fuel- firewood or charcoal
- Effects- erosion, disrupts of water cycle, loss of biodiversity, flooding and drought, climate change
- Erosion- exposing soil to sun (drying it out), when rain comes nutrients wash away, replanting impossible in the dried out soil
- Disruption of water cycle- trees pull up water with roots and reemits into atmosphere
- Loss of biodiversity- 50 to 100 species lost each day
- Flood and drought- trees absorb and store large amounts of water in rain, without trees floods followed by droughts
- Climate change- trees absorb carbon dioxide, when cut down that carbon is released into the air as carbon dioxide
SOURCES
Deforestation Facts, Deforestation Information, Effects of Deforestation - National Geographic. (n.d.). Environment Facts, Environment Science, Global Warming, Natural Disasters, Ecosystems, Green Living - National Geographic. Retrieved May 13, 2011, from http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation-overview.html
Deforestation - Solution Document
Deforestation is a problem occurring around the world, with devastating consequences that will affect countless generations. The most obvious solution would simply be to stop cutting down trees. Still, innumerable economies require the use of tree-based products, such as paper and lumber. Plus, the world’s growing population needs more room to live, and will consume more of these products. These are three strong solutions to counter the problem of mass-deforestation without causing dramatic alterations of life as we know it.
1. Selective Foresting. Selective foresting, or selective logging, is the removal of only certain trees from an area. The trees that are selected to be cleared and saved are based on size regulation. Smaller trees are cut down, while larger trees remain. This leaves substantial tree canopy and cover, as well as protecting habitats for many animals. The cutting of only a few trees, as opposed to all trees allows the forest to regenerate as well.
2. Alternative wood sources. Bamboo is becoming more popular as an alternative to wood. It is an extremely fast growing plant indigenous to Asia. It has a consistency similar to that of currently-used wood pulp, and most paper mills’ current machinery can adapt to bamboo. When used as flooring, or in other products that would usually be made of wood, bamboo is almost indistinguishable from regular wood; in fact, many people prefer bamboo.
3. Recycle. It’s as simple as putting a used piece of paper in the blue bin marked “recycling”. Recycling is the processing of used materials into new products in an effort to prevent waste or decrease pollution. Not only does recycling help cut down the number of forests being cleared, but it reduces the amount of greenhouse gases put into the atmosphere by reducing the need for conventional garbage disposal.
1. Selective Foresting. Selective foresting, or selective logging, is the removal of only certain trees from an area. The trees that are selected to be cleared and saved are based on size regulation. Smaller trees are cut down, while larger trees remain. This leaves substantial tree canopy and cover, as well as protecting habitats for many animals. The cutting of only a few trees, as opposed to all trees allows the forest to regenerate as well.
2. Alternative wood sources. Bamboo is becoming more popular as an alternative to wood. It is an extremely fast growing plant indigenous to Asia. It has a consistency similar to that of currently-used wood pulp, and most paper mills’ current machinery can adapt to bamboo. When used as flooring, or in other products that would usually be made of wood, bamboo is almost indistinguishable from regular wood; in fact, many people prefer bamboo.
3. Recycle. It’s as simple as putting a used piece of paper in the blue bin marked “recycling”. Recycling is the processing of used materials into new products in an effort to prevent waste or decrease pollution. Not only does recycling help cut down the number of forests being cleared, but it reduces the amount of greenhouse gases put into the atmosphere by reducing the need for conventional garbage disposal.
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