Deforestation

Serenity ThompsonDennis LauTracy Qiu

Zachary Tobar

What is it?

• Deforestation is clearing Earth’s forest on a massive scale, often resulting in damage to the quality of the land. –National Geographic

Causes of Deforestation

• Agriculture is the main cause of deforestation as farmers cut down the trees to make more space for their crops.

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• Logging operations, which provide the world’s wood and paper products, cuts down millions of trees every year.

• The growing populations of urban cities also plays a major role.

• Natural factors such as wild fires and overgrazing causes damage to the lands which prevents young trees from growing.

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• Also mining for metals clears large tracts of natural forest and cause contamination of the eco-system as a result of their runoffs.

• Road building throughout the forests damages the landscapes and provides access for illegal loggers.

Effects of Deforestations

• The most devastating effect of deforestation is the loss of homes for millions of species.

• It also drives climate change leading to the moisture of the forests’ soil to dry out quickly because of the lack of trees; this causes a loss of fertile soil.

• Also without trees to help in the process of water evaporating into the atmosphere, former forest lands become barren deserts.

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• In the process if absorbing greenhouse gases, trees play an important role. The lack of forests means more greenhouse gases damaging the atmosphere.

How to fix it?

• One way to prevent deforestation is by simply informing people of the dangers that come with it.

• By getting the major companies to agree to instill zero-deforestation policies.

• Recycling products such as wood, pulp, paper and fibers.

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• Planting enough trees to replace the ones being cut down can help to maintain the amount of trees in the forest.

Works Cited

• http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/forests/solutions-to-deforestation/

• http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation-overview/

The EndQuestions?