Pollution

Delhi, India “Red Fort” covered by smog 2009

Sources

Where ?

Deforestation in Brazil: This image of the southern Amazon uses satellite data forest (red), herbaceous (non-woody) vegetation like grasses

(green), and bare ground (blue). The Amazon's numerous rivers appear white.

Causes?• The biggest causes of deforestation

and forest degradation are:1. agricultural expansion 2. cattle ranching, road and urban

infrastructure development3. commercial logging, mining,

subsistence farming, and collection of firewood.

Slash & Burn

Tropical deforestation releases hundreds of millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year.

EFFECTS

Erosion of Soil: due to water run-off

Disruption of the Water Cycle: Trees contribute in a large way in maintaining the water cycle. When these trees are cut down it results in the climate getting drier in that area.

Loss of Biodiversity: Even though tropical rainforests make up just 6 percent of the surface area of the Earth, about 80-90 percent of the entire species of the world exist here. Due to massive deforestation, about 50 to 100 species of animals are being lost each day. The outcome of which is the extinction of animals and plants on a massive scale.

Flooding and Drought: One of the vital functions of forests is to absorb and store great amounts of water quickly when there are heavy rains. When forests are cut down, this regulation of the flow of water is disrupted, which leads to alternating periods of flood and then drought in the affected area.

Climate Change: deforestation has a direct association with carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Trees act as a major storage depot for carbon, since they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is then used to produce carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that make up trees. When deforestation occurs, many of the trees are burnt or they are allowed to rot, which results in releasing the carbon that is stored in them as carbon dioxide. This, in turn, leads to greater concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Solutions • Five Basic Steps to Saving Rainforests "TREES" is a concept originally devised for an elementary school audience but serves well as set of principles for saving rainforests and, on a broader scale, ecosystems around the world.

1. Teach others about the importance of the environment and how they can help save rainforests.

2. Restore damaged ecosystems by planting trees on land where forests have been cut down.

3. Encourage people to live in a way that doesn't hurt the environment.

4. Establish parks to protect rainforests and wildlife.

5. Support companies that operate in ways that minimize damage to the environment.