Deforestation: characteristics, causes and consequences

cleared forests

felled forests

Although this is a gardening blog we are concerned about the deforestation Worldwide. It is a direct consequence of human activities that devastate the forests and jungles of our planet in a massive way. We know that the damage caused by the disappearance of the forest mass can be enormous on a local, regional and planetary scale.

Therefore, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you everything you need to know about the causes and consequences of deforestation worldwide.

Deforestation of the world’s forests and jungles

deforestation

deforestation

We know that 30% of the earth’s surface is covered by forests. The human being with his economic activities needs to occupy a territory and cut down millions of hectares year after year to change land use. At the same time that it takes advantage of that territory, it extracts the wood from the trees for numerous applications. It is one of the big reasons why river forests and rainforests could disappear within about 100 years if the current rate of deforestation remains the same.

Wood has many uses and more and more are being found for it. Mainly they tell us that the paper comes out of the wood. However, it is not the only use it has. Most of the reasons for deforestation are related to economic gains from farmers’ need to support their families. Eliminate the trees in an area to establish an agricultural and livestock activity It is something that has been done by humans for almost all of history.

We also find the export and exploitation of commercial logging companies. They are the main ones in charge of supplying the paper pulp and all the wood to the world market. Perhaps it is the main responsible for the cutting of the largest forests. We must also add the stealth action of many loggers who build roads to gain access to more remote forests. All these activities not only generate a decline in the forest mass, but also cause impacts on the flora and fauna.

Ecosystem services

world deforestation

global deforestation

An ecosystem service is anything that is extracted from the environment. It doesn’t have to be tangible. When we eliminate a forest and that land is used for urbanization or agricultural activity, the capacity of the earth’s surface to control its own climate and chemical composition diminishes. Trees are responsible for producing the oxygen we breathe and absorbing the CO2 we emit.

Scientists are becoming concerned about climate change and the ability of the trees that make up and large forests to absorb carbon dioxide. A jungle or a forest can absorb a huge amount of carbon dioxide. In addition, it helps to conserve biodiversity since they contain natural habitats where animal and plant species can develop and reproduce.

Not only does it provide us with the oxygen we breathe, but they are also responsible for collecting and filtering fresh water, which maintains the hydrological cycle of the planet and moderate the negative effects of floods and droughts. We recall that with climate change, which in turn is aggravated by deforestation, it causes an increase in the frequency and intensity of floods and droughts.

Main causes of deforestation

fires

fire

Let’s see what the main causes of deforestation are. First of all, the change in land use is left to human beings in each territory. Farmland favors trade and food production for families and the entire population. We know that agriculture and livestock are the basis of settlements and the prosperity of a community. On the other hand, it must be taken into account that when we cut down a forest to establish an agricultural or livestock activity we are displacing an entire ecosystem that serves as habitats for thousands of animals.

Wildfires are also a cause of deforestation. And it is that most of the fires that take place throughout the planet are intentional by the hand of the human being. There are also natural fires, but with much less frequency and are part of the cycle of composition and decomposition of nature. Forest diseases and pests also destroy a large part of the flora and fauna of the place, causing the relationships between species to be impoverished and causing the entire ecosystem to die.

The massive felling of forests and jungles is a great threat that increases its danger today. The deforestation rates of the different areas that are ecologically important as they are humid tropical forests, dry tropical forests, lowland and mountain forests they cause us to lose 13 million hectares of native forest annually around the world. At this rate we will only be able to continue to aggravate the problems of climate change and end all the forest masses and tropical forests shortly. I also have to bear in mind that all economic activities linked to wood production will cease to exist.

Consequences

Another main aspect is what consequences deforestation leaves us. These consequences are quite clear if we will go through everything that we have analyzed throughout the article. One of the consequences that can affect us the most is the effects of climate change since there are no trees that can absorb so much carbon dioxide emitted by humanity and the amount of gases present in the atmosphere is not reduced. We know that an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases the greenhouse effect, so that the average temperatures of the planet will continue to rise to the point that it will cause a greater planetary disaster. A greater frequency and intensity of extreme weather events will also occur.

Another consequence of deforestation is the change in land use. The biodiversity that exists in places with large masses of forest it will be affected by the fragmentation of its habitats and ecosystems. All this will cause a decrease in biodiversity and the extinction of species.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about deforestation, its causes and consequences.

Deforestation: characteristics, causes and consequences

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