Why do deforestation occur

So fewer trees means more carbon dioxide is loose in the air. More carbon dioxide means an increased greenhouse effect, which leads to global warming. You can read more about the greenhouse effect in What is the greenhouse effect?

Reduced biodiversity is another deforestation concern. Rainforests , arguably the biggest victims of deforestation, cover only about 7 percent of the world's surface. However, within this 7 percent live almost half of all plant and animal species on earth.

Some of these species only live in small specific areas, which makes them especially vulnerable to extinction. As the landscape changes, some plants and animals are simply unable to survive. Species from the tiniest flower to large orangutans are becoming endangered or even extinct. Biologists believe that the key to curing many diseases resides within the biology of these rare plants and animals, and preservation is crucial [source: Lindsey ]. Soil erosion , while a natural process, accelerates with deforestation.

Trees and plants act as a natural barrier to slow water as it runs off the land. Roots bind the soil and prevent it from washing away. The absence of vegetation causes the topsoil to erode more quickly. It's difficult for plants to grow in the less nutritious soil that remains.

Because trees release water vapor into the atmosphere, fewer trees means less rain, which disrupts the water table or groundwater level. A lowered water table can be devastating for farmers who can't keep crops alive in such dry soil [source: USA Today]. On the other hand, deforestation can also cause flooding.

Coastal vegetation lessens the impact of waves and winds associated with a storm surge. Without this vegetation, coastal villages are susceptible to damaging floods. The cyclone in Myanmar proved this fact to catastrophic effect. Scientists believe that the removal of coastal mangrove forests over the past decade caused the cyclone to hit with much more force [source: United Nations].

Deforestation also affects indigenous people, both physically and culturally. Because many indigenous people actually have no legal rights to the land on which they live, governments that want to use the forest for profit can actually "evict" them. As these populations leave the rainforest, they also leave their culture behind [source: Plotkin ].

The most common theory is deforestation. The inhabitants of Easter Island depended on the giant palms that covered the island. They cut down trees for agricultural purposes, fuel and structures. Eventually, the trees just ran out. Once the natural resources were gone, so were the people. When Dutch settlers arrived around , they found an empty and barren landscape.

After 10 days of intense discussion, more than countries agreed to the Bali Roadmap. The Bali Roadmap will guide participating countries in emissions reduction and intends to lead to a binding agreement at the United Nations summit in Denmark [source: Harris]. The United States and China initially did not agree to mandatory reductions, wanting countries to set their own goals, but they eventually conceded [source: USA Today]. The roadmap includes specific measures to reduce deforestation -- for tropical rainforests in particular.

Many developing countries' economies rely on their forests, and they argue they should be able to use their land as they please. In response, the roadmap will investigate policies to financially reward countries who reduce their emissions by a certain percentage the percentage has not yet been determined. Besides, trees also feeding animals with their fruits while providing them with food and shelter they need to survive. Then you should find out some examples of how Life is interconnected:.

Healthy forests support the livelihoods of 1. This means there are many people depending on forests for survival and using them to hunt and gather raw products for their small-scale agriculture processes.

But in developing countries such as Borneo, Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil, or Mexico, land tenure systems are weak. Locals then have to make one of two choices. Or they can stay and work for the companies exploring it in remote plantations — often getting unfair wages and working under inhumane conditions.

Related: Is Avocado Production Sustainable? In the long term, the lack of healthy, nutritious soil can lead to low yields and food insecurity. Deforestation weakens and degrades the soi l. Forested soils are usually not only richer on organic matter, but also more resistant to erosion, bad weather, and extreme weather events.

This happens mainly because roots help fix trees in the ground and the sun-blocking tree cover helps the soil to slowly dry out. As a result, deforestation will probably mean the soil will become increasingly fragile, leaving the area more vulnerable to natural disasters such as landslides and floods.

Deforestation also has a very strong contribution to climate change. If we speak about tropical forests, they hold more than gigatons of carbon, according to WWF. Both these effects negatively contribute to the greenhouse effect and to climate change. To understand the challenges of deforestation, check this National Geographic video. Around the world, deforestation occurs mostly in the tropics where there are different types of forests are: from wet and hot rainforests to others that lose their leaves in the dry season and become woodlands.

Some parts of the world have managed to protect their forests from deforestation while others have seen their forestal area decline. These changes significantly differ but there are 3 important worldwide examples of deforestation: the Amazon rainforest, Indonesia and Borneo, and Africa.

Brazil and the Amazon forest are also important for the wrong reasons deforestation areas worldwide. Before , large industrial projects such as dams, roads, or mines were the main causes of deforestation in the Amazon region, together with subsistence farming. However, for around thirty years, the causes of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest are changing.

The development of intensive livestock production, combined with meat consumption increases in developed countries, is thus the main cause of deforestation in the Amazon forest. Indonesia and the island of Borneo are emblematic symbols of the global phenomenon of deforestation. This region in Southeast Asia is naturally one of the richest reserves of forest and biodiversity in the world.

But at the same time, it is also one of the regions that have been suffering the most deforestation in recent decades. According to FAO , between and alone, Indonesia lost about 9 million hectares of its forests, largely due to deforestation caused by palm oil.

One of the most important causes of deforestation in Indonesia and Borneo is unquestionably the production of palm oil. According to FAO, between and , nearly 6 million hectares of palm oil plantations have gradually replaced Indonesian forests.

This makes the palm oil industry one of the biggest contributors to deforestation in Southeast Asia — and it is expected to continue to be so. Certifications are starting to appear, including sustainable palm oil labels that aim to prove it comes from certified forests and workers are fairly paid like RSPO. Despite industries still posing serious environmental problems, the media spotlight on this topic is beginning to shift the lines.

Africa is also a large area suffering from deforestation. CLIL will no longer be a secret with"clil in action"! Watch the lessons on physics, biology, earth science and chemistry, in CLIL mode, the result of the synergy of Eniscuola with the students and teachers of Italian schools. Improve your English with Smartenglish! An online course, be used alone or in class, to complement the curriculum or to recover debits.

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More than events were organised in 30 countries during the European Robotics Week November. You cannot download interactives. Forests are important environments for biodiversity and storing carbon. How much of the planet is covered by trees and how has that percentage changed over time? Forests support a huge diversity of life. Despite the importance of forests, they are being removed at frightening rates.

Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Image Deforestation Trees are cut down for timber, waiting to be transported and sold. Photograph by Esemelwe. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. Trees are cut down for timber, waiting to be transported and sold.

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