Effects And Causes Of Deforestation

Deforestation

In this essay I will be discussing the effects and causes of deforestation. Deforestation is defined as the permanent removal or clearing of forest in order to make the land suitable for other uses. Deforestation has become increasingly problematic, with approximately 40% of the world’s rainforests being lost to it. I will be looking at the effects that deforestation has on the carbon cycle and climate change, wildlife and the relief of surrounding land.

First of all, it is important to understand the causes of deforestation. One of the main contributors to deforestation is the removal of forest for agriculture. As the demand for crops like palm oil and soy and livestock such as cattle increases farmers need more land available

The carbon cycle is the balanced way that carbon travels between the air, the earth and living things. Carbon is one of the most important elements to life on earth, being the 6th most abundant in the universe and being present in all life that has been found by humans. The carbon cycle starts with carbon in the air in the form of CO2. Plants use carbon dioxide along with glucose and sunlight in photosynthesis to produce their own energy. The plants are then eaten by primary consumers, that take in their carbon and use it for itself. Secondary consumers then eat the primary consumers and the carbon ends up traveling around the food chain. Living things also respire by exhaling carbon dioxide, which is then used by the plant for photosynthesis completing this part of the cycle. When living things die they are decomposed in the soil by various bacteria. This leads to their carbon becoming fossil fuels such as coal or natural gas, or much less frequently

Forests are homes for many species of animals and plants. Rainforests, which are the primary victims of deforestation only account for about 7% of the world’s surface area, but hold approximately 50% of the plant and animal species of the earth. Some of the species that live in rainforests like the Amazon are extremely specialised, and can only support themselves within small corners of forest. This leaves them very vulnerable to extinction if their homes are cleared. Deforestation also condenses the animal populations inside a forest, which leads to more competition for resources like food and shelter, which means that populations of species that are not at risk of extinction will still fall. The reduction in biodiversity due to deforestation is not only an ethical issue, but also a practical one. There is high demand for many products harvested in rainforests such as resins, fruit, nuts and natural oils and they all depend on being sustainable. If deforestation continues as it is these products may eventually become unavailable to us. Rainforests also hold many herbs and plants which are used for medical applications such as the Cinchona Tree, which has anti-malaria properties and Curare, which is used to treat Parkinson 's disease. In addition because of the genetic diversity found in rainforests there still may be plants which will play crucial roles in future medical developments that we do not know about