The Cause Of Deforestation

Introduction

Open educational resources refers to a freely accessible, open licenced documentation meant to be accessed for learning, teaching and research. This was used to research on deforestation in the summary below. Deforestation is the widespread removal of forests or stands of trees where the land is then converted to non-forest use. So this is done without any intention of establishing future stands of trees. Deforestation is usually confused with the term clear cutting. The later meaning cutting down of most trees with an intention of replanting them or establishing future tree stands. When clear cutting is done, it usually opens up space allowing the sun to penetrate the forest thereby improving the quality and growth of forests.

Mostly they are human induced. Natural causes of deforestation are there but anthropogenic ones by far surpass natural ones. Causes of deforestation are difficult to correct because most of the time they are linked to development. Some of the main causes of deforestation are discussed below. Causes of deforestation can also be divided into direct and indirect (Barradough and Ghimire, 2000.) Barradough and Ghimire (2000) further argue that distinguishing between the agents of deforestation and its causes is very important in order to understand the major determinants of deforestation. The agents of deforestation are those involved in the cutting of trees for whatever reason such as slash and burn farming, commercial farming, ranches, loggers, firewood collectors, infrastructure developers. So these causes actually are the forces that motivate deforestation. Direct agents and causes of deforestation are also called sources of deforestation. The following are some of the direct and indirect causes of

However, Barradough and Ghimire (2000) argue that it appears that the direct conversion of forests to agriculture is increasing and the proportion of shifting agriculture is actually declining.

2.2 Impacts of timber planting

This also contributes a lot to deforestation. Natural forests are removed and instead tree crops are planted. Tree crops and rubber plays a more important role in deforestation in Indonesia than shifting cultivation (Barradough and Ghimire.2000) Plantations also come with construction of infrastructure like roads in the plantations thereby contributing to deforestation. Apart from this, the process of logging also degrades forests.

2.3 Urbanisation and infrastructure.

As towns grow more land is required. This then means clearing forests to build infrastructure to support the growing population. Construction of infrastructure does not only need land but requires wood as well. This then results into deforestation. Construction of roads, railways, bridges and airports opens up land for development thus bringing an increase in the number of people to the forest frontier (Archana, 2013). Chazdon (2008) argues that tropical forests are a major target of infrastructure development for such anthropogenic activities as oil exploitation, hydropower dam construction and logging