The United States Forest Service

Deforestation plays a big role in global warming. The “land use connection” referred to as “land use changes” is a huge contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. Land use change involves all the destructions of land in order to produce and distribute food. Every year rainforests are demolished for agriculture intentions. “The biggest factors are the destruction of vital rainforests through burning and clearing and the elimination of wetlands” (Lappe 753). Deforestation of these habitats leads to the discharge carbon dioxide into the environment.

Deforestation is the destruction of a wide area of forest land into a cleared land that is used for a variety of reasons. The impact on the environment from cutting down, burning and damaging forests is very detrimental and there are severe consequences for the environment and future generations because of deforestation. According to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization approximately 7.3 million hectares of forests are being destroyed per year in the world (Bradford, 2015). In this essay, I will explore the impact that deforestation on the environment and I will also look at the actions that are being taken to prevent deforestation. There are various reasons why deforestation is occurring despite its negative effects on the environment. Deforestation can cause very serious environmental problems such as climate change, flooding, loss of habitats as well as others.

Three to six billion trees are cut down each and every year! Deforestation is a huge problem in the rainforests. Because these forests are home to much of the Earth’s species of life. Covering 30 percent of our land forests provide homes, protection, and oxygen for humans and other wildlife in the forests. There are 7.125 billion people that count on the benefits provided by the forest, which is: food, clothing, traditional medicine and shelter. If something isn 't done soon to reduce our carbon footprint, we will not have forests of any type to soak up the carbon dioxide(CO2) in the atmosphere.

Managing a forest with and for the people: Community forestry and environmental public participation in the case of Arcata, California

Rainforest loss and deforestation is a problem that has been around for decades but it continues to worsen. A report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), says that all types of forests form around 30 percent of our world (Deforestation). Forests are home to millions of our animal and insect species that keep our world diverse. The forests that are being destroyed are also the growing grounds for millions of plants and trees. There are many pros and cons to deforestation, but the problems outweigh the good by far. Many other issues are starting arise from deforestation and people are always working to find new solutions to help rebuild our forests and save the animals and plants.

Ninety percent of the earth’s trees between three and four hundred years old have been cut down. The remaining ten percent is all we will ever have (Gallant, 97). The definition of deforestation by the Random House Dictionary of the English Language is "to divest or clear of forests or trees.” Deforestation is one of the most significant issues of our time; considerable measures must be taken to prevent further pillaging of our unique forest resource.

Did you know that in approximately one-hundred years forests will be a thing of the past? Due to deforestation, it is estimated that forests will be extinct by 2116. Deforestation is when large amounts of trees, such as forests, are cut down or removed. This practice has a negative effect on the Earth overall. It has, for example, a negative impact on the land because deforestation harms the soil. In effect, it may be difficult to grow trees where deforestation has occurred. Trees are a very important component of the Earth because they affect the Earth 's climate. The clearing of forests does not allow trees to serve their natural purpose. Deforestation releases toxic chemicals, such as methane and carbon dioxide, into our atmosphere. Trees, by nature, absorb greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, and produce oxygen. In other words, trees stabilize the climate. Greenhouse gases, as many know, are huge contributors to global warming. The more we emit greenhouse gases, the more these gases accumulate in the Earth’s atmosphere. These gases are deteriorating our atmosphere, and, as a result, the global temperature is rising.

The world has relied on deforestation for many generations as a power source, human migration, or clearings for agriculture. The removal of these forested areas, without sufficiently replanting or by first incorporating proper consideration of all affected living things in the area will result in a complete disregard of any laws protecting the habitat. In conserving natural forested areas, economic planning, and biodiverse offsetting will help in controlling human-induced acts causing climate change and the extinction of many species of wildlife.

With society’s demand and need for the earth’s resources, deforestation has long been a prevalent environmental issue at hand and has picked up significant momentum more recently. Deforestation occurs around the world, however, according to GRID-Arendal, it is most prevalent in areas with tropical rainforests such as Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other parts of Africa, and parts of Eastern Europe (Szalay 1). For a number of reasons, trees are being cleared at massive levels resulting in poor quality land and have created negative effects and impacts on the global environment. Since deforestation is caused by both human and natural factors such as wildfires and overgrazing, it is difficult to completely pinpoint one cause (“Deforestation” 1). However, researching and looking at which causes are most impactful can help deduce possible solutions to help prevent unnecessary and excessive tree clearing. It is important to look into solutions to help prevent deforestation because it is negatively impacting the world’s environment and making it difficult for certain animals, such as birds, and even humans to maintain their standard of living and their quality of life. And so, in an attempt to delve a bit deeper with regards to deforestation, this paper will

Biogeochemical cycles are “processes by which matter cycles from the living world to the nonliving physical environment and back again,” which include the carbon, water, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus cycles (Raven et al. 59). Trees and other plants serve as important factors that remove carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from the environment. As trees are being increasingly logged, the amount of carbon dioxide that can be removed from the atmosphere is declining. Thus, deforestation has altered the balance of the carbon cycle, as more carbon dioxide is being released into the atmosphere at a higher rate than it can be withdrawn from the atmosphere. Due to this higher concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide from deforestation, global climate changes such as

The rainforests are falling at human hands. The world’s oldest living ecosystem is under threat in our conquest for farmland, timber, minerals, and other resources. These forests cover 2% of the Earth’s surface, or 6% of its landmass, yet they house over half the plant and animal species on Earth. Rainforests originally covered twice that area. Deforestation is occurring on such a scale that if it were to continue at present rates the forests could disappear within the next one to two hundred years. So why should we be concerned? Deforestation poses a threat to many plants and animals as well hurting the great impact the forests have in keeping our air clean. This greatly impacts the whole planet. For these reasons it is top priority to control deforestation so that a large area of forests will remain.

The rate of deforestation is increasing and the tropical forests are falling at approximately 140,000 acres per day (Miller & Tangley 1991: xvi). The forests are crucial to the environment. They are important in minimizing erosion, providing a stable habitat for many animals, and helping to keep the environment clean. Deforestation has devastating effects, not only on the biological dependents within the depleted forests, but also on the surrounding human-populated communities.

Though forest destruction is a huge contributing factor of species extinction, it also impacts much more than one might think. One major cause of deforestation is from “conflict over land rights [which] tend to be caused by increased population growth and a need for more land mostly for agricultural production (Johnson and Chenje, 2008)” (Clark). Among each different allocation by global forest ecosystems, “especially important are the roles of forest in the global carbon cycle and in biological diversity where forest are habitat to approximately 2/3 of all species (WRI, 1997; FAO, 1999; Groombridge, 1994)” (Cassel-Gintz, M., and Petschel-Held, G.). When trees are cut down, burned, or decomposed, it produces excessive carbon adding to the problem of global warming. Burning trees may seem positive at first for the

Image a planet without trees. This is a scary planet where the temperature is very hot and the air is very difficult to breathe. This planet will have nothing to protect people from the sun, nothing to slowdown the forces of the wind, and nothing to anchor topsoil from eroding in the rain. The conditions at this imaginary planet can become our reality on earth if we do not stop deforestation. There are many negative effects of deforestation. However, for the scope of this paper, I will discuss three primary issues on how deforestation harms our environment. I will begin this paper with a brief look at some arguments that support deforestation, followed

Deforestation is an increasingly prevalent problem worldwide. About half of the forests that once covered the Earth are now gone, much of which has happened in just the past few decades. Forests have been cleared mostly for fuel, building materials, and land for farming. Deforestation has been expanding and accelerating into the little amount of forests that remain across the world. Not only do forests provide useful products, but they also influence the Earth’s climate and are home to a remarkable amount of biological diversity. Deforestation has taken a lot of these elements away, and has also led to an increase in carbon dioxide. Without trees to use the increasing amounts of carbon dioxide put out by humans, the carbon dioxide simply remains in the atmosphere.