Why are Forests Cleared
Clearing of forests is known as deforestation
- Forests → cleared → to meet increasing demand for land and materials such as wood.
- With modern technology → forests are cleared at a much faster rate than they can be replaced.
- Land is needed for urban development, for example, to build houses, roads, factories.
- Land is needed for growing corps → such as rice
- Land is needed for farming livestock
- Firewood is a source of fuel
- Wood is used as construction materials, and turned into pulp for making paper
Undesirable Effects of Deforestation
- Devastating impacts on local wildlife and env. → such as extinction and reduction in biodiversity.
- Deforestation can also have more far-reaching consequences.
- Can lead to increase in in atmosphere → contributes greatly to global warming
Extinction and Reduction in Biodiversity
Clearing forests → lead to habitat destruction for many species of animals.
- Remaining amount of forested land → may not be big enough → to support breeding population of these animals.
- Animals become endangered / extinct
- May result in loss of biodiversity
Global Warming
Trees in forests are growing → photosynthesis → can occur at higher rate than respiration
- Excess carbon is stored in tree trunks, roots, and soil. → trees in forest are cut down: release into atmosphere all the they have been storing
Further emissions of → created → when trees are left to rot on forest floor or when they are burnt
- ( is the most commonly produced greenhouse gas)
Deforestation → decrease in number of trees which function → to remove from atmosphere → through process of photosynthesis.
- Hence concentration of in atmosphere → increase → leading to global warming