Deforestation: A
Global Epidemic
Compiled By:
Vishal Sachan
Kunal Dhawan
Anshul
Chaurasia
Overview
• Deforestation is the permanent destruction of forests in order to make
the land available for other uses:
To make more land available for housing and urbanization
To harvest timber to create commercial items such as
paper, furniture and homes
To create ingredients that are highly prized consumer
items such as oil from palm trees
To create room for cattle ranching
Effects
Climate change
• Deforestation is considered to be one of the contributing factors to global climate
change.
• Gas molecules that absorb thermal infrared radiation are called greenhouse gases.
If greenhouse gases are in large enough quantity they can force climate change.
• Trees can help, estimated 300 billion tons of carbon, 40 times the annual
greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels is stored in trees, according to
Greenpeace.
• The deforestation of trees not only lessens the amount of carbon stored, it also
releases carbon dioxide into the air. This is because when trees die they release
stored carbon.
Effects
Loss of Species
• Seventy percent of the world’s plant and animals live in forests and are
losing their habitats to deforestation, according to National Geographic.
• Loss of habitat can lead to species extinction.
Water Cycle
• Trees are important to the water cycle. They absorb rain fall and produce
water vapour that is released into the atmosphere.
• Trees also lessen the pollution in water, according to North Carolina State
University, by stopping polluted runoff. In Amazon more than half the
water in the ecosystem is held within the plants, according to the National
Geographic Society.
Effects
Soil Erosion
• Tree roots anchor the soil, without trees the soil is free to wash or blow
away which can lead to vegetation growth problems.
• The WWF states that scientist estimate that one third of the world’s arable
land has been lost to deforestation since 1960.
• After a clear cutting, cash crops like coffee, soy and palm oil are planted.
Planting these type of trees can cause further soil erosion because their
roots cannot hold onto soil.
Life Quality
• Soil erosion causes slit entering the lakes, streams and other water
sources. This can decrease local water quality and contribute to poor
health in populations in the area.
Some Facts about Deforestation
• One and a half acres forest is cut down every second.
• Loss of forests contributes between 12 to 17% of annual global greenhouse
emissions.
• With current rate of deforestation, it will take less than 100 years to destroy
all rainforests on the earth.
• According to Rainforests Action Network, the United States has less than 5%
of world’s population yet consumes more than 30% of the world’s paper.
• Up to 28,000 species are expected to become extinct by next quarter of
century.
• The total world forest loss today is 7.3 million hectares per year.
• 1.6 billion people across the globe depend on forest products for their
livelihoods there by adding to deforestation.
• Almost half of world’s timber and up to 70% of world paper is consumed by
Europe, United States and Japan alone.
