Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Task7: Deforestation


Deforestation is the logging or burning of trees in a forested area. Humans do that for many reasons. They can sell their woods or burn them to turn them into charcoals and use their lands to serve their own benefits without being concerned about the consequences of that. In this research I will mention some advantages of the trees, the effects of deforestation and some possible solutions to reduce the problem.
Planting trees is a method to offset carbon emission by absorbing Carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. However, forests affect weather and climate. When it rains, water goes to the roots of the trees. They exchange gases with the atmosphere and lose water in the same way by the pores in their leaves. The water loss makes these trees let their materials out to the sky to replenish the clouds. As long as the water loss is not more than its need, then it is beneficial and it keeps raining. Once these forests are cut, rainwater will become like a river flowing to seas and let this area dry (Effects). Besides that, with their wood we make things that we can’t let go with them such as plywood products, furniture, papers, fibers, gums and the list goes on. Trees provide shelters for people and animals. It can offer us beautiful scenery as well.

Almost half of the United States and almost all of Europe were forested (Global). It has been destroyed. I am wondering if the destroyers ever think about the consequences. One is that the sun keeps on hitting this area, the soil gets heated and there is nothing to prevent the water from quickly evaporating into the atmosphere. So, the soil become dry then cracked (Effects). In addition to that, trees release water vapor into the atmosphere. Therefore, less trees means less rain. Deforestation can also cause flooding. Trees can lessen the impact of winds associated with the storm. Also in the rainforests there is a very little possibility to find some plants which contains materials that can be used in some medicines (Graf). Once these rainforests destroyed, the hopes are gone. That exactly what happened in Brazil in the 70’s and the beginning of the 80’s (Deforestation).

These days, the cautionary have increased, but still the deforestations rates have not decreased. Food and Agriculture Organization “FAO” said that deforestation rates increased by 8.5 percent from 2000-2005 when compared it with the 90’s (A WORLD). Food companies are mostly behind that. They bought the lands, cut down the trees and turn it into a farm, plant whatever can increase their selling rates and other plants to feed their cattle.

In a conclusion, governments have to set rules to cut trees. Specially the baby ones. They shouldn’t cut more than their needs. As individuals, we can reduce that by following some plans like recycling things we usually use like paper and shopping bags. It takes just days to destroy a forest, but it would take years to grow a single tree.

Bibliography
"Global Deforestation." Global Change. University of Michigan. http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange2/current/lectures/deforest/deforest.html

"Effects of Deforestation." Earlham. Ed. Robert K. Innes. 20 Nov. 1996. Innes Production. http://www.earlham.edu/~pols/17Fall96/inneske/effects.HTM

"Deforestation in the Amazon." Mongabay. Ed. Rhett A. Butler. http://www.mongabay.com/brazil.html

A WORLD Imperiled: FORCES BEHIND FOREST LOSS." Mongapay. http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0801.htm

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