| Human beings always have been and probably | | | | because the trees and other plants that takes |
| always will be to some extent dependent on | | | | up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to be |
| forests. Trees were their habitat, their | | | | used for photosynthesis are gone. The burning |
| environment, their source of food and their | | | | of wood or its decay contributes to the |
| protection from enemies. Forests are very | | | | release of more carbon which combines with |
| important to man, and other organisms, and | | | | oxygen in the atmosphere thus increasing |
| one of the biggest problems the world is | | | | further the levels of carbon dioxide that |
| facing today is the threat of totally losing | | | | causes greenhouse effect. |
| the forests due to massive deforestation and | | | | |
| suffering the harmful effects of | | | | Silting of Rivers and Dams - Deforestation |
| deforestation. | | | | results in the silting of rivers sediments |
| | | | deposit which shortens its life span and |
| Deforestation can be defined as the large | | | | clogs irrigation system. As a result of |
| scale removal of forests. Deforestation | | | | deforestation, the reservoir behind many dams |
| occurs when forests are converted to | | | | are filled with sediments more rapidly than |
| non-forest areas for urbanization, | | | | expected. |
| agriculture, and other reasons without | | | | |
| sufficient reforestation. It is the permanent | | | | Flooding - One major importance of forest |
| destruction of forests and woodlands. | | | | is that they absorb water quickly in great |
| | | | amount during heavy rains. But due to massive |
| At present, forests are considered among the | | | | deforestation there are no trees to absorb |
| most endangered on the planet. Everyday at | | | | the water thus resulting to the loss of many |
| least 80,000 acres of forest vanish from | | | | lives. |
| Earth. The Food and Agriculture Organization | | | | |
| (FAO) of the United Nations show that the | | | | Landslides - The roots of the trees bind |
| rates of deforestation has not abated and has | | | | soil to it and to the bedroock underlying it. |
| actually increased by 8.5% from 2000-2005 | | | | That is how trees prevent soil from getting |
| compared during the 1990s. FAO has | | | | eroded by natural agents like wind or water. |
| approximated that about 10.4 million hectares | | | | When trees are uprooted, there will be |
| of tropical forest have been permanently | | | | nothing to hold the soil together thus |
| destroyed from 2000-2005 compared to 10.14 | | | | increasing the risk for landslides which can |
| million hectares in the period of 1990-2000. | | | | cause seriously threaten the safety of the |
| | | | people and damage their properties. |
| The process of deforestation is often a | | | | |
| complex pattern of progressive fragmentation | | | | Denuded Upland - After several harvests of |
| of the forests. Mistakes of this sort could | | | | the forest the cleared land is no longer |
| lead to forest destruction. Along with this | | | | suitable for planting trees. It has become a |
| destruction is the extinction of many | | | | desert. The transformation of a forest to a |
| species, heavy soil erosion, greenhouse | | | | semi-desert condition is called |
| effect, silting of rivers and dams, flooding, | | | | desertification. |
| landslides, denuded upland, degraded | | | | |
| watershed, and even destruction of corals | | | | Degraded Watershed - When forest mountains |
| along the coast. | | | | are denuded, watersheds are degraded and this |
| | | | leads to the loss of sustained water supplies |
| Extinction of Thousands of Species - | | | | for lowland communities. This is because |
| Destruction of the forests leads to a tragic | | | | trees affect the hydrological cycle. They |
| loss of biodiversity. Millions of plants and | | | | can change the amount of water in the soil, |
| animal species are in danger of disappearing | | | | groundwater, and in the atmosphere. |
| as a result of deforestation. Tropical | | | | |
| forests are much more biologically diverse | | | | Destruction of Corals along the Coast - |
| than other forest and a very serious effect | | | | Coral areas are degraded and coral reefs are |
| of deforestation in tropical countries is the | | | | affected by siltation. As a result of |
| loss of biodiversity. | | | | deforestation there is an increase of |
| | | | flooding during the rainy seasons and |
| Heavy Soil Erosion - One function of the | | | | decreased stream flow in dry seasons. |
| forest is that its roots hold the soil in | | | | |
| place. Without trees soil erosion and | | | | The forest provides us with many products and |
| landslides easily happen. When heavy rains | | | | important services. It stops soil erosion, |
| and typhoons come, soil is easily carried to | | | | refreshes the air, and protect us from |
| lower areas especially to communities at the | | | | typhoons and other calamities. But if rampant |
| foot of the mountains. | | | | deforestation is not controlled it will |
| | | | result to several problems. In one way or |
| Greenhouse Effect - Deforestation increases | | | | another, the denuded forests will back fire |
| the amount of carbon dioxide in the | | | | and people will certainly lose to the harmful |
| atmosphere. The conitnued degradation of our | | | | effects of deforestation. |
| forest heightens the threat of global warming | | | | |