Deforestation

By Aryan Munjal
19102011
What is Deforestation?

 Deforestation refers to the loss of forest cover.

 According to FAO, deforestation is change of forest with
depletion of tree crown cover more than 90%.
 UNCED in 1992 defined deforestation as land degradation
in arid, semi-arid and sub-humid areas resulting from
various factors including climatic variations and human
activities
Causes of Deforestation

 Agriculture
 Commercial Logging
 Cash Crop Economy
 Mining
 Construction of Dams
Agriculture
 Most of deforestation is for agricultural expansion.
 Large cattle pastures replace rain forests.
 In Central America, 40% of rainforests cleared for cattle
pastures.
Commercial Logging
 It is cutting of trees for their sale as timber and pulp.
 Employ heavy machinery such as bulldozers to remove
trees and build roads.
Cash Crop Economy
 It refers to clearing of land for growing specific crops and
to exporting them.
 Integral part of third world development.
 In Malaysia, over 3.5 million hectares are cleared for
rubber and oil palm plantations.
Mining and Dams
 Mining and hydroelectric schemes are a major cause of
deforestation.
 Great amount of deforestation is required for these
projects.
 Dams also open up previously inaccessible forest and
damage downstream ecosystem.
Effects of Deforestation
 Destruction of biodiversity
 Less exchange of CO2 and N2
 Desertification
 Soil Erosion
 No recycling of water
Solutions

 Reducing consumption of forest related goods

 Boycott products involving deforestation
 Env. Conservation be taught in school
 Compelling to govt. to change forest policies.
THANK YOU