The Effects of Deforestation - Article Example

Deforestation The world’s forests are being destroyed for financial gain and the negative affects are becoming increasingly apparent. Deforestation and other human activities are causing soil erosion on a massive scale which is decreasing the available land for crops and livestock as well as other wide reaching consequences. The decline of forests is due to many underlying factors, all are driven by consumption. Industrialized countries enjoy short-term profits from the destruction of the world’s forests but the ill effects of deforestation such as soil erosion will be the cause of human misery on a global scale if practices such as over-logging and unsustainable farming techniques are allowed to continue unabated. This discussion examines the causes and effects of deforestation with an emphasis on the devastating detriments soil degradation poses to the human populations of the world. The forests of the world are gradually becoming extinct. If the current rate of deforestation persists, the human population will become extinct as well. Forests supply oxygen and consume carbon dioxide. Mankind will perish if oxygen levels decrease and the effects of global warming, the greenhouse effect, will increase if deforestation continues. A more immediate problem for human survival linked to the deforestation is soil erosion. The consequences of soil erosion, more specifically, the degradation and regression of the soil, are many. The six billion people that now populate the earth use just 10 percent of available land to raise livestock and grow crops for consumption. This disproportionate use of resources has created a crisis for the soil systems of the world which is causing progressively lower yields of food for a growing world population. “Many soils suffer from various types of degradation, that can ultimately reduce their ability to produce food resources” (“Underlying Causes,” 1999). The erosion of soil also allows for increased susceptibility to flooding and mud slides which are cause the deaths of many people every year and continue to worsen. Eroding soil mixes with clean water supplies thus reducing the amount of available, life-giving water for an increasing number of people. The soil that is washed into the drinking water contains toxins, pesticides, fertilizers and industrial wastes which further restrict the supply of potable water. Deforestation and the resulting soil degradation reduces the amount of vegetation which feeds the unique, as well as common, animals inhabiting places such as the tropical rainforests. Soil erosion is, in effect, causing the extinction of many species throughout the world (“Soils retrogression”, 2007). Simply put, consumerism is causing the loss of the forests, the erosion of soil and jeopardizing the inherent and broad-reaching significance of the forests. “Forests are one of the most valuable eco-systems in the world, containing over 60 percent of the world’s biodiversity. This biodiversity has multiple social and economic values, apart from its intrinsic value, varying from the important ecological functions of forests in terms of soil and watershed protection to the economic value of the numerous products which can be extracted from the forest” (“Underlying Causes,” 1999). The over-consumption of forests, predominantly fueled by the wealthy, industrialized nations, is the primary cause of deforestation. Locally, within the forests, the secondary cause involves unregulated logging practices. The vast majority of deforestation is uncontrolled and replanting policies are lacking in the under-developed countries where most of the forests are located. Logging, with the intention of converting forest regions for farming and commercial uses such as oil exploration and mining, is widely recognized as the major cause of deforestation. It is not the only contributor to the loss of life-bearing and life-giving forests, however. While the wealth of industrialized nations is the root cause, the rampant poverty within the nations of most forests contributes to essentially the same degree. Mines and logging companies employ desperately poor people to clear forests and pay third world country governments to operate within their borders. The short-term financial benefits to most nations that contain vast forests are perceived to outweigh the long-term negative effects. “In some cases (deforestation is) related to major international economic phenomena, such as macro-economic strategies which provide a strong incentive for short-term profit-making instead of long-term sustain ability” (“Underlying Causes,” 1999). Farming by indigenous peoples also contributes to deforestation and soil erosion. “Farmers tend to settle along roads through the forest, to clear a patch of land and to use it for growing subsistence or cash crops. In tropical forests, such practices tend to lead to rapid soil degradation as most soils are too poor to sustain agriculture” (“Underlying Causes,” 1999). Farmers and large agricultural corporations must clear trees every couple of years, generally by slash and burn techniques, to find land that will sustain crops. Cattle are generally raised for another couple of years on the eroded, previously farmed land which further degrades the soil. The result of deforestation by these aforementioned methods is “an entirely degraded piece of land which will be unable to recover its original biomass for many years” (“Underlying Causes,” 1999). Deforestation is commonly thought to take place only in locations such as the Amazon Rainforest. Although most of forest destruction occurs in tropical areas of the world, deforestation has also blighted the landscapes of Europe and North America as well. In these regions, severely depredated soil caused by deforestation and unsustainable agricultural methods has led to unusable farming lands which have been abandoned by farmers. Logging by means of clear-cutting has reduced large tracts of primary forests in countries such as Malaysia and Canada. This method is the main cause of deforestation in these and other countries. Clear cut logging entails removing every tree over a wide area whereas selective cutting leaves a portion of the trees to repopulate that area. Deforestation is not a new phenomenon. As an example, the dense forests of Scotland and Ireland were almost completely eradicated in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries by the British to build merchant and war-ships for their vast fleet (“Underlying Causes,” 1999). Deforestation has been a well-publicized issue for more than a quarter century. ‘Save the rainforests’ is a widely recognized phrase. However, the governments of the world have accomplished little in preserving the world’s forests though many well-intended resolutions have been passed by many nations. Most agree that the resolutions aren’t worth the paper (from trees) they are written on because they do not address underlying various reasons for the massive destruction of forests which are complex. Immediate financial gains for poor countries and commercial needs for wealthy nations, the supply-side, are the root cause but other important facets have not surfaced as relevant issues but must be solved before deforestation can be slowed. Resolving to end deforestation seldom takes into account the poor indigenous farmers who will continue their present practices unless an alternate method of subsistence can be found. Additionally, many of the tropical countries that contain a majority of the world’s forest are not democracies and are governed by monarchal elitists and/or militaries that prey on the socially disadvantaged for their own selfish gain. This roadblock to preserving forests will not be solved by rhetoric or resolutions passed in far-away nations (“Underlying Causes,” 1999). Deforestation has become a global problem that is producing cataclysmic consequences to the life-sustaining soil beneath it not because governments of the world condemn the practice but cannot stop it, but through their collective economic and social policies are promoting it. “Whilst the poor may operate the chainsaws or set the forest on fire, it is mostly governments and corporations who are behind such actions” (“Underlying Causes,” 1999). What were virgin, ancient and thick forests have been and continue to be converted into soy bean fields, cattle ranches, crop farms and wood products. Soy beans growing in areas once covered in forests are used predominantly for the exploding fast-food market in the U.S. The ‘hamburger’ meat used in most fast-food restaurants is made from soybeans. The clearing of tropical forests has provided the inexpensive ‘meat’ that has fed the voracious American appetite for fast, cheap food. “Forests are not disappearing because people and their governments are ignorant or because there are no proper management plans. Forests are disappearing because a number of interlinked international and national policies prepare the ground for it to happen” (“Underlying Causes,” 1999). Wind and water passing over barren land initiates erosion which has been caused by deforestation or poor farming practices. Soil degradation occurs when using chemical fertilizers which break down the chemical composition of the soil. “Many scientists observed a gradual decrease of soil organic matter content in soils, as well as a decrease of soil biological activity in particular, in relation to chemical uses” (“Soils retrogression”, 2007). The combination of erosion and degradation results in desert-like conditions where neither plants nor animals can survive but this problem can be overcome by implementing proven agricultural practices which enhance and rebuild the soil. “Rebuilding is possible through the improvement of soil structure, addition of organic matter and limitation of runoff” (“Soils retrogression,” 2007). These erosion reducing methods are relatively easy to implement but seldom are because of the initial expense, however slight. The governing powers that control most of the world’s large forests, generally speaking, are concerned only with the exploitation of both land and people for their own selfish motives. If these progressive farming methods were utilized, the soil would be improved but would not return to its previous state which took thousands of years to develop. Deforestation is the leading reason that soils in the forested areas lose their sustainability. Farming techniques and overgrazing increase soil degradation and erosion. The solution begins with severing the root cause. The voracious consumerism of industrialized nations is depleting the forests but if the people of these nations could come to understand the implications of deforestation and learn the specific companies within their country contributing to it. For example, Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonalds have recently been reported on the national news as major purchasers of soybeans grown in former rainforest lands. Through education, new wave of activism likely would arise and at least slow the demand. This, in turn, will slow the destruction of both forest and soil. If either is lost, life, at least human life, cannot be sustained. References “Soils Retrogression and Degradation.” (2007). Answers.com. Available September 22, 2007 from “What are Underlying Causes of Deforestation?” (1999). World Rainforest Movement. Uruguay. Available September 22, 2007 from Read More