Deforestation

Deforestation

What is deforestation?• Deforestation is the full or

large scale removal of a forest, or area of tress, in order to clear land for human development.

Deforestation• is the direct or indirect

human-induced conversion of forested land to non-forested land

How does it happen?

Agriculture• Population Food

As our population increases, we need more land to grow crops and food to feed the people.

http://www.grazulis.com/northwest/images/forest.jpg•http://www.green.net.au/quoll/forests/after.jpg http://www.miamidade.gov/filmiami/gallery/farms_ranches/agriculture/Agriculture6952FE.jpg

Cultivation Countries clear large areas

of land so that they can grow and develop them.

Nutrients depleted

fertility of soil is exhausted due to repeated cropping, a natural forest area is destroyed.

Overgrazing

Overgrazing in forests destroyes newly regenerated growth. It also makes soil more compact and impervious.

Overgrazing also accelerates the soil erosion.

Fuel wood

People living near forests get fuel wood

charcoal for cooking and heating

uses such as keeping the fire on for warmth at night

Forest fires

Frequent fires are the major cause of destruction of forests.

Some fires are incidental while the majority of them are deliberate.

Timber

Timber and plywood industries are mainly responsible for the destruction of forest trees.

Thus the increases demand for timber led to a rapid depl- etion of forest.

Forest diseases

Many diseases caused by parasitic fungi, rusts,viruses cause death and decay of forest plants.

Diseases such as heart rot,blister rust,oak wilt,phloem necrosis and Dutch elm diseases etc damage the forest in large numbers.

Land slides

Deforestation due to land slides in the hills is of great

developmental activities were in progress for past few decades.

Acid Rain

Mining Exploitation

What are the Effects of Deforestation?

Erosion of SoilWhen forest areas are

cleared, it results in exposing the soil to the sun, making it very dry and eventually, infertile, due to volatile nutrients such as nitrogen being lost.

Disruption of the Water CycleTrees contribute in a large way in

maintaining the water cycle. They draw up water via their roots, which is then released into the atmosphere. A large part of the water that circulates in the ecosystem of rainforests, for instance, remains inside the plants. When these trees are cut down it results in the climate getting drier in that area.

Due to massive deforestation, about 50 to 100 species of animals are being lost each day. The outcome of which is the extinction of animals and plants on a massive scale.

Loss of Biodiversity

FloodingOne of the vital functions of forests is to

absorb and store great amounts of water quickly when there are heavy rains. When forests are cut down, this regulation of the flow of water is disrupted, which leads to alternating periods of flood.

When deforestation occurs, many of the trees are burnt or they are allowed to rot, which results in releasing the carbon that is stored in them as carbon dioxide. This, in turn, leads to greater concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Climate Change

DEFORESTATION IN SRI LANKA

Deforestation is one of the most serious environmental issues in Sri Lanka. In the 1920s, the island had a 49 percent forest cover but by 2005 this had fallen by approximately 20 percent. However with a long history of policy and laws towards environmental protection, deforestation rates of primary cover have actually decreased 35% since the end of the 1990s thanks to a strong history of conservation measures.

How to prevent deforestation:

1. Plant trees and begin doing this in your yard. Trees also help in containing water in its roots.

2. Use recycled items such as books or pad paper, toilet paper, even shopping bags. If you can, do not waste any of these products so that no new raw material would be required to replace them.

3. If you are a farmer try to rotate your crops.

4. Cut down only the mature trees. Do not kill baby trees. 5. Join environmental awareness groups that would help you be an advocate of reforestation.

6. Instead of using firewood, use coals to heat up your fireplaces during the winter season. Remember that it takes only a few hours to consume the firewood but it would take years to grow a single tree. Think twice before purchasing firewood again.

Let’s all prevent Deforestation!