DEFORESTATION

INTRODUCTION:
Deforestation leads to habitat loss while preservation and conservation of the
natural forest increase biological diversity. Through the biological diversity of
the natural forest the basis for life on earth provided, including human existence
and it is a sure means of securing the abundance of the earth for people of the
future. In essence, by conserving the forest, we do not just guarantee the
survival of several other habitats but also the survival of the human
environment.
Humans have altered the ecosystems according to their own needs without
thinking about the consequences. Their need combined with greed have caused
much damage to the environment, which will affect the coming generations.
The expansion of agriculture, urbanization and industrialization needed the land
which was obtained by large scale clearing of forests.
The deforestation has changed the scenario of developed and developing
countries, and has brought out vast changes resulting into a various
environmental problems.
Deforestation leads to habitat loss while preservation and conservation of the
natural forest increase biological diversity. Multiple factors have been reported
to be responsible for deforestation and habitat loss, which could either be of
human or natural origin.
Natural causes of deforestation could be as a result of forest fires, droughts,
exotic animals, floods, overpopulation of foreign animals and climate change.
That notwithstanding, human activities are among the principal causes of global
deforestation and habitat loss with agricultural expansion, cattle breeding,
timber extraction, mining, oil extraction, dam construction and infrastructure
development as some examples of these human influences.
OBJECTIVES

1. The causes of deforestation

2. Fast depletion of wildlife and other forest resources due to
deforestation
3. Urbanization/industrialization and infra-structure
4. Consequences of deforestation
5. Strategies to reduce deforestation
 1.CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION

The most common reason for deforestation is cutting of wood for fuel,
lumber and paper. Another important cause relates to the clearing of
forest land for agriculture, including conversion to crop land and
pasture`.

Over-grazing

Agriculture

Causes

of deforestation

Industry

Developmental project Fuel wood

The main causes of deforestation are:

 agriculture;
 demand for firewood;
 demand of wood for industry and commercial purposes;
 urbanization and developmental projects;
 other causes.
1.Agriculture
The expanding agriculture is one of the most important causes of deforestation.
Man has always modified the natural ecosystems in such a way that environment
becomes more favourable for crop growth whether using traditional or modern
methods of agriculture. As demands for agricultural products rises, more and more
land is brought under cultivation and for that more forests are cleared, grasslands
and even marshes, and lands under water are reclaimed. Thus there is much more
ecological destruction than gain in term of crop yield. The forest soil after
clearing are unable to support farming for long periods due to exhaustion of
nutrients. Once the soils become unfit for cultivation, the area suffers from to soil
erosion and degradation.

2.Demand for firewood

Firewood has been used as a source of energy for cooking, heating etc. Almost
44% of the total global wood produced fulfils the fuel requirements of the world.
Close look at the pattern of utilization of wood produced will show that the
developed countries utilize 16% of their share for fuel requirements. India
consumes nearly 135-170 Mt (Million tonnes) of firewood annually and 10-15 ha
of forest cover is being stripped off to meet the minimum fuel needs of urban and
rural poor.

3.Wood for industry and commercial use

Wood, the versatile forest produce, is used for several industrial purposes,
such as making crates, packing cases, furniture, match boxes, wooden
boxes, paper and pulp, plywood, etc. 1.24 lakh ha of forest have been cut
for various industrial uses. Unrestricted exploitation of timber as well as
other wood products for commercial purposes is the main cause of forest
degradation. The paper industry accounts for about 2% of country’s
annual consumption of wood and 51% this requirement is met by
bamboo wood. This has led to the depletion of bamboo stocks in most of
the peninsular India. For example the apple industry in the Himalayan
region has led to the destruction of fir and other tree species, for making
wooden boxes used for transporting apples. Similarly, plywood crates
were used for packing particularly tea and other produce.
4.Urbanisation and developmental projects
Often urbanisation and developmental activities lead to deforestation.
The process of deforestation begins with building of infrastructure in the
form of roads, railway lines, building of dams, townships, electric supply
etc. Thermal power plants, mining for coal, metal ores and minerals are
also important causes of deforestation.

Nowadays you must have heard about the Tehri power project which is a
260.5m high earth and rock fill dam near the Tehri town in Garhwal
Himalayas. The project site is situated a little downstream the junction of
Bhagirathi and Bhilganga rivers. An estimated 4,600 ha of good forest
land will be submerged under water. This has displaced an estimated 3,500
odd families.

5.Other causes

Recent developments everywhere in world have caused large scale

environmental degradation, especially in tropical forest areas. The large
amounts of resources –living and nonliving (minerals, river, land) found
in these forests have attracted both industry and other developmental
agencies, which have severely depleted forest cover.

Forests may sometimes suffer from natural calamities such as

overgrazing, floods, forest fires, diseases and termite attack.
2.Fast Depletion of wildlife and other forest resources due to
Deforestation

The rapid depletion of wildlife and forest resources due to deforestation can be
understood through several interconnected theories and concepts:
1. Habitat Fragmentation: Deforestation often leads to the breaking up of
large, contiguous habitats into smaller, isolated patches. This can restrict
animal movement, reduce genetic diversity, and make populations more
vulnerable to extinction.
2. Edge Effects: The creation of forest edges changes the conditions in
these areas, often leading to increased predation and competition from
invasive species. Species that thrive in edge environments can
outcompete native species, leading to a decline in biodiversity.
3. Climate Change: Deforestation contributes to climate change by
releasing stored carbon dioxide, which can alter ecosystems and affect
species' survival. Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns can
further stress wildlife and forest resources.
4. Resource Overexploitation: As forests are cleared, remaining wildlife
and forest resources may be overexploited for timber, fuel, and land for
agriculture or development, leading to unsustainable practices and
`depletion.
5. Ecological Succession: Deforestation alters the natural succession of
ecosystems. The original biodiversity is often replaced by a simpler, less
diverse ecosystem, which may not support the same level of wildlife.
6. Socioeconomic Factors: Economic pressures can drive deforestation,
particularly in developing regions. The need for agricultural land,
logging, and infrastructure development often overshadows conservation
efforts, leading to accelerated resource depletion.
7. Cumulative Impacts: The effects of deforestation are often compounded
by other environmental stressors, such as pollution, invasive species, and
climate change, which can exacerbate the decline of wildlife and forest
resources.
3.Urbanisation/industrialization and infrastructure

Urbanization, industrialization, and infrastructure development are major

drivers of deforestation, significantly impacting ecosystems and biodiversity.
Here’s a summary of their effects:
Urbanization
 Land Conversion: Forests are cleared to make way for residential areas,
leading to habitat loss and fragmentation.
 Increased Demand: Growing urban populations increase demand for
resources such as timber, fuel, and land for agriculture, putting additional
pressure on forests.
Industrialization
 Resource Extraction: Industries often rely on raw materials sourced
from forests, leading to logging and land degradation.
 Pollution: Industrial activities can contaminate nearby forests, harming
wildlife and disrupting ecosystems.
Infrastructure Development
 Road Construction: Building roads facilitates access to previously
remote forest areas, making them vulnerable to logging, agriculture, and
settlement.
 Energy Projects: Deforestation often occurs for infrastructure related to
energy projects, such as dams and power lines, which can fragment
habitats and alter ecosystems.
Combined Effects
 Biodiversity Loss: Habitat destruction leads to a decline in species
diversity and increases the risk of extinction for many wildlife species.
 Climate Change: Deforestation contributes to carbon emissions,
exacerbating global warming and affecting weather patterns, which
further impacts forest ecosystems.
 Social Impacts: Displacement of communities and loss of livelihoods
reliant on forest resources can lead to social conflicts and economic
challenges.
4. CONSEQUENCES OF DEFORESTATION

Deforestation affects both physical and biological components of the environment.

 Soil erosion and flash flood
 Climatic change
 Loss of biodiversity
(1) Soil erosion and flash flood

A shrinking forest cover coupled with over exploitation of ground water

has accelerated erosion along the slopes of the lower Himalayas and
Aravali hills, making them prone to some of the worst flooding in its
history. There was two days of heavy rainfall and 66,000 villages were
inundated, 2,000 people drowned, and 40,000 cattle were swept away. In
2008 Bihar state suffered worst flood in the river kosi. Several lives were
lost and a huge number of cattle were swept away. Lack of forest cover
has resulted in water flowing off the ground, washing away the top soil
which is finally deposited as silt in the river beds. Forests check soil-
erosion, landslides and reduce intensity of flood and drought.

(2) Climatic change

Forests enhance local precipitation and improve water holding capacity of
soil, regulate water cycle, maintain soil fertility by returning the nutrients
to the soil through leaf fall and decomposition of litter. Forests check soil-
erosion, landslides and reduce intensity of flood and droughts. Forests,
being home of wildlife are important assets of aesthetic, touristic and
cultural value to the society.
Forests have profound effect on the climate. Forest absorbed carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere and help in balancing carbon dioxide and
oxygen in the atmosphere. The forests play a vital role in maintaining
oxygen supply in the air, we breathe. They also play a vital role in the
regulation of water (water cycle) in the environment and act as
environmental buffers regulating climate and atmospheric humidity.
Heat build-up in the atmosphere is one of the important problems of the
century known as greenhouse effect is the partly caused by the result
from deforestation. The entire Himalayan ecosystem is threatened and is
under severe imbalance as snow –line has thinned and perennial springs
have dried up. Annual rainfall has declined by 3 to 4%. Chronic
droughts have begun even in areas like Tamilnadu and Himanchal
Pradesh where they were not known earlier.

(3) Biodiversity
“Biodiversity” include all variety of life forms. Biodiversity - (biological
diversity) is a measure of variation, the number of different varieties,
among living things. Biodiversity can be expressed in number of ways,
which includes the number of genetic strains (differences) within species
and the number of different ecosystem in an area. The most common
expression of biodiversity is the number of different species, within a
particular area (local biodiversity), or in a specific habitat (habitat
biodiversity) or in the world (global biodiversity). Biodiversity is not static.
It changes over the time during evolution new species have come up while
some species become extinct.
5.Strategies to reduce deforestation
Ways to reducing deforestation must go hand in hand with improving the
welfare of cultivators at the forest frontier. Any policy that does without the
other is unacceptable. There are no general solutions and strategies since these
will vary with region and will change over time. All strategies require
cooperation and goodwill. Effective implementation is essential including
stakeholder participation, development of management plans, monitoring and
enforcement. The strategies should be such that on one hand they should
recognize the critical roles of national, state and municipal governments and on
other hand empower the civil society and the private sector to take a pro-active
role in reducing deforestation, often working in conjunction with government.

Reduce population growth and increase per capita incomes

Reduction of population growth is pivotal in reducing deforestation in the
developing countries. Consequent of reduced population, increase in per capita
income will occur as a consequence of increased incomes and literacy rates
which will reduce pressure on the remaining forests for new human settlement
and land use change.
Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation
Many international organizations including the United Nations and the World
Bank have begun to develop programmes to curb deforestation mainly through
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) which
use direct monetary or other incentives to encourage developing countries to
limit and/or roll back deforestation. Significant work is underway on tools for
use in monitoring developing country adherence to their agreed REDDS targets
(Chomitz et al., 2007).
Increase the area and standard of management of protected areas
The provision of protected areas is fundamental in any attempt to conserve
biodiversity (Myers, 1994; Myers and Mittermeier, 2000; Nepstad et al., 2006).
Protected areas alone, however, are not sufficient to conserve biodiversity. They
should be considered alongside, and as part of, a wider strategy to conserve
biodiversity. The minimum area of forest to be protected is generally considered
to be 10 per cent of total forest area. It is reported that 12.4 per cent of the
world’s forest are located within protected areas. Tropical and temperate forests
have the highest proportions of their forests in protected areas and boreal forests
have the least. The Americas have the greatest proportion while Europe the least
proportion of protected areas (Anon., 2010).
Increase the area of forest permanently reserved for timber production
The most serious impediment to sustainable forest management is the lack of
dedicated forests specifically set aside for timber production. If the forest does
not have a dedicated long-term tenure for timber production then there is no
incentive to care for the long-term interests of the forest. FAO (2001) found that
89 per cent of forests in industrialized countries were under some form of
management but only about six per cent were in developing countries. If 20 per
cent could be set aside, not only could timber demand be sustainably met but
buffer zones could be established to consolidate the protected areas. This would
form a conservation estate that would be one of the largest and most important
in the world (Anon., 2001a).
Promote sustainable management
In order to promote sustainable forest management, it must be sustainable
ecologically, economically and socially. Achieving ecological sustainability
means that the ecological values of the forest must not be degraded and if
possible they should be improved. This means that silviculture and management
should not reduce biodiversity, soil erosion should be controlled, soil fertility
should not be lost, water quality on and off site should be maintained and that
forest health and vitality should be safeguarded. However, management for
environmental services alone is not economically and socially sustainable. It
will not happen until or unless the developing nations have a reached a stage of
development and affluence that they can accommodate the costs of doing so.
Alternatively, the developed world must be prepared to meet all the costs
(Chomitz et al., 2007; Anon., 2010; 2011). There are vast areas of unused land
as discussed earlier some of which is degraded and of low fertility.
Technological advances are being made to bring this land back into production.
This should be a major priority since a significant proportion of cleared tropical
forest will eventually end up as degraded land of low fertility.
Increase area of forest plantation
Increasing the area of forest plantations by using vacant or unused lands and
waste and marginal lands especially as road side, along railway tracts, on
contours, avenues, boundaries and on land not suited for agricultural production
should have a net positive benefit. Planting trees outside forest areas will reduce
pressure on forests for timber, fodder and fuelwood demands. Moreover the
deforested areas need to be reforested.
Strengthen government and non-government institutions and policies
Strong and stable government is essential to slow down the rate of
deforestation. FAO (2010) considered that half of the current tropical
deforestation could be stopped if the governments of deforesting countries were
determined to do so (Anon., 2010). Environmental NGO’s contribution towards
conservation management has been enormous. They have the advantage over
government organizations and large international organizations because they are
not constrained by government to government bureaucracy and inertia. They are
better equipped to bypass corruption and they are very effective at getting to the
people at the frontier who are in most need.
Increase investment in research, education and extension
Training and education of stakeholder’s helps people understand how to
prevent and reduce adverse environmental effects associated with deforestation
and forestry activities and take appropriate action when possible. Research
substantiates it and helps to understand the problem, its cause and mitigation.
This arena is lagging behind for paucity of funds and investments encourages
this arena. There is a lack of knowledge and information in the general
community about forests and forestry. Forest managers and those developing
forest policies need to be comprehensively educated and need to appreciate the
complexity of the interacting ecological, economical, social, cultural and
political factors involved.
6.Conclusion
Deforestation and habitat loss is not about losing a few plants and animals, but
also the survival of man hangs on it (Butler, 2019). Deforestation aids the
mechanism of altering the already endangered planet earth; making it dangerous
for plants and animals to survive it. The quest for more lands for agricultural
activities and human expansions is already deleting every forested land from the
surface of the earth. Environmental education is the key to reversing continuous
and deliberate human action through the protection of every natural forest and
afforestation where necessary.