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Article Series: Global Warming
Global Warming & Climate Change -
What Do I Need To Know?
The
Effects of Deforestation
Deforestation
is a serious problem that continues to threaten many of the
earth's most delicate ecosystems. Although
the effects of deforestation are well known and have been documented
several times, deforestation is an environmental threat that
persists despite the dire warnings from researchers around
the world. But just why are forest ecosystems so valuable,
and what are the effects of deforestation on our world?
Forest ecosystems have been widely recognized as some of the
most efficient yet delicate ecosystems that currently exist
on earth. Forests are very important ecosystems that are well
known for holding many important nutrients as well as for recycling
many important nutrients. Forest ecosystems are also important
because they hold water and absorb water, which allows these
very special ecosystems to be able to create a very rich and
porous hummus topsoil.
What
happens when a forest is destroyed? Deforestation refers
to the process of widespread disruption of a forest ecosystem
that occurs when trees are cut on a wide scale. When a forest
is removed and the humus-rich topsoil is left exposed, a number
of consequences can be expected to happen. When the rich forest
topsoil becomes exposed after the removal of trees, the rain
that falls after that converts that rich topsoil into a sealed-off
soil that becomes very moist and muddy, allowing it to slide
away from land. When topsoil becomes this moist and muddy,
it causes this soil to drip and slide into waterways. What
is left behind in the once-forest ecosystem? The only thing
left behind is poor subsoil that leaves the land very vulnerable
to natural erosion. In general, then, deforestation leads to
massive soil and land erosion.
The effects of deforestation are especially troubling when
it comes to tropical rain forests. Tropical rain forests are
especially vulnerable to the consequences of deforestation.
Why is this so? This happens because the humus topsoil that
exists in tropical rain forests is widely known to be very
thin and lacking in nutrients. This means that when deforestation
occurs in tropical rain forests, the topsoil that is left behind
is very vulnerable and will tend to wash away and erode very
easily. Usually, after deforestation occurs in tropical rain
forests, the only thing that is left afterwards is very nutrient
poor, hard, clay-like subsoil that is not rich enough to sustain
most kinds of agriculture.
One of the most important consequences of soil erosion is
that it has been shown that these sediments are then washed
into many rivers and streams. These eroding sediments are often
responsible for clogging water channels and thus promoting
flooding. Soil erosion has also been shown to upset surrounding
ecosystems, and often has been show to be responsible for killing
fish and flooding reservoirs.
However,
despite all we know about deforestation, it continues to
happen around the world at very alarming rates,
especially in developing countries. In fact, a survey done
by the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that something
like 33.8 million were cleared in developing countries between
the years 1990 and 1995. That is an area nearly three times
as large as the whole country of France! Why is this happening?
Deforestation, especially in developing countries, occurs because
forests are not ready sources of wealth and profit. Agriculture,
however, is a ready source of profit. Forests are cut down
in order to make room for agriculture.
Much of the deforestation that is occurring around the world
in developmental countries is done in order to commit to greater
agricultural goals. Most of these agricultural goals are directed
toward producing so-called crash cops. Another main goal of
deforestation is directed toward growing grass and other crops
in order to promote greater beef production.
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SolveYourProblem.com
: 2007
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