In a forest that hasn’t suffered any deforestation, there are many factors which make it a functional and healthy forest. Transpiration is able to take place, which releases the water content into the atmosphere. The trees intercept the precipitation, which in rainforests would be very harsh on the ground. The tree roots also allow extra support for the soil. These two factors combined prevent soil erosion. The forest also provides a habitat for plants and animals. Should these trees be removed there will be less transpiration so more water will be in contact with the ground. The tree roots will no longer be present and therefore there is no support for the soil and erosion takes place. The excess of ground water can also cause floods. The habitats will be destroyed and animal and plant species extinct. Ultimately, this amount of loss means that 1% of the world’s tropical rainforests is lost per year.
As the soil washes away, the nutrients go with it, leaving the land very infertile. This prevents the forest ever re-growing as the soil is in really bad condition. Deforestation causes a huge problem in both the nitrogen cycle and carbon cycle. As the trees are removed, some dead matter is left, which naturally decomposes through nitrification. This results in the production of ammonia. The process continues through decay and fixation. However, rainfall will wash the soil into the rivers and streams and the bacteria needed for the cycle is lost. This means that nitrogen levels in the atmosphere could decrease. The loss of carbon in the carbon cycle is much simpler. Less trees means that less carbon dioxide is taken in and less oxygen given off. This raises CO2 levels in the atmosphere and decreases O2, which in turn contributes to global warming. This process is said to cause the ice caps to melt, resulting in extra moisture in the air, leading to frequent floods that cover large areas, such as the flood that struck Europe in the summer of this year.
As far as the diversity of certain species is concerned, the amount is slowly decreasing. This is due to their habitats slowly being destroyed. If just one creature becomes extinct, it can cause problems on a large scale due to food chains being affected. This regular extinction means that species higher on the food chain may become extinct too.
Some reasons that deforestation is taking place on such a global scale are due to the actual wood that is available. Many of the countries that contain tropical rainforests are very poor countries and easy money can be made as they contain highly desirable wood (e.g. mahogany). Most of the loggers that chop down the trees are required to hold a licence to do so, however, many loggers operate without a permit. Maybe stronger enforced laws on licensing could be a solution that may decrease the rate of deforestation. This is unlikely to happen though as much of the wood is exported, making more money for the country’s economy. The more wood that can be exported, the more money will be made.
In order for wood to be cleared, routes need to be cleared for roads. These roads often become wider as more trees are exported, which destroys more trees. Accidents often happen with loggers’ equipment. They can start forest fires which devastate huge areas of trees and even makes them useless for export – in affect, they are wasted. Forest fires also cause a loss of species. Those that escape the fires have no habitats to return to.
In order to decrease, and hopefully prevent deforestation, many measures can be taken. (However not all of them would be successful!!)
Attempting to keep some areas of rainforests and deciduous forests as conservation areas would mean that areas were protected.
There have been a few rules in the past so that when trees are removed they are replaced and it has worked in some places but the rate of deforestation in some areas is so rapid that there will be no fully grown trees around until the ones planted have had time to grow, which could take years.
Stronger enforcement on licensing laws could work but as I mentioned earlier, the governments must stick to their policies and not take on a selfish attitude in order to raise their country’s economy.
If something isn’t done soon, the diversity of species, both animal and plant species will be dramatically reduced, global warming will continue and the world will be a much grimmer place.
