Causes of Deforestation Essay - 579 Words

Causes for Deforestation The Rainforests are being destroyed, daily at alarming rates. The deforestation is caused by three main factors: Commercial Logging, Non-commercial Farming Operations and Commercial Agricultural Development, there are also many minor factors, but the biggest of these is Cocaine production. Many sources pinpoint commercial logging as the primary culprit in tropical rainforest destruction. Logging damages the rainforest directly through the removal of commercially valuable timber species such as mahogany, rosewood, meranti, kapok and teak. Indirect damage occurs in several ways. As the desired trees fall, they pull down surrounding lianas and epiphytic growth (vines); a single tree and its epiphytes may†¦show more content†¦A second type of subsistence agriculture is what the Rainforest Information Center identifies as farming by shifted cultivators. In fact, the RIC suggests that over half of tropical rainforest loss is due to shifted cultivators. These are farmers who have been forced (shifted) off of their own land by the forces of development (such as mining or large scale ranching). Their only alternative for survival is to develop a small farmstead by cutting and burning the rainforest. Commercial Agricultural Development is the third major cause of deforestation. This type of agricultural is usually based on large land holdings by a few individuals or by the government. Cattle ranching, to produce cheaper beef for developed nations is often cited as a prime example of how this type of agriculture harms tropical rainforests. In literature provided at the 1998 International Educator’s Rainforest Workshop in Peru, the demand for beef was said to have accounted for 72% of the deforestation in Brazil in the 1970’s. Incidentally, many rainforest activists have pointed out that much of the beef raised on these ranches makes it way into American fast-food hamburgers, a cause for consumer introspection on our part. Costa Rica has in many respects done an admirable job of rainforest remains but how much of it has been converted to pasture land. InShow MoreRelatedCause And Effect Of Deforestation1259 Words   |  6 PagesPeriod 2 28 October 2015 Cause and Effect of Deforestation Deforestation is a problem that does not concern many people, but it is an issue that the people of Earth need to deal with. In the past 50 years deforestation has increased a significant amount, but people around the world have been removing the forests since the 1600s. The forests remaining are in danger as the human population goes up, the need for resources will also increase and this will make the deforestation of the last forests comeRead MoreCauses of Deforestation Essay889 Words   |  4 Pagesthat areas that have been selectively logged are eight times more likely to be settled and cleared by shifting cultivators than untouched rainforests because of access granted by logging roads. Logging is the second largest cause of deforestation. Mining Many of the planets rainforests lie over rich mineral deposits. The mining process releases harmful toxins, like mercury and cyanide which are often used in the gold extraction process, into local streams and Read MoreThe Causes and Effects of Deforestation in Tropical Rainforests2516 Words   |  11 PagesThe Causes and Effects of Deforestation in Tropical Rainforests Tropical rainforests are the most alive places on earth. Covering less than 12% of the lands surface, the rainforests are home to more than half of all living species (Lewis, 4). 90% of all non-primates reside in tropical rainforests. Two-thirds of known plants, 40% birds of prey, and 80% of all insects are found only in tropical rainforests. Of the 2.5 to 5 million animals species thought to exist, onlyRead More The Causes of Deforestation in the Amazon Rain Forest Essay732 Words   |  3 PagesThe Causes of Deforestation in the Amazon Rain Forest      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Amazon Rain Forest crosses several national boundaries in South America, although the majority of it is located in Brazil. It covers over 3,562,000 acres, making it the largest in the world. But globally, over 138,600 acres of rain forest are lost each year to deforestation, 50,000 of those in Brazil alone (Holdsforth), and the worlds rain forests are quickly disappearing. Deforestation in the Amazon occurs primarily forRead MoreDeforestation of the Amazon: Causes, Effects and Possible Solutions2350 Words   |  10 PagesDeforestation of the Amazon: Causes, Effects and Possible Solutions NAME Geography 101, Section 040 PROFESSOR 6 December 2012 Abstract This paper explores the causes, effects and possible solutions of the deforestation of the Amazon Forest. It is important to understand why more than 580,000 square kilometers of Amazon forest has been destroyed in Brazil since 1980 (Rhett Butler 2012). The main topics of this paper, in order to fully explore the issue at hand, will include: Read MoreA Look Into Some Causes, Effects, And Possible Solutions Of Deforestation2536 Words   |  11 Pages Ameera Jafrey Professor Syvates ENST 150 September 22, 2014 A Look into Some Causes, Effects, and Possible Solutions of Deforestation in the Global Environment I. Introduction With society’s demand and need for the earth’s resources, deforestation has long been a prevalent environmental issue at hand and has picked up significant momentum more recently. Deforestation occurs around the world, however, according to GRID-Arendal, it is most prevalent in areas with tropical rainforestsRead MoreCause and Effect of Deforestation in Sumatra Forests Essay example558 Words   |  3 Pages There are thousands of species in the Sumatra forest who are being affected by deforestation. Many of the food and products used today contribute to the deforestation of one of the largest rainforests in the world. Although it is hard to pinpoint one cause of deforestation there are a few that stand out. Palm oil plantations, illegal loggers, and paper companies, are devastating some of the worlds most endangered species. First, palm oil plantations play a large role in the decreasing wildlifeRead MoreDeforestation And Malari Deforestation900 Words   |  4 Pages201 012 A49466712 19 February 2015 Deforestation and Malaria Introduction: Deforestation causes an increase in Malaria. Deforestation is the removing of trees to make it into an empty land. Deforestation occurs all over the world. Humans, who use the resources the forest can provide us, cause a lot of deforestation. Some of the resources we use are the trees it self for wood and also the certain foods it produces. Malaria is a disease. It is an illness that causes fevers by an organism that livesRead MoreDeforestation Of The Deciduous Forest1426 Words   |  6 Pages Deforestation in the Deciduous Forest has become a very large problem over the past few years. It not only impacts the environment, but the wildlife and the humans as well. Deforestation is defined by Dictionary.com as: to clear of trees, the cutting down or removal of most of the trees. This has a tremendous impact on all living organisms and can have long lasting effects on the environment. If this issue isn’t solved soon, then we will soon find ourselves in a great deal of problems. DeforestationRead MoreDeforestation Is A Big Environmental Issue1092 Words   |  5 PagesNowadays, deforestation becomes a big environmental issue around the world since forests play critical roles in many aspects for the life of all the living things. (World Wildlife Fund) There are many factors that will result in deforestation such as â€Å"fires, clear-cutting for agriculture, ranching and development, unsustainable logging for timber, and degradation due to climate change† (World Wildlife Fund). Human activities would be the main cause of deforestation. (Ronca, 2008, p.1) World Wildlife