Deforestation and why it’s a problem

Hi everyone,

Welcome back to another post. Today we’ll be talking about deforestation and its impacts on our earth.

Deforestation, the widespread clearance of natural forests, has been happening for thousands of years. One example is Western Europe, where, two millennia ago, 80% of the land was cloaked in dense forest cover. However, over time, a significant portion of this green expanse was sacrificed to create room for crops, livestock grazing, and as a source of fuel and building materials. Presently, a mere 34% of Western Europe retains its woodland.

Today, the tropics deal with the brunt of deforestation. Activities such as mining, agriculture, road construction, and the establishment of vast cattle ranches drive the mass clearance of tropical rainforests. This results in the release of huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, exacerbating the global climate crisis. The consequences come in two waves: first, the reduced number of trees means less carbon is captured from the air, contributing to rising CO2 levels; second, the destruction of biodiverse habitats transforms once-rich ecosystems into monocultures with reduced carbon storage capacities.

In his book, "A Life On Our Planet," David Attenborough explains the relationship between biodiversity and carbon capture. The intricate ecosystems in rainforests capture and store more carbon. Unfortunately, extensive deforestation turns these biodiverse havens into monotonous landscapes that can store far less carbon. Furthermore, the changed ecosystems become susceptible to soil erosion and wildfires.

Unfortunately, statistics estimate that since 1990, a staggering 420 million hectares of forest have succumbed to deforestation. This loss is not merely a reduction of greenery; it shows the endangerment of 80% of all land animals and plants that live in forests. Furthermore, tropical rainforests, important components of global water cycles, are dwindling rapidly, posing a huge threat to the delicate balance of our planet's ecological systems.

We hope you enjoyed this post and see you next week.

Your Green World Blog Team💚

Sources:

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/deforestation/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/deforestation/

Images:

This image, owned by crustmania (on flickr.com) is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

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