Environmental Degradation

1. Environmental Degradation By: Kinzi Corral

2. What is deforestation? Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a non-forest use. Examples include conversion of forestland to ranches, farms or even for urban use. The clearance can be done manually or with mechanical equipment. They clear out the forest to make way for human activities.

3. What is the rot cause of deforestation? A few other reasons that deforestation is happening is that the trees or derived charcoal are used and sold for fuel as timber. The land that is cleared from forest is often used as a pasture for livestock, plantations of commodities, and settlements. When they remove the trees without sufficient reforestation the results cause damage to habitat, biodiversity and loss of aridity. Deforestation then causes extinction, changes in climate conditions. • I feel like with the population growing so quickly is one of the main reasons that they are cutting down the trees. They are running out of places for people to live. Another huge factor is urbanization of all the areas. Globalization does play a part in this situation.

5. According to a report compiled by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), approximately 80 percent of the deforestation in the world today is attributed to agriculture.  Some of the effects of deforestation: • Global Warming • Emission of greenhouse gases • Global climate change. • Carbon stores in soil. • Reduced net oxygen levels. • Biosphere instability

6. Where is deforestation taking place? • Deforestation is happening all over the world and very quickly. Seven countries (Russia, Brazil, Canada, the United States, China, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo) account for more than 60% of the total. Deforestation is primarily driven by activities and government-sponsored development projects. By the 1990s the majority of deforestation was caused by industrial factors, including extractive industries, major cattle ranching, and extensive agriculture.

8. It has been anticipated that we are losing 137 plants and animal and insect species every single day due to rainforest deforestation, which equates to 50,000 species a year. The known extinction rates from deforestation rates are very low, approximately 1 species per year from mammals and birds which is approximately 23,000 species per year for all species. Every year more than 8.5 million hectares of tropical rainforests are being demolished.

10. What is being done or can be done to handle this environmental problem? We should also start by spreading awareness. I think that the government should make a campaign to show people how deforestation has affected humans. We should also target the children and get them involved. The more information people know about deforestation, it will slowly stop people cutting down trees and ruining the animals habitats. • We can plant more trees for them to grow. We can then reverse the cycle. If we start by planting more trees, we will end up having more trees in the long run. I also feel like their should be fines or punishments for people who decide to cut down trees that are not suppose to be cut down.

11. What is being done or can be done to handle this environmental problem? If we were to have a vegetarian type lifestyle, it would end up saving a lot of crops. The crops and plants get wasted in feeding the animals. If you couldn’t give up meat entirely you could cut back on your intake. When the animals are left to graze in the forests, the plants and trees get destroyed. So if you cut back on meat and make your diet more fruit and vegetables it will be better for the environment and as well as your health. • The most important thing I think we can do is recycle. If we were to start recycling the products made from plastic and glass that you use, paper, shopping bags, bottles, books, etc. Also, if we started buying recycled items it cuts back for the need for raw materials significantly and therefore, less trees will be cut down

12. Reflection: • When I was researching this project I was aware of what was going on, but I didn’t know it was to that extent. I think a lot of people like to just pretend like nothing is happening because it’s easier that way. It makes me very angry that we are doing this to the forests and the animals that live in those places. With us cutting their homes down is causing those animals to become extinct. I feel like if we all just gave back to the world a little bit it would benefit the world in the long run. The U.S is just the start of deforestation, I know that there are plenty of other countries that this is happening in. There isn’t much we can do about that, but we can start with ours. The more people know the more it will benefit us. It also was crazy to me how deforestation can effect so many different things such as: global warming, urbanization, population growth, and extinction. I think some people are just oblivious to what is happening. I have always been big on recycling but this project just opens my eyes to it a little bit more.

13. Information Found at: • http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Deforestation/deforestation_update3.php • http://www.buzzle.com/articles/deforestation/ • http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/rainforest-deforestation/?rptregcta=reg_free_np&rptregcampaign=20131016_rw_membership_n1p_us_ot_w#close-modal • http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Deforestation/deforestation_update3.php • https://worldwildlife.org/threats/deforestation