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Home » 5 Causes of Deforestation and Their Impact on the Environment

5 Causes of Deforestation and Their Impact on the Environment

Quoted from a book entitled Forest Management by Frans Wanggai (2009: 24) forestis a biological community of plants and animals that live in a certain condition, interacting in a complex way with non-living (abiotic) environmental components.

Forests have many benefits. However, lately the forest has been getting smaller and causing the forest to become bare. The causes of deforestation are:

1. Transfer of Forest Functions

The function of the forest which is supposed to be a place for various flora and fauna to live is made into settlements, agricultural land, or as oil palm land. The increasing population results in an increase in the need for land and also an increase in economic needs. In addition, the demand for palm oil is increasing, even though oil palm land cannot accommodate the demand. In the end, the conversion of forest functions to oil palm land is the fastest solution.

2. Natural Factors

Illustration of a forest burning due to hot weather that lasts several days.  https://www.freepik.com/
Illustration of a forest burning due to hot weather that lasts several days. https://www.freepik.com/

Forest fires occur due to very hot weather and alsoglobal warmingwhich causes the earth’s temperature to increase. Forest fires can sweep across a forest in no time.

3. Community Needs

The high demand of the community, especially paper made from trees. The more paper needs increase, the more trees are cut down. Movement to save paper is one way to not cut down trees in the forest to make the forest bare.

4. Technology is Increasingly Advanced

Technological developments make it easier for humans to do various things, including logging trees. However, this has a negative impact. Sangking easy and fast, cutting trees in just seconds. Apart from that, there is no selective logging. All trees will be cut down.

5. Mining

Often mining areas are carried out in forest areas. The opening of the mine requires that the trees in the forest must be cut down. In addition, the area for mining transportation also requires a large area. After logging is finished, many business actors do not return to their original function as a forest and seem to just let it go, because it requires a very large amount of money.

The Impact of Deforestation on the Environment

Deforested forests have a huge impact on the lives of living things, including:

1. Low Quality Oxygen

Trees are producersoxygenfrom the process of photosynthesis. If there are fewer trees, the oxygen produced will be lower.

2. Global Warming

In addition to producing oxygen, trees also absorb carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide is produced from vehicle pollution and industrial waste. If there are lots of deforested forests, the earth will get hotter because there is nothing to absorb it anymorecarbon dioxide.

3. Drought

The forest is a water catchment area. If there is no water absorption, then drought will hit various areas which will affect human life which is very dependent on water.

4. The Death of Flora and Fauna

The forest is the home of flora and fauna. If their homes disappear, the longer the population of flora and fauna will decrease. In the end flora and fauna will become victims of the loss of their habitat.

5. Natural Disasters Hit More Frequently

The forest is a place of water catchment. When it rains there is nothing to absorb water that should be absorbed by tree roots. Soil that is exposed to continuous rain causes the contours and structure of the soil to be damaged which then causes landslides.

Maintaining and reforesting forests is a way to deal with deforested forests. In addition to cutting down trees must be selective logging. If deforestation continues, there will be many more negative impacts. (PsZ)

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