OBJECTIVES

Loves the trees 

Deforestation is the permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodlands. The term does not include the removal of industrial forests such as plantations of gums opines. Deforestation has resulted in the reduction of indigenous forests to four fifths of their pre-agricultural area. Indigenous forests now cover 21% of the earth's land surface.

>To quantify the extent of tropical deforestation.

>To examine some causes and consequences of tropical deforestation.

>To introduce some forest management practices that may reduce the impact of deforestation.

>To create awareness to public about the illegal deforestation that become one of the major problems in our country.

INTRODUCTION

Deforestation refers to the loss or destruction of naturally occurring forests, primarily due to human activities such as logging, cutting trees for fuel, slash-and-burn agriculture, clearing land for livestock grazing, mining operations, oil extraction, dam building, and urban sprawl or other types of development and population expansion.

Not all deforestation is intentional. Some deforestation may be driven by a combination of natural processes and human interests. Wildfires burn large sections of forest every year, for example, and although fire is a natural part of the forest life-cycle  subsequent overgrazing by livestock or wildlife after a fire can prevent the growth of young trees.

This is the example of deforestation in Malaysia:

Picture 1: Conversion of forest oil palm plantation in Malaysia Borneo

Picture 2: Conversion of forest oil palm plantation in Malaysia Borneo

Picture 3: Conversion of forest oil palm plantation in Malaysia Borneo

Source: http://environment.about.com/od/biodiversityconservation/f/deforestation-overview.htm

TYPE OF DEFORESTATION

Please stop deforestation! 

Forests are an extremely important natural resource that can potentially be repeatedly harvested and managed to yield a diversity of commodities of economic importance. Wood is by far the most important product harvested from forests. The wood is commonly manufactured into paper, lumber, plywood, and other products. In addition, in most of the forested regions of the less-developed world firewood is the most important source of energy used for cooking and other purposes. Potentially, all of these forest products can be sustained indefinitely. Unfortunately, in most cases forests have been irresponsibly over-harvested, resulting in the "mining" of the forest resource and widespread ecological degradation. It is critical that in the future all forest harvesting is conducted in a manner that is more responsible in terms of sustaining the resource. There is an examples of type deforestation in Malaysia:

(a) Land clearing to prepare for livestock grazing or expansion of crop planting

(b) Commercial logging and timber harvests

(c) Slash-and-burn forest cutting for subsistence farming

(d) Natural events such as volcanic eruption, stand wind throw from hurricanes, catastrophic forest fires, or changes in local climate and rainfall regimes.

Source: http://www.enotes.com/forests-deforestation-reference/forests-deforestation

CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION

Stop deforestation immediately!

The deforestation causes include many factors. The destruction of the forests is occurring due to various reasons, one of the main reasons being the short-term economic benefits. Corruption at the government institutions, wealth and power due to harvesting of the riches of the forest, population growth and urbanization are some of the common causes.

Urban Construction

The cutting down of trees for lumber that is used for building materials, furniture, and paper products have a major impact on forest life. Forests are cleared to accommodate expanding urban areas. This results in loss of forest area and massive deforestation.

Agriculture

Forests are also cut down to clear land for growing crops, build farms, ranches and other food growing lands.

Grazing Land

Forests are cut down in order create land for grazing cattle. Huge herds of animals require food and forests are cleared out to make way for grazing lands for these cattle.

Deforestation must stop now!

Used for Fuel

Trees are cut down in developing countries to be used as firewood or turned into charcoal, which are used for cooking and heating purposes.

Commercial Purposes

Some of the other causes are: clearing forests for oil and mining exploitation, to make highways and roads, slash and burn farming techniques, wildfires, and acid rain. Forest fires can occur naturally or in most cases are deliberate attempts by man to clear huge forests. Most of the time, these forests may recover, but usually the cleared land is used for construction and agriculture purposes. This leads to loss of forests and loss of habitat for the local wildlife.

Illegal Logging

Many government agencies are fighting illegal logging to protect the forests. However, any type of logging legal or illegal leads to deforestation. Trees are cut down indiscriminately by logging companies, to fulfill the demands of the wood market. This does not give a chance to the local wildlife and trees to regenerate and sustain themselves. Thus, leading to loss of wildlife forever.

Sources: 

• http://www.buzzle.com/articles/causes-and-effects-of-deforestation.html
• http://www.zazzle.com/brown_stop_deforestation_personalized_announcement-161161262071430267

EFFECTS OF DEFORESTATION

The process of deforestation is often a complex pattern of progressive fragmentation of the forests. Mistakes of this sort could lead to forest destruction. Along with this destruction is the extinction of many species, heavy soil erosion, greenhouse effect, silting of rivers and dams, flooding, landslides, denuded upland, degraded watershed, and even destruction of corals along the coast.

Example of the effects deforestation in Sarawak

Extinction of Thousands of Species - Destruction of the forests leads to a tragic loss of biodiversity. Millions of plants and animal species are in danger of disappearing as a result of deforestation. Tropical forests are much more biologically diverse than other forest and a very serious effect of deforestation in tropical countries is the loss of biodiversity. 

Heavy Soil Erosion - One function of the forest is that its roots hold the soil in place. Without trees soil erosion and landslides easily happen. When heavy rains and typhoons come, soil is easily carried to lower areas especially to communities at the foot of the mountains. 

Greenhouse Effect - Deforestation increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The conitnued degradation of our forest heightens the threat of global warming because the trees and other plants that takes up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to be used for photosynthesis are gone. The burning of wood or its decay contributes to the release of more carbon which combines with oxygen in the atmosphere thus increasing further the levels of carbon dioxide that causesgreenhouse effect. 

Silting of Rivers and Dams - Deforestation results in the silting of rivers sediments deposit which shortens its life span and clogs irrigation system. As a result of deforestation, the reservoir behind many dams are filled with sediments more rapidly than expected. 

Flooding - One major importance of forest is that they absorb water quickly in great amount during heavy rains. But due to massive deforestation there are no trees to absorb the water thus resulting to the loss of many lives. 

Landslides - The roots of the trees bind soil to it and to the bedroock underlying it. That is how trees prevent soil from getting eroded by natural agents like wind or water. When trees are uprooted, there will be nothing to hold the soil together thus increasing the risk for landslides which can cause seriously threaten the safety of the people and damage their properties. 

Denuded Upland - After several harvests of the forest the cleared land is no longer suitable for planting trees. It has become a desert. The transformation of a forest to a semi-desert condition is called desertification. 

Degraded Watershed - When forest mountains are denuded, watersheds are degraded and this leads to the loss of sustained water supplies for lowland communities. This is because trees affect the hydrological cycle. They can change the amount of water in the soil, groundwater, and in the atmosphere. 

Destruction of Corals along the Coast - Coral areas are degraded and coral reefs are affected by siltation. As a result of deforestation there is an increase of flooding during the rainy seasons and decreased stream flow in dry seasons. 

The forest provides us with many products and important services. It stops soil erosion, refreshes the air, and protect us from typhoons and other calamities. But if rampant deforestation is not controlled it will result to several problems. In one way or another, the denuded forests will back fire and people will certainly lose to the harmful effects of deforestation.

Sources: 

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA5gKwEU92M

• http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Harmful-Effects-of-Deforestation/84388

SOLUTIONS

If people do not act immediately to curb deforestation for good, experts estimate that in 30 years time from now, the earth's surface would be left naked, without forests. Help stop deforestation now before it becomes too late.

Stopping deforestation practices

Together we stop the deforestation!

Malaysia governments should also start implementing legislations that would effectively prevent the continued practice of deforestation. Sanctions should be given to violating parties. That way, there would be less people and companies that would engage in slash and burn practices.Rain and dry forests should be protected by governments. They can be declared national properties, so no businesses can ever touch them. They can also be turned into national parks; thus, the overall state of these forests could be effectively preserved.

Reforestation

Reforestation is the opposite of deforestation. If deforestation can be considered wounding of nature, reforestation is the sought-after healing process. In reforestation, forests are replanted with trees. In years, the forests would be much alive again. Since the practice of deforestation in some cases could not be avoided, it can be regulated so as not to create negative impact to the environment and to biodiversity.

Source: http://gr9.tigblog.org/post/1940075

CONCLUSION

Take the actions to stop deforestation

In conclusion, deforestation is an important issue to be discussed. It has adverse effects on each living beings' life. Deforestation has become a huge concern in today's life as there has been a rise in the decline of forests. Trees are cut down in order to manufacture paper products as well as for livestock farming and so on.

In order to feed the ever increasing population of the Earth, trees and forests are converted to farm lands. This has become a threat to the world and it has been seen that rates of decline in the forests are increasing at a rapid rate. This has led the planet to warm up and leading to high temperatures. This cycle would continue for the following years to come unless necessary steps are taken to prevent deforestation. Deforestation has caused fewer trees to grow. It has also gone a long way in eliminating valuable ecosystems in the planet.

If major steps towards afforestation are not taken, then even the great adaptability of human beings may not be enough to cope up with the harsh climate of the future. Deforestation does have solutions. It's just that the people must step forward. The safe keeping of our precious planet lies with each and every member of its human population. We are the ones accountable for our actions even though it is ourselves we are accountable too.

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWtv0LqqUBs

LATEST NEWS

There have several latest news about deforestation happens in Malaysia, here are the examples: 

Example of deforestation Borneo, Sabah

Serious logging in Hulu Kelantan was dismantled!

Residents worried about the adverse effects of logging in Kubang Pasu, Kedah

Logging in Baling will not be stop