Deforestation involves the clearing of large amounts of trees without replanting, damaging the land. It occurs mainly in tropical rainforests but also other forests. This is a major environmental issue as it reduces biodiversity, affects climate, increases carbon emissions, and removes habitat. Reasons for deforestation include agriculture, grazing land, and logging, though sustainable practices could help mitigate the impacts.

1. Chris Zysk

2.  “Deforestation is clearing Earth's forests on a
massive scale, often resulting in damage to
the quality of the land” (National Geographic).
 Although the majority of deforestation occurs
in tropical rainforests, it is not limited to
them.
 Whenever large amounts of trees are removed
without replacing them, this constitutes
deforestation.
 This has become a major environmental
issue.

3.  There are many reasons to cut down
rainforests across the globe including….

4.  To provide land for grazing or planting crops.
This includes “slash and burn” farming, this is
bad….

5.  This is the clearing of
forests in order to create
room for more livable land

6.  Much of the world’s paper supply comes from
logging corporations. Many of these logging
companies illegally build roads into the forest
to reach more and more trees.

7.  These can include things like wildfires or
unintentional overgrazing, preventing new
trees from maturing.

8.  One of the most profound effects
deforestation has is the reduction in
biodiversity.
 Tropical rainforests have the most diverse
collection of plants and animals found on the
planet.
 The removal of these forests deprives many
organisms of a suitable habitat.
 This can cause entire species to become
extinct.

9.  The trees that are cut down are part of the
canopy layer and they help to reflect heat
during the day as well as trap heat at night.
 Without these trees, the forests experience
more dramatic climate swings and many
animals and plants are not adapted to deal
with this.

10.  We have talked about deforestation in the
past, the burning of living organisms leads to
an increase of carbon in the atmosphere.
 Less plants in the environment also means
that there is less conversion of carbon in the
atmosphere to living organisms.
 This can lead to global warming
 This is bad…

11.  Woods
 Houseplants
 Spices
 Fruits
 Vegetables
 Fibers
 Pharmaceuticals
 Oils
 Gums
 Resins
 Paper
(Rainforest Alliance, 2008).

12.  The easiest and most direct solution would
be to stop cutting down trees altogether, but
this makes no economical sense so it is
unlikely to happen….
 One alternative is to more carefully manage
forest resources and by planting an equal
amount of trees to the ones taken out.

13. Siberia
Congo
Central America Indonesia
Brazil
Chile