. The clearing of forests continues at an alarming rate
because land is being made available for
residential , industrial and commercial purpose .Apart from urban sprawl,
logging operations which provide us wood and paper products
also responsible for felling
very large number of trees every year. Some deforestation is also caused
by natural factors like wildfires and subsequent overgrazing which
may prevent the growth of young trees.
Trees are also dying globally at a rate never before seen, because
of climate change. The trees are struggling to
cope with the extreme weather and
temperature variations associated with global warming .The major carbon sinks
around the globe are disappearing , as a result.
Along
with deforestation , we have forest degradation also –a reduction in tree density from human or
natural causes.
Impacts
of Deforestation and Forest
Degradation:
Deforestation has
many negative effects on the environment
.The most important impact is the loss of habitat for millions of species. 70% of Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests and many of them cannot
survive the deforestation. Up to 28,000 species are expected to become extinct by the next quarter of the century due to
deforestation. Soil erosion , floods , wildlife extinction , increase in global
warming and climate imbalance are few of
the effects of deforestation .
Deforestation also drives climate change. Loss of forests contributes
between 12% and 17% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions.
Trees absorb greenhouse gases. When forests are removed , greenhouse gases
enter the atmosphere. This increases speed and severity of global warming .In
addition , forest canopy blocks the
sun’s rays during the day and holds in heat at night. Removing trees leads
to more extreme temperature swings that can be harmful to plants and animals.
Further , forest soils quickly dry out
if trees are felled. Many former forest lands can quickly become barren deserts.
Deforestation affects water cycle. Trees absorb ground water and release the
same into the atmosphere during
transpiration .When deforestation happens , the climate automatically changes
to a drier one and also affects water
table.
Data for India:
Forest cover
analysis by the Forest Survey of India
(FSI) using satellite data , defines forest as an area of more than
1 Hectare and more than 10% tree
canopy cover. The combination of remote sensing as well as GIS techniques with ground surveys can go a long way in the management of critical areas.
India is one of the mega biodiversity nations and seventh largest in the world and second largest in Asia having an area of 328.72 million Hectares (m
ha).It has about 17000 species of flowering
plants and about 5400 endemic
species.
In India , between
1951 and 1980 , according to the Forest Survey of India (1987), over 26.20 lakh
hectares of forest was converted for agricultural purposes all over India.
Forest survey of India
has been carrying out mapping of forest cover
on a biennial basis. The current estimate of gross deforestation in India is 0.43%
for 2009-2011 , compared to global average of 0.6%.
Data for the world:
Since 1990 , half the
rain forests of the world have been destroyed
1.Forests still cover about
30 percent of the world’s land area .
2.An estimated 18 million
acres of forests , of the size of
country Panama
are lost every year , according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO).
3.The world’s rain
forests could completely vanish in a 100
years at the current rate of
deforestation 4.20% of the world’s oxygen is produced in the Amazon’s forest.
Rate of Deforestation:
FRA(Forest Resources Assessment) says that while in 1990
forests made up 31.6% of the
world’s land areas or some 4128 million
hectares , this has changed to
30.6% in 2015 or some 3999 million hectares. Meanwhile the annual
rate of forest loss has slowed down from
0.18% in the early 1990s to 0.08% during the period 2010-2015. 93% of
the world’s forest area is natural
forest while planted area currently accounts for 7% of the world’s over-all forest area , having increased by over 110 million hectares since 1990. Thus ,over the past 25 years , the rate of net global deforestation has slowed down by more than 50%.(FAO report dated
September7,2015).This is a positive sign and gives hope but more efforts are
needed. Globally , natural forest area
is decreasing and planted forest
area is increasing .While most forests remain publicly owned ,
ownership by individuals and
communities has increased.In all cases ,
FAO stresses the importance of sustainable
forest management practices.The
management of forests has improved dramatically
over the last 25 years .This includes planning , knowledge sharing ,
legislation and policies.
FAO has
estimated that total carbon
emissions from forests decreased by more than
25% , between 2001 and 2015 , mainly due to a slowdown in global deforestation rates.
The major
driver of forest cover changes in India
are shifting cultivation along with encroachment for agricultural land , mining , quarrying ,
expansion of settlements , dam construction and illegal logging .
Wildlife
Protection Act , 1972 provided protection to
wild animals , birds , plants as well as their habitats
and envisaged setting up of Protected Areas.The Forest Conservation Act aimed at lowering the rate of
deforestation by controlling
conversion of forest land to
non-forestry purposes.
What needs to be
done to stop deforestation and forest
degradation ?
1.Promote sustainable
choices :
Purchase
recycled items like notebooks, paper , books , toilet paper and shopping bags.
As companies use recycled materials as raw materials. This reduces the demand
for new materials. Make efforts not to waste.
2.Reforestation: Encourage people to plant trees.In China , every
able-bodied citizen between 11 and 60 years
is responsible for planting 3 to 5 trees in a year or to do equal amount of work in other areas of forestry.
3.Tree Care:
When cutting down trees ,
single out full-grown trees and spare the younger trees.For every single
tree that is felled , make sure that two are planted in its place.
4.Change the politics:
Crack down on corruption .Ensure the strict implementation
of forest conservation rules.Illegal felling takes place because of
corruption and also because of
unsustainable forest management practices. This in turn can fuel organized crime and even armed-conflicts.
Make laws to stop
illegal wood products from entering our
markets .Support treaties like CITES
(Conservation of International
Trade in Endangered Species ) to
protect forests and the endangered species
that rely on forest habitats.
5The Power of the
Market Place:
Look for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification for wood , wood products .In fact
companies and corporations should
hold their suppliers accountable for producing commodities like timber , palm oil , paper in a way that does not fuel deforestation
.For the non-recycled products that they buy , they should ensure that any virgin
fiber used is certified by a third party such as the Forest Stewardship Council(FSC). Even
corporations like Nestle , McDonalds‘s, Kimberly –Clark have taken steps to stop
deforestation .
6. Standing with Indigenous
Peoples:
When Indigenous Peoples’ rights to traditional lands and
self-determination are respected ,
forests stay standing .Often corporations and governments overlook or intentionally trample upon the rights of forest-dwellers.
7.Use alternative energy:
In winters , use coal as
alternative to charcoal and fire wood.This will prevent premature
felling of trees. Ending deforestation is our best chance to conserve wildlife and defend
the rights of forest communities.
8. Become an advocate
for forestry and environment:
Use your voice to speak for forest matters .Become an
advocate of reforestation .Learn how you can spread the word. Raise funds with
which to protect the forest land.When people join together and demand
forest conservation , companies and governments listen .
9.Support Conservation Organizations;
Donate your time , money or actions to organizations
that run programmes focused on
preservation of forests and forest habitats. Organizations like World Wide Fund for nature, Greenpeace, Conservation International are some such
organizations at international level.
10.Eat vegetarian meals as often as possible.
11.Go paperless.
(This article was published in September 15, 2016 issue of the magazine Tree Take , Lucknow , India).
