Loss of trees due to deforestation

The exploitation of natural resources has been occurring since humanity’s earliest days, but it has intensified—and often been lost from sight—because of deforestation.

As society expands, that exploitation grows more intense, placing the planet’s balance at risk and jeopardizing future generations’ access to these resources.

The issue of deforestation took on new dimensions after the Industrial Revolution.

New technologies spurred huge increases in industrial output, while soaring consumer demand drove widespread clearing of tropical and subtropical forests to feed that demand.

Developed countries saw the highest deforestation rates during that era; in later decades those rates shifted toward developing and underdeveloped nations.

Deforestation stems from many human-driven activities.

Expanding farmland and pasture, extracting timber, plants, animals, or minerals, and exploiting resources for every sector of the economy all push forest clearing.

Urban growth, deliberate burning, and the illegal occupation of land for speculation add to the pressure.

Agriculture’s role
“Expanding agricultural activity is considered one of the chief drivers of increasing deforestation worldwide.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the growth of farming and ranching in Latin America alone accounts for roughly 70 percent of deforestation,” the agency notes.

FAO records show that industrial agriculture and large-scale livestock production have accelerated forest loss in many countries.

This claim is controversial because agriculture underpins many national economies.

Some argue that cutting trees is unavoidable if we are to feed humanity.

Yet FAO’s 2016 State of the World’s Forests report stresses that producing food does not require tearing down forests; boosting yields on existing farmland and adopting more sustainable practices are far more effective options.

Consequences of deforestation
The causes are many—and so are the consequences.

While some view deforestation as a “necessary evil” for economic welfare, its scale today threatens the planet’s biological balance.

Key impacts include:

1. Loss of biodiversity
   – Destruction of habitat drives wildlife away and pushes plant species toward extinction, upsetting delicate ecological relationships.
   – Subsistence hunting, small-scale farming, and local livestock operations that many families rely on are disrupted.
2. Climate change
   – Removing forest cover worsens global warming. Deforestation is a major source of greenhouse-gas emissions; rising temperatures are already harming ecosystems and human health.
3. Soil and water degradation
   – Vegetation anchors soil and regulates rainfall infiltration.
4. Once trees are cleared, heavy rain runs off rapidly, causing landslides and erosion.
   – In watershed areas, eroded sediment pours into rivers, lowering water quality and altering flow.

All of these effects diminish the well-being of every living thing. We all depend on forests—whether for oxygen production or for the raw materials that sustain daily life.

By exhausting this natural asset, we expose ourselves to its consequences, which are already apparent: many resources are running short, climate shifts are felt worldwide, and future generations face uncertainty.

Deforestation is a global issue. The Global Forest Watch platform estimates that 29.7 million hectares of tree cover were lost worldwide in 2016—about a 51 percent jump from 2015.

In places from Portugal to California, as well as in regions facing expanding agriculture, logging, and mining, forest loss continues to accelerate.

Information source: uol.com.br

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