Environmental Hazard – Deforestation

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Welcome to class! 

In today’s class, we will be talking about deforestation. Enjoy the class!

Environmental Hazard – Deforestation

Deforestation is clearing and cutting down of trees and destruction of forests without the intention of replacing them. Forests are being consumed to create space and land for personal use. Deforestation is practised throughout history and has increased rapidly over the years simply because of an increase in demand for wood.

Reasons for deforestation

Human activities are one of the leading causes of deforestation. So, more forests are consumed as human expand upon the wide area. Some of the reasons for deforestation include:

1. To provide land and space for cattle ranching.
2. To produce wood for commercial purposes such as paper, clothes furniture, etc.
3. Construction of roads and bridges.
4. To make land available for the urbanization of towns.
5. To produce firewood and charcoal for domestic and industrial purposes.
6. Corruption in government institutions.
7. Clearing out the land for agricultural purposes.

Effects of deforestation

Some of the negative effects of deforestation are:

1. Deforestation is one of the contributing factors to the greenhouse effect which causes global warming Shortages of trees to bring about accumulation of greenhouse gas, such as carbon (IV) oxide in the atmosphere. This gas is supposed to be absorbed by the trees to release oxygen but instead, the gas remains in the atmosphere, therefore traps heat in the earth’s atmosphere, and therefore causes global warming.
2. A decrease in the population of plants and animals in a particular area. This is as a result of relocation or possibly the extinction of some species of plants and animals due to indiscriminate cutting of trees and clearing of forests.
   

3. Destruction of earth’s water cycle. Deforestation brings about a shortage of forest which are meant to transport a large quantity of water into the atmosphere via plant transpiration. This may render a place desert.
4. Increased rate of erosion. Tree felling removes the land cover and exposes the soil to agents of erosion.
   

5. It can lead to the destruction of crop resistance.
6. It affects precipitation.
7. Loss of soil fertility.

Some of the positive effects of deforestation include:

1. Availability of wood used in the house and bridge construction.
2. Availability of wood for production and charcoals used for domestic and industrial purposes such as cooking, heating, etc.
3. Production of wood pulp for paper.

Regulations on deforestation

Ways of regulating deforestation include:

1. Planting of new trees to replace the lost ones. (Reforestation)
2. Planting of new trees where they have not existed before. (Afforestation)
3. Protecting the existing forest by enacting laws against illegal tree felling.
4. Providing education and public awareness of the need to conserve the forest.
5. Focusing on alternative source of energy.
6. Issuance of license for sustainable forest management practice.
7. Practising forest plantation.

 

In our next class, we will be talking about Environmental Hazard – Desertification.  We hope you enjoyed the class.

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