Since I was child, I was taught that the trees can give us the air we breathe, and therefore should not be cut wildly, but let's see the substance! Forests are very important, covering almost a third of the land of our planet, the benefits of forests:
- provide raw materials;
- protect land;
- protect water resources;
- provide clean air;
- maintain biodiversity.
But forests can be damaged by agricultural and urban expansion, by natural disasters, by fire, by climate changes, etc.
The rate of conversion forests to urban or agricultural land is increasing dramatically, "Forest area decreased worldwide by 0.22% per year in the period 1990-2000 and 0.18% per year between 2000 and 2005" However, campaigns for plating new forest are increasing too, nevertheless they are still being insufficient to rebalance the amount of forest on Earth. Forests affect and influence the climate change principally by regulating the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Forests absorb the carbon from the air and store it in their leaves, their trunks, and in the soil. When the forests are damaged and destroyed the carbon is released into the atmosphere.
Biodiversity in forests is important and valuable, and in many cases this species diversity is being seriously affected by deforestation. To conserve and preserve this diversity, currently about 11% of the forest in the world is protected and designated for the conservation of biodiversity.
For all this and more, I think is absolutely essential to know the reality of deforestation that is occurring right now, and that has to be slowed down.
The rate of conversion forests to urban or agricultural land is increasing dramatically, "Forest area decreased worldwide by 0.22% per year in the period 1990-2000 and 0.18% per year between 2000 and 2005" However, campaigns for plating new forest are increasing too, nevertheless they are still being insufficient to rebalance the amount of forest on Earth. Forests affect and influence the climate change principally by regulating the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Forests absorb the carbon from the air and store it in their leaves, their trunks, and in the soil. When the forests are damaged and destroyed the carbon is released into the atmosphere.
Biodiversity in forests is important and valuable, and in many cases this species diversity is being seriously affected by deforestation. To conserve and preserve this diversity, currently about 11% of the forest in the world is protected and designated for the conservation of biodiversity.
For all this and more, I think is absolutely essential to know the reality of deforestation that is occurring right now, and that has to be slowed down.
Source:
http://www.greenfacts.org/en/forests/index.htm#8
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Deforestation/
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Deforestation/
I agree! Forests are essential to human life because they produce the clear air we need to survive. Deforestation is indeed a great problem that needs an urgent solution. I think we must respect the limits and spare the forests that still remain intact.
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