Basic Knowledge in Agriculture #51

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What Do you understand by Deforestation.

Deforestation is the ruin of forests and their irreversible disappearance to use the land in the non-foresting sector that may be agriculture, logging, mining, or urbanization. It can be caused by the industrial activities of people (e.g. large-scale commercial agriculture e.g. cattle ranching, production of soybean or palm oil) and deforestation as well as natural processes like forest fires.

Primarily, the agricultural lands and the timber and space of development are the most important causes.
The effects of it are disastrous: it leads to considerable soil erosion, considerable disappearance of habitats with the further decline in biodiversity, and it is a severe contributor to climatic change as the stored carbon dioxide is discharged into the air. This practice disturbs the ecosystems and could take years to reverse the practice.

What are the Dangers to Deforestation.

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The risks of deforestation stretch far and wide and have implications on global ecology and human beings.
The key danger lies in the fact that it leads to the climate change as improper cutting and burning of trees that are essential carbon organs emit stored carbon dioxide (CO 2) and other greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming. It also causes extreme loss of biodiversity as it destroys the habitats of over 80 percent of the on-land species of the world hence extinction of species.

In addition, the deforestation brings about serious erosion and degradation of land because the soil is no longer bound by the tree roots which will tend to be washed away by landslides and floods. It also disrupts water cycle, altering the rain patterns, that could result in droughts in certain regions and floods in others, which have an adverse effect on the agricultural sector and availability of water. The Indigenous people who rely on the forests are threatened in terms of socially endangering their livelihood and cultural identity.

How can deforestation be Reduced.

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Good governance, economic incentives, and sustainable use of the land can be a successful combination of deforestation.
Governments should expand the size of the places of protection, they must come up with laws to guard the forests and combat illegal logging and corruption. A program like the REDD + (Payments for Ecosystem Services) programs offers financial incentive to have forests standing.

On the soil level, the agroforestry and sustainable agriculture like crop rotation will reduce the needs to fuel new land to cultivate crops. The initiatives of reforestation and afforestation are used to rehabilitate the degraded lands. Consumers can contribute in certifying the products that they consume and reduce consumption of forest products that pose risks like beef, soy and palm oil. The right of the Indigenous Peoples to their land also needs to be sustained as the controlled territories have proved rather efficient in besieging forests.

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