Deforestation - The Result of Human Greed
Overview
- Define deforestation.
- Causes of deforestation.
- The effects of deforestation.
- Analyses the report of the Forest Survey of India.
- The initiatives taken by the Government of India.
- Personal initiatives to protect the forest.
- The importance of protection of forests.
Deforestation is the permanent destruction of Forests in order to make the land available for other uses. Forests cover almost 30% of the world's land area. A forest is defined as a large area of land covered with trees or woody vegetation.
Forests are the lungs of an ecosystem which helps in purification of air by consuming carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen in the atmosphere. Forests contribute in three fourth production of organic compounds and is home to almost 80% earth's plant biomass.
According to a report by UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), Agriculture is one of the primary cause of deforestation. This can be linked to increasing population and shrinking space available for humans. Among different types of agriculture, subsistence agriculture (farming for own consumption) is responsible for 48% of forest destruction; commercial agriculture is responsible for 32% of deforestation and logging is responsible for 14% of degradation. According to a report by food and agricultural organisation almost 50% of forests in tropical regions have been cleared.