Causes

Deforestation is caused by humans and by natural change on earth. When plate tectonics occur mountains are formed, rainfall patterns are changed the over a long period of time forests adapt to this change. Humans, bugs, animals, forest fires, fungus, floods, erosion, earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes and the natural life cycle are all natural ways that deforestation occurs. According to the World Resource Institute, over 80% of the worlds forests have been destroyed. Over 90% of Africa's coastal rain forests have also been wiped out. Brazil and Indonesia contain the worlds largest existing rain forests, which is rapidly decreasing in size everyday.

Sky view of what deforestation looks like

Human Causes

     

      The majority of deforestation is caused by humans about 95%, for every tree that is cut down carbon is emitted into the atmosphere. This is one of the direct causes of global warming. Since every tree that is cut releases carbon dioxide this causes our ozone layer to become thicker. The thicker our ozone layer is the more UV rays(ultra-violet) are trapped which means there is an increases in temperature. Forest fires do generally the same thing but is far worse not only to the environment but also to the land and the inhabitants of the land.

One big problem is government corruption. In countries such as South Africa which is a third world country that has a vast amount of tropical rain forest. Multinational companies, in most cases theses are foreign companies bribe and pay off government officials so they can obtain contracts and permits to cut down forests. This mainly occurs in third world countries were corruption is abundant.

 

Amount of deforestation that has occurred over the years

Human causes of deforestation include:

• Cutting trees for commercial use such as timber, harvesting or logging

• Clearing forests to make room for agricultural land

• Expansion of cities and towns

• Mining

• Urban Sprawl

• Corruption

• Cultivation