Impacts of Deforestation

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Impacts of Deforestation Introduction Clear-cutting and deforestation are problems that pose a threat not only to the country it occurs in but to the world. Deforestation is the destruction or clearing of forested lands, usually for the purposes of expanding agricultural land or for timber harvesting (Hogan, 2010). The purpose of this report is to identify the affects deforestation has on humans & the environment we live in. The biggest cause of deforestation is agriculture. Farmers cut forests to provide more room for planting crops or grazing livestock. Logging for wood & the production of paper products and the clearing of trees for urban development are also big contributors (National Geographic, 2010). Deforestation can have many negative effects on the environment. For example loss of habitat for millions of species, changes in climate, soil nutrient content, & pollution of drinking water. Trees and plant life also provide the atmosphere with a good portion of its oxygen, while using the carbon dioxide as energy, thus reducing our carbon footprint on the planet. Research Objectives Deforestation needs to be monitored more closely so that forests will not become extinct. Forests provide homes for many organisms. If they are lost then the biodiversity of the earth will decrease. The replanting of forests is essential to human life. Without trees life could not exist on earth. Deforestation causes harmful effects on the environment. It affects our soil, water and the atmosphere. Deforestation will cause a strain on the economy of some nations. Some nations depend very heavily on the use of wood for heat. If forests become extinct the earth will eventually become uninhabitable. This will happen quicker than most people think. Trees grow at different rates, 12” or less per year is considered slow; 13” to) 24” is considered medium; and 25” or
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