Rain forests : deforestation impact

Time to take responsibility

The timber industry is responsible for about 40% of forest destruction. Commercial logging provides important income for many people. However, large-scale damage is done to the forest if adequate management measures are not utilised Correct management can ensure the sustainability of the forests.

Decline of forest land in the tropics

source: United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation

Other activities compound the problem. Cattle ranching destroys large parts of the rainforest to make way for grazing land. The land only lasts a few years as the heavy rain turns the soil infertile and acidic, so ranchers clear even more forest for more grazing land. In the Amazon there are huge reserves of minerals such as gold, iron ore and copper. World demand means that these minerals are extracted and, unfortunately, large areas of forest have to be destroyed to excavate. Large scale hydro projects, subsistence farming, the expansion of cities and road construction also play their part in the deforestation process.

What are the effects of Rainforest Deforestation?

• Changes in Biodiversity - Removal of the forest causes the loss of plant species. Animals are forced out as their food supply and habitats are destroyed. Many rainforest species have become extinct and others threatened.
• Changes in Hydrology - Without the trees the water cycle is disrupted. Interception and transpiration are both reduced and surface runoff increases. Water and silt pour into the rivers, making them flood.
• Changes in Soils - Without trees to protect it, the soil is easily eroded. Torrential rain removes nutrients via surface runoff and leaching with the soil becoming infertile. Surface runoff on steep slopes can cause gulleying and mudslides.
• Changes in Climate - Transpiration is reduced and evaporation increases. This leads to a drier climate. Deforestation contributes to global warming because trees use up carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. As a result sea levels will rise and the world's climates could be affected.

Green Gold Forestry is not an environmental campaigner trying to block inevitable progress. We are a business that recognises and understands that people all over the world need to work and governments want to improve living standards for their people. However, we do believe that huge improvements can be made to the way we all do things. We, at GGF, want to minimise our impact, work sustainably and operate profitably.