Deforestation

Deforestation means clearing of forests to claim land for use by man.

Cause of Deforestation

1) Population explosion

Large areas of forests have been cleaned for agriculture, factories, road and rail tracks, industries, mining and quarrying have seriously affected the forest.

2) Fires

Forest fires destroy trees, seeds and the animal life.

3) Pests

Many kinds of insect pests destroy forests by eating the shoots and spreading diseases.

4) Grazing and gnawing mammals

These animal seat, trample the young plants, and damage their trunks and roots.

5) Weather

Storm and snow damage the forests. These natural forces are beyond human power to control.

6) Dams

Barriers constructed across rivers to prevent floods submerge and kill large tracts of forests.

7) Jhuming (Shifting cultivation)

In certain parts of India, forests are burnt and the ash is mixed with the soil and the land used for cultivation.

Effects of Deforestation

1) Percolation and ground water recharge has decreased.

2) Floods and drought have become more frequent.

3) Soil erosion has increased.

4) Pattern of rainfall has changed.

5) Land slides and avalanches are on the increase.

6) Climate has become warmer in the deforested region due to lack of humidity added by the plants.

7) Consumption of CO₂ and production of O₂ is adversely affected.

8) Man has been deprived of the benefits of trees and animals.

9) Extinction of many species of plants and animals, still not discovered by scientists.

10) Shortage of fuel

Effects of deforestation in the biosphere