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Deforestation & The World
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Food Chain, Food Web, Energy Flow & Pyramids
Matter & Energy
Deforestation has gravely affected tropical ecosystems and contributed to mass habitat loss. Many species are dependent on trees for food and energy as they are a primary producer and a living space. Tropical rainforests are home to 80% of our world’s biodiversity (World Wildlife Fund). A research project, conducted by Lancaster University, discovered “2000 species of plants, birds, beetles, ants, and bees” in the Brazilian Amazon (Science Daily). However, after the forest was cleared for cattle ranches implementation, “plant and animal life was impoverished” (Science Daily). These species, aforementioned, are imperative to the rainforest ecosystem. Plants are primary producers while beetles and bees are primary consumers. Without these species, there would be a missing link in the food chain. Other species who are dependent on them will have less options to obtain their energy and food from, endangering the food webs in the ecosystem. Elephas maximus indicus, known as the asian elephant, have become an endangered species due to their habitat loss (World Wildlife Fund). The Elephas maximus indicus inhabit forests and feed upon primary producers such as grass, tree bark, bananas, and sugarcane (World Wildlife Fund). Their habitat loss was due to agricultural plantations, infrastructural developments, and industrialization in Southern Asia. Their hindered ability to survive and live in the forests has affected the survivability of its predators such as the tiger. In addition to where asian elephants gain only 10% of energy from the primary producers, habitat loss makes the elephants more prone to hunters. Overall, deforestation causes its inhabitants to lose their homes and further affect the energy transfer in an ecosystem.
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Cycles & Deforestation
Water Cycle
Plants are an integral part of the water cycle. They are responsible for transferring water from the ground to the atmosphere which then condenses into clouds . Plants transpire and go through the process of transpiration to keep their structure and move water and other nutrients through the plant. Transpiration is a process by which water moves up, through a plant, against gravity and evaporates of the leaves into the atmosphere (BBC Bitesize). When deforestation occurs, suddenly, there is a lot more water in the ground and the movement of water from the ground to the atmosphere stops. Essentially, this means that there is a pause in the water cycle and clouds in that area are not being replenished, thus causing less rain. This means that water (rain) and moisture from the area is lost completely causing permanent drying (Redman) and eventually the destruction of the habitats, environment, and ecosystems which existed in that area. Deforestation creates a drier climate due to the lack of movement of water which leads to the creation of barren desert land where there was once lush greenery. Deforestation has significant impacts on the water cycle including stopping the movement from water from the ground to the atmosphere which causes extreme drying and hurts living things.
Nitrogen Cycle
The nitrogen cycle is highly interrelated with trees and plants. Nitrogen is crucial to agriculture as seen in fertilizers that benefit plant growth. Trees intake limited fixed nitrogen in forms such as ammonium (NH4+), nitrite (NO2-), and nitrate (NO3-) for plant structure, cells, amino acids, DNA, and proteins (Science Learning Hub). Majority of the nitrogen exists in the leaves of the trees (Elevitch). Normally, trees would intake nitrogen during its growth, and when the trees die, it decomposes. The decomposed tree would return nitrogen back to the soil for other trees or plants to utilize. However, deforestation and the cutting down of trees takes this crucial portion of fixed nitrogen away. This is imperative as there are only three ways nitrogen could be fixed into usable forms: biologically, industrially, and through lightning. Biological fixation is done by legumes with root nodules and bacteria. Lightning converts nitrogen in the atmosphere into usable forms which enters soil during the storm (Science Learning Hub). Lastly, the Haber process is an industrial method to fix nitrogen (Science Learning Hub). By eliminating a process of which fixed nitrogen reenters the cycle, fixed nitrogen must be implemented back into the cycle in other means. However, excess usage of the Haber process for artificial fertilizers which may lead to further damage such as eutrophication.
Carbon Cycle
Trees, like all plants and animals, are natural ‘stores’ of carbon. As carbon is the most important element in biological compounds, it makes sense that living things are stores of it. When these trees die, the carbon and nutrients inside of them should be returned to the soil and continue in the cycle. However, when deforestation occurs, the carbon is completely taken out of the cycle (Miami University). Similarly, some farmers and industrialists practice the slash and burn technique to remove trees from a given area. This involves, essentially, burning all the trees which adds carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere and taking it out of the ‘store’ of living things. Additionally, trees, like plants, do photosynthesis to transform sunlight energy, water and carbon dioxide into biological molecules - glucose - and oxygen as a bi-product. Essentially, this shows how trees are responsible for transferring carbon from the atmosphere into living organisms. Through these processes, deforestation has significant negative impacts on the carbon cycle.
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Habitat Loss
Habitat loss and the extinction of countless species around the globe is an ever concerning problem due to climate change and the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The ice caps are melting, the sea level is rising and the weather is more violent. These issues impact habitats and the species living in them, and deforestation only works to exacerbate them.
Human Population Growth
As technology advances and the quality of life increases with decreasing infant mortality rates and through the roof birth rates, the human population will continue to explode. As the population grows, the scarcity of resources and necessity to create a more efficient, effective society becomes imperative. However, as the population grows, the environment is placed under an immense amount of pressure in terms of supporting these people with limited, non-renewable resources. Increased deforestation is a result of this population explosion, and we need to find renewable resources that can fully support humans, especially if this population growth continues.
You & Deforestation
Journal Article
The journal article by S. Jha and K.S. Bwa in the Society of Conservation Biology, titled Population Growth, Human Development and Deforestation in Biodiversity Hotspots, is a relevant source when researching deforestation and its causes. All of the following information is from this journal article, which you can access here.
Hotspots are defined as "A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region that is both a significant reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction” (Science Daily). There are a total of 34 hotspots in the world. Currently, “hotspots cover only 2.3% of the Earth's land surface, but they include 50% of the world's vascular plants species and 42% of the world's species in four vertebrate groups” (S.Jha and K.S. Bwa). It is also important to note that “sixteen [of these] hotspots are in the tropics, where the pressure of human population growth and development on biodiversity is high, which means it is important to examine these issues in hotspot areas” (S.Jha and K.S. Bwa). Even as little as 30 years ago, there were only 10 hotspots in the world, all of which were in the tropics. The emergence of new hotspots point to an increasing worry in terms of the future of the world.
In this journal article, the rate of population growth and human development index was also compared with the rate of deforestation. The human development index or HDI is measured using values for GDP per capita (GDP PPP), life expectancy, the adult literacy rate, and overall enrollment in educational institutions. In the 1990’s, it was shown that the “rate of deforestation was positively correlated with population growth and negatively correlated with HDI.” This means that as the population grows within a nation, deforestation increases and HDI decreases. Obviously, neither of these things are good. The results suggest that in the early stages of development, deforestation would worsen the overall quality of life (HDI) but later on, as human development rises, deforestation decreases even though human population is still increasing. From this, S.Jha and K.S. Bwa determined that “population growth may be an important factor for deforestation in the countries that lag in human development but may be less of a threat as human-development gains are made”(S.Jha and K.S. Bwa). This result provides partial support for the suggestion that the importance of population growth in deforestation studies has been overemphasized” (Geist & Lambin 2002). However, even though these results do show that human population growth is a definitive factor in increasing deforestation, it has been shown that it has a significant impact.
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Deforestation & Our Generation
A Survey for Friends around the Globe
Here at Industrees, we try to find as much information by ourselves - without using external sources. We recently made a survey which we sent to some friends around the globe about their understanding of deforestation and its environmental impacts. In this survey, 100% of respondents replied that they knew deforestation had negative impacts on the environment but only 25% reported actually trying to do anything or making an effort to reduce deforestation. When asked if they knew why deforestation occurs, 40% of respondents replied with paper production, agricultural land, industrialization or other related answers and the other 60% replied that they truthfully did not know an exact concrete reason why deforestation occurs. However, after this, many respondents (30%) still claimed that they would not sign a pledge to reduce their paper use and eventually have an impact on deforestation. This is a bit disappointing of course, but hopefully, once they learn more about deforestation and its negative impacts from our website they will change their minds!
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Discussion about the Future
Predictions
Deforestation gravely impacts our world and our future on a large scale. It plays a role in every ecosystem as discussed in biogeochemical cycles respectively. As mentioned previously, deforestation could force a rich in nutrient forest could become a barren desert. This land also causes soil erosion as tree roots firmly secures the soil. With deforestation, the soil is unanchored, causing potential landslides and flood. Additionally, this soil erosion could wash off into streams and water sources, affecting water quality for local inhabitants (LiveScience). Deforestation also causes a loss of habitat, and it is highly detrimental to its inhabitants. Rainforests provide shelter and to 80% of plants and species on Earth (National Geographic). Its canopy even regulates the temperature of the environment that allows certain species to thrive (Pachamama Alliance). Deforestation creates a loss of plants and species that is irreversible, forcing some species to become endangered or extinct. Furthermore, deforestation has an overall effect to climate change and global warming. The lack of trees contributes to global warming as a storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) is left unabsorbed without photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas that is increasingly abundant. The action and process of cutting down trees and using trees for production further emits carbon dioxide (Conservation International). If reforestation does not occur, the greenhouse effect will continue to be enhanced by greenhouse gas emissions without trees to balance it out. Deforestation happens at an unthinkable rate: eight million hectares or the size of the Czech Republic per year, fourteen times the size of Manhattan per day, and thirty-six football fields per minute (Conservation International). According to the World Wildlife Fund, a research report conducted as part of their Living Forests Report series, 230 million hectares of forest will disappear by 2050 if deforestation continues at today’s rate. The global demand for food could double by 2050 which may increase deforestation to grow food (Conservation International). Deforestation is an immediate issue that must be brought to light, and awareness could be brought through our take action project and taking the pledge. Investing in the research of sustainable, renewable sources of energy and the implementation of these around the world is vital for the protection of humans as a whole. We simply cannot survive and continue to live on earth without making some changes.
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Our Action Project
Watching The Lorax & a Presentation
Here at Industrees we do many Action Projects in order to raise awareness about our cause. Our most recent project was at AISG. We showed The Lorax on the 27th of April, in Mr. McGartlin's room for free, and did a short presentation about deforestation and small ways you can help. We also wrote a Beacon article about the event which you can check out here. Other than educating yourself and others about how to decrease deforestation, there are 4 main ways to help. These include recycling all paper which you use, always printing double sided when needed, re-using paper which has only been used on one side, and signing a pledge to promise you will do these things. Take this pledge by clicking the button below.
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Who Are We?
The People Behind the Scenes
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Lisa Mo
Environmental Activist
The Lorax
Inspiration
Prerna Kanji
Environmental Activist
Say Hi
Thanks for your interest in Indus-trees. For more information, feel free to get in touch.
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Sources
Works Cited
Question
BBC. "BBC - GCSE Bitesize: Transpiration." BBC - Home, 15 Sept. 2006, www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_ocr_gateway/green_world/planttransportrev2.shtml.
Conservation International. "Unite In The Fight Against Climate." Conservation International, www.conservation.org/act/Pages/I-Need-Nature-and-Climate-Action-Pledge.aspx. Accessed 5 May 2018.
Elevitch, Craig, and Kim Wilkinson. "Agroforestry.org - Nitrogen Fixing Trees." Agroforestry.org - Nonprofit Organization Dedicated to Providing Educational Resources About Agroforestry, Trees, and Sustainable Stewardship of Land and Water, 2018, agroforestry.org/free-publications/nitrogen-fixing-trees. Accessed 27 Apr. 2018.
Live Science. "Deforestation: Facts, Causes & Effects." Live Science, Apr. 3, www.livescience.com/27692-deforestation.html. Accessed 5 May 2018.
Miami University. "Deforestation and the Carbon Cycle." Student Research Libraries, ecosystems.wcp.muohio.edu/studentresearch/climatechange03/deforestation/index2.html.
Nanyang Technological University. "Disruption of the Water Cycle | Deforestation Throughout Indonesia." Blogs@NTU | Nanyang Technological University, blogs.ntu.edu.sg/hp331-2014-42/?page_id=88.
National Geographic. "Deforestation and Its Effect on the Planet." National Geographic, 25 July 2017, www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation/. Accessed 5 May 2018.
Pachamama Alliance. "Effects of Deforestation | The Pachamama Alliance." The Pachamama Alliance – Bridging the Indigenous and Modern Worlds, www.pachamama.org/effects-of-deforestation. Accessed 5 May 2018.
Redman, Leigh. "Deforestation Impacts on the Earth's Water Cycle." 3P Learning, 26 June 2013, www.3plearning.com/blog/deforestation-impacts-earths-water-cycle/.
Science Daily. "Biodiversity Hotspot." Science Daily, www.sciencedaily.com/terms/biodiversity_hotspot.htm.
Science Learning Hub. "The Nitrogen Cycle." Science Learning Hub, 30 July 2013, www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/960-the-nitrogen-cycle. Accessed 27 Apr. 2018.
World Wildlife Fund. "Over 80% of Future Deforestation Confined to Just 11 Places." WWF Conserves Our Planet, Habitats, & Species Like the Panda & Tiger | WWF, wwf.panda.org/?245370/Over-80-of-future-deforestation-confined-to-just-11-places.
World Wildlife Fund. "Asian Elephant | Species | WWF." World Wildlife Fund, 2018, www.worldwildlife.org/species/asian-elephant. Accessed 5 May 2018.
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