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Human beings always have been and probably always will be to some extent
dependent on forests. Trees were their habitat, their environment, their source of
food and their protection from enemies. Forests are very important to man, and
other organisms, and one of the biggest problems the world is facing today is the
threat of totally losing the forests due to massive deforestation and suffering the
harmful effects of deforestation.
At present, forests are considered among the most endangered on the planet.
Everyday at least 80,000 acres of forest vanish from Earth. The Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations show that the rates of
deforestation has not abated and has actually increased by 8.5% from 2000-2005
compared during the 1990s. FAO has approximated that about 10.4 million
hectares of tropical forest have been permanently destroyed from 2000-2005
compared to 10.14 million hectares in the period of 1990-2000.
Heavy Soil Erosion - One function of the forest is that its roots hold the soil in
place. Without trees soil erosion and landslides easily happen. When heavy rains
and typhoons come, soil is easily carried to lower areas especially to communities
at the foot of the mountains.
Silting of Rivers and Dams - Deforestation results in the silting of rivers sediments
deposit which shortens its life span and clogs irrigation system. As a result of
deforestation, the reservoir behind many dams are filled with sediments more
rapidly than expected.
Flooding - One major importance of forest is that they absorb water quickly in
great amount during heavy rains. But due to massive deforestation there are no
trees to absorb the water thus resulting to the loss of many lives.
Landslides - The roots of the trees bind soil to it and to the bedroock underlying
it. That is how trees prevent soil from getting eroded by natural agents like wind
or water. When trees are uprooted, there will be nothing to hold the soil together
thus increasing the risk for landslides which can cause seriously threaten the
safety of the people and damage their properties.
Denuded Upland - After several harvests of the forest the cleared land is no
longer suitable for planting trees. It has become a desert. The transformation of a
forest to a semi-desert condition is called desertification.
Destruction of Corals along the Coast - Coral areas are degraded and coral reefs
are affected by siltation. As a result of deforestation there is an increase of
flooding during the rainy seasons and decreased stream flow in dry seasons.
The forest provides us with many products and important services. It stops soil
erosion, refreshes the air, and protect us from typhoons and other calamities. But
if rampant deforestation is not controlled it will result to several problems. In one
way or another, the denuded forests will back fire and people will certainly lose to
the harmful effects of deforestation.