Causes of tropical rain forest deforestation Aim: To investigate the extent of global deforestation and causes Ainur Toksanbayeva NU

of tropical deforestation
1.Introduction
Deforestation can be defined as a process of clearing forested areas to use the land or its products Forests are of a great importance both for the environment and society (biodiversity conservation, climate control, products provision and carbon sequestration) (Betts et

Causes of tropical deforestation 2000-2005

UCL CPS

4.Economical factors as the indirect causes of

al. 2008)

Deforestation has serious effects on the environment and hence on societys well-being (biodiversity loss, global climate change, loss of products resources and greenhouse gas emissions) (Betts et al. 2008) Net change in forest area by country, 2005 2010 (ha/year)

deforestation The increase in price for commodities necessitates the expansion of agriculture and pasture lands and infrastructure development, therefore leads to further deforestation (Fearnside 2005) The graph below illustrates the correlation between soy prices and deforestation in the Amazon from 1990 to 2005

causes of deforestation in the tropics 3. Main

000 250 000 500 000 than 500 more 000

500 000 250 000 500 000 250 50 000 000 Small change (gain or loss) Less than 50 000 Net gain 50 000 250

Net loss more than

Diagram modified from

www.mongabay.com

Map adapted from

http://www.fao.org/forestry/fra/62219

2.The extent of deforestation in the world

with the highest rate of forest clearing main causes of tropical deforestation are represented in the diagram above most of forest areas substituted by agriculture lands and pastures, 45% and 35% respectively, due to their profitability other 5% include urbanization, infrastructure development, forest fires, hydroelectric projects, fuelwood collection
References:
Betts, R.A., Y. Malhi, J.T.Roberts . 2008. The future of the Amazon: new perspectives from climate, ecosystem and social sciences. Phil.Trans. R.Soc.363: 1729-1735 http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/363/1498/1729.full.html#reflist-1 (accessed February 26, 2011); Fearnside, P. 2005. Deforestation in Brazilian Amazonia: History, Rates, and Consequences. Conservation Biology, 19 (3): 680-688. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00697.x/full (accessed February 16, 2011); Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations 2010. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010 http://www.fao.org/forestry/fra/fra2010/en/ (accessed February 22, 2011)

Graph adapted from source:

http://photos.mongabay.com

5.Conclusion

Rate of deforestation is rather high throughout the world Net gain more than 500 000 hectare, as can be observed from the above map, is in China, while net lost more than 500 000 hectare - in Australia, Indonesia and most parts of South America 3, 581 hectare of tropical rain forests are cleared annually in Latin America (FAO 2010)

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Taking into consideration the importance of forests and the impact of deforestation on the environment and global society, it is reasonable to take appropriate measures immediately in order to combat the causative factors of deforestation, described in this poster