Deforestation Mitigation
Deforestation Mitigation Strategies
Tropical rainforests cover approximately thirty percent of the earth’s land area, around 2.5 million square miles, the size of the lower 48 states, despite the fact 80,000 acres (32,000) hectares are destroyed per day for economic reasons. Tropical rainforests are biodiversity hotspots. Rainforests are carbon sinks absorbing about half the carbon dioxide humans release into the atmosphere. Continued deforestation will affect the entire world with the ecological ramifications of species extinction, loss of carbon sinks, and loss of renewable resources. Deforestation reduces the availability of renewable resources like medicinal plants, timber, nuts and fruit, and indigenous game. Over time, loss of rainforests can affect the global climate and biodiversity (National Geographic, 2010).
The destruction of the rainforest can be slowed and completely reversed in some cases. People of developed countries know something needs to be done, but know it is not an easy undertaking because of the economic pressures under-developed and poverty-stricken countries the rainforests are typically located. Therefore, the solution to deforestation must be based on practicality as well as feasibility in developing new policies for forest conservation, forest sustainability, and reforestation (Conservation International, 2010).
New strategies need to be implemented because past efforts of rainforest conservation have failed, as proven with the rapid rise in deforestation in some regions. Closing the rainforest or making the forests into parks or reserves does not help the local economies, or give the locals any opportunities to improve their quality or standard of living. Past efforts have not discouraged farmers from burning large parcels of forest every year to create pasture for cattle grazing or land for agricultural use or illegal loggers and developers from clear-cutting the forests for timber and urbanization (National Geographic, 2010).
Tropical rainforests cover approximately thirty percent of the earth’s land area, around 2.5 million square miles, the size of the lower 48 states, despite the fact 80,000 acres (32,000) hectares are destroyed per day for economic reasons. Tropical rainforests are biodiversity hotspots. Rainforests are carbon sinks absorbing about half the carbon dioxide humans release into the atmosphere. Continued deforestation will affect the entire world with the ecological ramifications of species extinction, loss of carbon sinks, and loss of renewable resources. Deforestation reduces the availability of renewable resources like medicinal plants, timber, nuts and fruit, and indigenous game. Over time, loss of rainforests can affect the global climate and biodiversity (National Geographic, 2010).
The destruction of the rainforest can be slowed and completely reversed in some cases. People of developed countries know something needs to be done, but know it is not an easy undertaking because of the economic pressures under-developed and poverty-stricken countries the rainforests are typically located. Therefore, the solution to deforestation must be based on practicality as well as feasibility in developing new policies for forest conservation, forest sustainability, and reforestation (Conservation International, 2010).
New strategies need to be implemented because past efforts of rainforest conservation have failed, as proven with the rapid rise in deforestation in some regions. Closing the rainforest or making the forests into parks or reserves does not help the local economies, or give the locals any opportunities to improve their quality or standard of living. Past efforts have not discouraged farmers from burning large parcels of forest every year to create pasture for cattle grazing or land for agricultural use or illegal loggers and developers from clear-cutting the forests for timber and urbanization (National Geographic, 2010).
References: Cable News Network. (2009). CNN.com /technology . Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/04/16/cnnheroes.erika.vohman/index.html Conservation International. (2010). Saving Forests . Retrieved from http://www.conservation.org/learn/climate/forests/Pages/overview.asp The Equilibrium Fund. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.theequilibriumfund.org/page.cfm?pageid=16190 The Equilibrium Fund. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.theequilibriumfund.org/page.cfm?pageid=2996 The Equilibrium Fund. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.theequilibriumfund.org/pdf/Brosimum_Final_GRAS_11-30.pdf The Equilibrium Fund. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.theequilibriumfund.org/pdf/COA_16_Apr_07_31704000.pdf Mongabay.com. (2006). Mongabay.com. Retrieved from http://rainforests.mongabay.com/1001.html National Geographic. (2010). Deforestation. Retrieved from