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More than 17 million acres of forest are lost each year, which is considered destruction on an astronomical scale. Deforestation and climate change go hand in hand. It’s estimated that we’ve destroyed over half of the world’s rain forests. These forests are home to millions of animals and plants and play an important role in our ecosystem.

Deforestation and Climate Change, the Destruction of Rainforests and Why It Matters

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Deforestation and Climate Change

Deforestation is a big problem. The forestry industry responsible for this massive environmental problem is destroying the homes of 1/3 of all living species.

But did you know deforestation is also part of the climate change problem? That’s right, all that extra carbon dioxide and methane released by trees being cut down isn’t doing our environment any favours.

When we talk about reducing carbon emissions and protecting the environment, most conversations do not begin with tropical deforestation.

However, the two are intricately connected. Tropical forests function as natural carbon sinks. Which is to say that they help remove carbon from the atmosphere.

Deforestation releases this stored carbon back into the atmosphere and contributes to climate change.

With a better understanding of how deforestation and climate change are related, we can take steps to reverse the damage that has been done.

Tropical deforestation is one of the leading causes of climate change. It accounts for up to 20% of current global greenhouse gas emissions.

Now, in their original state, tropical rainforests, store twice as much carbon per hectare than any other terrestrial ecosystem on the planet. But they are being cleared to make way for agricultural land and pasture for livestock.

These who also release large quantities of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

In the past few years, world leaders have made great strides in tackling climate change. However, the connection between deforestation and climate change is still widely unknown.

More specifically, people often don’t know how to help tackle these issues or the best practices for conserving the environment.

Yet, the more attention it gets, the faster we can stop deforestation in its tracks.

Why Are Trees Important to Us?

Trees are the embodiment of life and growth, inhaling carbon dioxide and exhaling oxygen. Humans have used trees for thousands of years to meet their needs. From making canoes to building houses.

Recently, we now find ourselves with a growing population and an unprecedented number of natural resources being consumed. And now trees have lost their position as one of the most important environmental factors in the world.

Now more than ever we need trees and their invaluable natural resources, to reverse climate change and improve our quality of life!

Trees can be quite beneficial to us humans. In fact, trees have been around for millions of years, evolving alongside humans and other animals.

Sure, they may not have always been used for their aesthetic value, some ancient societies used them as living spaces or weapons. But that’s beside the point.

Trees continue to benefit us today in various ways: from simply making our surroundings look nicer to helping clean the air we breathe.

How Can Trees Help Our Environment?

If you want to know why trees are important to us, consider the amount of work they do for free. They clean our air and water, they create jobs, they build homes, they supply shade and beauty, and they help to feed us. So, the next time you see a tree thank them for all the good things they have done for us.

The importance of trees in our lives is undervalued, not just by people but also by nature itself. Trees play a vital role in our ecosystem.

Whether it’s attracting animals into your garden or being the perfect shade tree that you sit under on hot summer days. Trees are there for you when you need them most.

Not only this, but trees also help us from an environmental standpoint. Draw a breath of fresh air and say thanks to your friendly neighbourhood trees.

If you live in a city, or anywhere with a high population density, you’re likely breathing bad air. But trees are here to help.

They filter out noxious particles as they grow, cleaning the surrounding air and making it significantly healthier for people to breathe. And better air quality is just one of the many benefits of planting trees.

So, in the end, if you care about clean air, clean water, and a healthy ecosystem in general, you should definitely consider planting more trees today. Remember:

  • Trees are a key source of oxygen
  • Trees act as natural air purifiers
  • They provide shade keeping you cool
  • Cities with more trees are healthier
  • Trees clean air from unhealthy things like smog

Rainforests Are the Lungs of Our Planet

Have you ever wondered how rainforests are as important as they are? Why do we need them if we live thousands of miles away from these areas? Or why do people protest so much about their preservation?

I’ve always been obsessed with trees. When I was little, I wanted to be a forest ranger or become a timber beast when I grew up.

To this day, surrounded by concrete and glass buildings in the city, the few remaining trees are my escape from reality. The smell of their leaves and flowers transports me back to my carefree childhood in the suburbs.

Rainforests cover a small part of the earth’s surface but provide us with most of the oxygen we need to breathe.

They are also one of the most bio-diverse environments on the planet and home to a large collection of species. This also includes countless animal and plant species that we have yet to discover.

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Rainforests are biotic (meaning they contain living things) and have three main layers: the canopy, the undergrowth, and the forest floor.

They are home to hundreds of thousands of different plants and animals which live in the trees, on the ground and in the rivers.

The Amazon is one of the largest rainforests in the world. However, there are many others around the world, including Congo, Borneo, and Sumatra.

Trees offer so much to our world that we often take it for granted. However, they are an integral part of many ecosystems around the world.

The loss of trees would have dramatically negative connotations for both human and non-human life. Trees allow water to reach our taps, keep our air clean, take in and store carbon dioxide.

They stand as guards to our roads and cities. And they keep us company by providing fun spaces to walk through and look at. Why wouldn’t we want more trees?

Rainforests Are Complex Ecosystems

Rainforests hold a very broad selection of plants and animals. It has taken millions of years of evolution to create the biodiversity we see today.

But rainforests are also fragile ecosystems that withstand the odds to supply so much for the planet.

We know they contain millions of different plants, animals, and insects. These millions of species are what make the rainforest so complex and interesting.

Unravelling their secrets is no easy task. Many of the species we see today go back millions of years, to when the rainforests were first formed.

Studying these animals over many years has led scientists to better understand how the rainforests work. And also, what needs to be done to help preserve them in the future.

Yet almost half of the world’s rainforests have already been destroyed – cut down for timber, for land for farming palm oil, and for speculation.

We need to stop cutting down the trees. Consumers need to start finding ways of living that will not endanger these rich ecosystems.

Like us, there are millions of animals living in the rainforests that depend on trees for food and shelter.

As it is, around 30% of the world’s forests have been cut down and rising. While many of these precious ecosystems are being destroyed at a rate 2-3 times faster than they can regenerate.

The Amazon alone is home to millions of species, some of which have not been identified by science yet.

It is a complex ecosystem whose intricacies we don’t fully understand, and it serves as one of our greatest natural resources.

By understanding the importance of this amazing place on our planet, we can start living more sustainably to ensure its safety for future generations. Help by:

  • Take steps to live an eco-friendlier life
  • If you love coffee, buy sustainable coffee
  • If you love chocolate, buy fair trade chocolate
  • Only use things that do not endanger the rainforest
  • Search for ways of living that will not harm the planet

Why Do We Have to Destroy the Rainforests?

There are many reasons why rainforest deforestation is a problem, but it all starts with humans. Humans have been cutting down rainforests for a long time to make way for farmland and other uses.

But with the issue growing on such a large scale, people are starting to wonder why we must continue destroying the rainforests.

As children, we learned that rainforests were a place full of colour and life. There was the mysterious toucan, colourful parrots, and the always elusive jaguar.

Rainforests provide shelter for many different species of brightly coloured animals, and it is a habitat that we need to preserve.

Rainforests are a complex ecosystem — the trees, plants and animals have evolved together to create a delicate equilibrium.

When humans cut down the trees and destroy the forest, the natural balance is thrown into chaos. By contributing to deforestation, we are destroying all these living creatures.

And don’t forget the valuable services that forests provide for us. These include regulating climate and providing habitats for many animal species that we share this planet with.

What Is the Importance of Forests?

Forests are an integral part of our environment and without them, we would lose a vital ecosystem. The natural world is complex and interdependent. We rely on the support of forests to fulfil a lot of our needs without damaging the planet we live in.

Deforestation is a huge problem that takes many forms. The ever-increasing global population. Stock for the paper industry, and traditional land exploitation from governments are all contributing factors to deforestation.

Deforestation can also be a consequence of development such as the construction of roads and buildings, damming up rivers for hydro power projects and even farming.

Ultimately, we need to do more to preserve our precious rainforests, before they completely disappear.

The world has changed. Deforestation is a globally occurring issue. And as countries become more industrialised and technological advances allow us to take advantage of the forests around us the opportunities for deforestation continue to grow every year.

Unless we change our habits and respect the world around us, there will be no forests left.

Isn’t it time we started protecting our planet instead of destroying it?

What Can We Do to Prevent Deforestation?

Forests play an important role in our planet’s ecosystem. They provide oxygen, shelter, and food for wildlife, and prevent soil erosion.

Deforestation occurs when forests are cut down and burned to clear the land. If a tree fells faster than it grows, it is worth more as lumber than as a living forest tree.

This is one of the reasons that rain forests are disappearing so quickly. Forests can be preserved by selective logging. Taking only certain trees to be used for building materials or furniture instead of killing the entire forest.

And also, by protecting the trees from being cut down illegally.

Forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate due to the increasing human population and forest fires.

The burning of forests for clearing land for agriculture and construction is the leading cause of deforestation despite many laws and policies against it.

In order to reverse the effect of deforestation, we must plant trees to replace the lost ones, instead of cutting them down.

Protecting forests can be a difficult road to navigate. One major issue is the fact that trees are often considered the enemy by farmers and property developers.

But we can all play a part in protecting our forests, including through government regulations and community activism.

So, what can we do to help protect our forests? The problem is that the world’s population continues to grow, and with it, more lumber is needed to build homes and furniture.

So even if people in developed countries choose wood that comes from sustainably managed forests, it’s important for us all to remember that just about every board used for construction enters the marketplace at some point.

The best way we can help reduce deforestation is to make sure we buy timber from sources that are practicing sustainable forestry.

Remembering this simple fact is an easy way to positively impact the environment.

Our forests are under threat and are shrinking by an area the equivalent of a major city every year due to deforestation and climate change.


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