Deforestation Hurting the Environment

http://www.worldwildlife.org

About 46-58 thousand square miles of forest are lost each year (equivalent to 48 football fields every minute). This is the massive destruction that mankind has done to our forests. Although by the looks of it, mankind isn’t very kind. Deforestation is a very big problem on our planet and we need to stop destroying our fragile ecosystem. Yes there are things that we make that involve trees and cutting them down, but it goes to an extent. The destruction of forests is hurting humans and all the biodiversity that lives in them. Many of our world’s endangered species live in forests, and so if we cut down their homes, they will start to go extinct which in the long run affects them as much as it affects us.

Deforestation happens in places that are highly populated with forest. Places such as Brazil and Indonesia where deforestation is high. In the Amazon about 17% of the forest has been lost in the last 50 years. These forests would help people and the planet stay healthy, but with less trees there will be more greenhouse gases, less biodiversity, more erosion, etc. Erosion can happen when the trees no longer hold on to the fertile soil.  “Forests play a critical role in mitigating climate change because they act as a carbon sink—soaking up carbon dioxide that would otherwise be free in the atmosphere and contribute to ongoing changes in climate patterns. Deforestation undermines this important carbon sink function. It is estimated that 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions are the result of deforestation.” says World Wildlife Foundation. This source is reliable because they are a foundation that is trying to help save the world and everything in it. So they know the true facts of what is happening and how it needs to be stopped.

As for my own personal opinion, I think that all the destruction is going to greatly hurt us in the near future. We need the trees to convert oxygen to lower greenhouse gases but with less and less trees, there will be an increase of greenhouse gases. Also the species that live in the forests are going extinct which affects the food chain. For example if the tigers go extinct, then the foods that they eat such as buffalo, deer,  pigs, etc. will have a population increase and be overpopulating. Disease is also a  big factor that goes into the destruction of land and animals. The diseases that are on the animals will start to get transferred to us since they are mutating and becoming immune to antibiotics which means that they will be very hard to get rid of if not impossible. Yes there are things we need trees for, but it goes to an extent where we need to start helping the environment and stop too much destruction.