What is deforestation

Deforestation is the deliberate clearing of forests by humans for agriculture, timber, mining, or settlement, and can also occur due to natural disasters like wildfires or cyclones. It disrupts wildlife, ecosystems, weather patterns, and the water cycle. Covering 30% of the Earth’s surface, forests play a crucial role in supporting life and combating climate change.

How deforestation works

Forests often degrade over time before being fully cleared. Once infrastructure is built, wild areas become more vulnerable to deforestation. Restoring a deforested area can take decades or longer, making conservation vital to protect global forest resources.

Causes of deforestation

Industrial agriculture : Around 73% of global deforestation is driven by agriculture, mainly for meat, soy, and palm oil production. Livestock grazing requires large forested areas to be cleared, while 80% of soybeans grown are used for animal feed, with poultry and pigs consuming nearly as much as cattle.

Wood products : Illegal logging, driven by high demand for wood products, devastates forests, wildlife, and livelihoods worldwide. In Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, the demand for packaging materials leads to the conversion of vast peatlands and lowland forests into timber and wood pulp plantations.

Other : Cocoa industry, Mining, Wildfires, Climate change, Urban development.

What is reforestation

Reforestation is the process of replanting trees in areas impacted by natural events like wildfires or drought, as well as human activities like logging, mining, and agriculture. It can involve supporting natural regeneration or planting new trees, especially in regions recovering from forest fires.

How reforestation helps the environment

Reforestation helps restore degraded or deforested areas by regrowing the forest canopy, preserving biodiversity, and accelerating the recovery of a healthy forest ecosystem.

Reforestation benefits

• Helps carbon sequestration by fixing atmospheric carbon dioxide in their leaves, trunks, and roots.

• Removes air pollutants by absorbing them into their leaves and bark.

• Prevents soil erosion by growing roots that hold the soil together.

• Provides habitat for over 80% of the world's terrestrial biodiversity.

• Acts as natural air conditioners by reducing ambient air temperatures by up to 8° Celsius.

• Reduces the impact of global warming and climate change.

• Helps to protect endangered species.

• Filters our drinking water through their roots.

• Prevent floods and landslides by absorbing water and slowly releasing it via transpiration.

Why are trees important to the environment

Trees clean the air, filter water, and provide habitat for over 80% of terrestrial biodiversity. Forests support 1.6 billion jobs, absorb harmful carbon, and contribute to 25% of all medicines. Even aspirin comes from tree bark !

Six pillars that explain why trees are vital

Air : Trees clean the air by absorbing pollutants through their leaves and bark, releasing clean oxygen. In urban areas, they filter harmful gases like nitrogen oxides, ozone, and carbon monoxide, while trapping dust and smoke particles. Trees also act as carbon sinks, absorbing excess carbon dioxide that contributes to climate change, helping to reduce its effects. Healthy, strong trees are essential for maintaining clean air and balancing the atmosphere.

Biodiversity : A single tree supports hundreds of species, offering food and shelter to insects, fungi, plants, and animals. Forest creatures thrive in different habitats: Young Forests ( from fires / logging ) host animals like black bears and goldfinches. Middle-Aged Forests have taller trees, attracting salamanders and elk with their open canopies. Old Forests provide homes for bats, squirrels, and diverse birds with their complex canopies and rich vegetation.

Climate : Trees cool the planet by absorbing greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. In urban areas, they can lower temperatures by up to 8°C, helping mitigate pollution and overheating. With more than half the world's population living in cities, this cooling effect is crucial. A single mature tree can absorb around 22 lbs of CO2 annually, making cities healthier and safer.

Health : Studies show that hospital patients with rooms overlooking trees recover faster than those without. Trees help reduce stress and anxiety, and their shade protects our skin from harsh sun. They also offer a calming, natural environment that aids in healing.

Social Impact : The forestry industry offers diverse job opportunities, from arborists to researchers. Beyond employment, sustainable tree farming provides timber for homes, wood for cooking and heating, and food-producing trees yield fruits, nuts, and berries rich in nutrients.

Water : Trees capture rainwater and help prevent floods and landslides by filtering pollutants and slowing water absorption. Their root systems reduce erosion and over-saturation. A mature evergreen can intercept over 15,000 liters of water annually, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Association.

  • It takes 460 trees to absorb the annual CO2 emissions of a single car

  • Forests currently absorb 30% of all C02 emissions

  • Trees redistribute up to 95% of the water they absorb

  • 1 tree = 2 central air conditioners

  • Forests cover 31% of the global land area

  • There are over 60000 tree species across the globe

  • Every 6 seconds in 2019, we lost a football pitch of primary rainforest

  • 46-58 thousand square miles of forest are lost every year. That's equivalent to 48 football fields every minute

  • 1/4 of all modern medicines come from tropical forest plants

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