The Truffula Trees!

"I am the Lorax who speaks for the trees 

which you seem to be chopping as fast as you please. 

But I'm also in charge of the Brown Bar-ba-loots 

who played in the shade in their Bar-ba-loot suits 

and happily lived, eating Truffula Fruits. 

NOW... thanks to your hacking my trees to the ground 

there's not enough Truffula Fruit to go 'round. 

And my poor Bar-ba-loots are all getting the crummies 

because they have gas, and no food, in their tummies! 

They loved living here. But I can't let them stay. 

They'll have to find food. And I hope that they may. 

Good luck, boys," he cried. And he sent them away.

                     

                                            This images is compliments of Xaeon.

The above passage from the Dr. Seuss's "The Lorax" is quite relevant today. The clearing of the world's forests is a serious issue that must be addressed from all angles. While there are many clear benefits for the practice, the downsides must be fully considered in order to find the best solution to the problem. While a previous post focused specifically on the adverse effects of deforestation on climate change, this post will examine some other crucial negative impacts this process has.

Outside of climate change, a reduction in biodiversity is perhaps the most detrimental effect of deforestation. Biodiversity is simply defined as the variety of life on the earth, but its importance cannot be overstated. Biodiversity plays an enormous role in the sustainability of life on our planet, as it promotes ecosystem balance, provides a variety of biological resources, and yields various social benefits. Humans rely on biodiversity for the discovery of new medicines, the manufacturing of goods, and the production of food. Indeed, this biological component is absolutely pertinent to all life.

However, deforestation is posing a severe threat to the earth's biodiversity, and the impacts are quite alarming. A large portion of the world's biodiversity is held within tropical rainforests, which are home to roughly 80% of the earth's documented species (not to mention all the undiscovered species sure to be living in these regions). If we continue to chop down our trees at the current rate, there won't be any more rainforests left to clear within one hundred years! Imagine what we could lose! Tropical rainforests are the largest targets of deforestation, and they're the regions that hold the most diverse life forms.

             
                             This photograph is courtesy of Stian Bergeland.

Most animals simply aren't able to survive after the complete destruction of their home. After their habitat has been destroyed, they are forced to live off the fragments of whatever remains before they are able to find a new home, which may never come. This makes them far more vulnerable to hunting and poaching as well, as these animals are without shelter or protection. Furthermore, even localized deforestation has the potential to eradicate an entire unique species off the face of the earth, as some rare species are isolated strictly to remote corners of the world. Ultimately, deforestation directly affects the lives of millions of species, threatening extinction and the loss of biodiversity on our planet.

The global impact of clearing entire rainforests is obviously quite significant, but the effects are even more extreme for local environments! In many tropical locations, small populations of humans rely on the animals and plants of the rainforests to maintain life. Destroying these forests directly removes their primary resources of sustainability, making it dramatically more difficult to find a way to live. Exotic animals aren't the only ones suffering here; people are too. For example, social conflicts and mass migrations have been direct results of deforestation for villagers living in Brazil and Southeast Asia.

Besides the threat to biodiversity, deforestation also harms local environments by causing increased soil erosion. Trees play a critical role in anchoring soil in the ground, and a huge void is left when these trees are chopped down. This void becomes prime territory for erosion to occur, where the ground's topsoil is worn away and swept to new locations. Small plants that try to grow in these cleared lands are unable to effectively anchor the soil, and the result is a reduction of arable land.

             
                                   This picture is provided by Lynn Betts.

Not only does this result in the loss of fertile land, but it also contributes to pollution and flooding complications. Much of this displaced soil ends up in nearby lakes or streams, leading to sediment build-up and clogged waterways; this puts entire ecosystems in danger! Furthermore, grounds experiencing soil erosion do an inadequate job of holding water, so flooding also becomes a major problem in these regions.

It may sound like I'm just highlighting a chain reaction of events that result from chopping down a few trees, but this is no slippery slope fallacy; these problems are real, and they're happening in the world around us! We're not just addressing the lives of a few plants, a few animals, or a few groups of people. This is our planet, and everyone is must be aware of the complexity of this issue; the stakes are too high.

Method in the Madness

So far this blog has focused on the dramatic statistics of deforestation and the practice's horrific influence on climate change. Whether it's the fear of losing all our rainforests in 100 years or the concerns over global warming, the consequences of deforestation sound very alarming. If we're just hearing these facts for the first time, we're likely to panic and jump to polarized conclusions about this global issue, but allow us to investigate the benefits of deforestation. It can't be all bad, can it? After all, surely we're chopping all these trees down for a reason!

Financial gain obviously stands as the most prominent benefit of deforestation, but we should first consider each avenue these economic gains may take before yelling "CORPORATE GREED!" in sheer frustration. The money earned through deforestation reaches far beyond the logging companies and timber industries that provide us with the fuel and basic utilities we need to maintain our lifestyles. It is important to understand that forests aren't just cleared to use the wood; the resulting open space is just as valuable!

In a world that's seen its human population double since 1970, many farmers are struggling to find room to grow their crops. Deforestation clears agricultural land that small time farmers can use to earn a valuable income. Impoverished workers can now maintain enough land to provide for their families and earn commercial benefits for the crops they produce. Of course, low-key subsistence farmers are not the only ones benefiting from this cleared land, as many major agricultural companies take advantage of this as well, but it's still money in the pockets of people that are just trying to make a living.

             
                             This graphic is courtesy of Population Education.

Even if we're angry with some of the larger agricultural corporations running the show, it's difficult to deny the production of more crops. With over 7 billion mouths to feed and a rising population, this planet is going to need a lot more food in the years to come. Dramatically reducing deforestation would severely limit the amount of food that comes from agricultural sectors across the globe.

Not only may this freshly cleared land be used to grow valuable crops for a hungry planet, but the space can be used for housing as well. The surplus population has to live somewhere, and urbanization in land previously occupied by trees can provide shelter for a wide variety of citizens. Without deforestation, room for construction sites would quickly run scarce as more and more people try to find a place to live. The opened space can also be used to establish improved infrastructure, such as better roads.

Furthermore, the products harvested from the forests can then be used to build the very homes and infrastructure that replace them. Wood is absolutely essential to a functioning society, and more wood must be accumulated to carry out the construction plans of new housing developments and other projects.

             
                               This image is compliments of Timothy Epp.

The one critical benefit that ties in with each of the positive gains listed above is all the employment deforestation offers. Somebody needs to cut down all those trees, and somebody needs to manufacture all the wood products. Jobs arise all over the place with deforestation as people are responsible for carrying out all the tasks associated with the clearing of forests, the distribution of lumber, the maintenance of farms, and the construction of new homes. These jobs are vital for the working class of this planet, providing income for millions of people with families of their own.

Lastly, one important aspect of deforestation that is often overlooked is that it helps developing countries across the world manage their debt. Many of the world's rainforests are located in developing nations, among the continents of South America, Africa, and Asia. Cutting down trees and marketing the product is a very lucrative business, and this helps developing countries gain better financial stability and pay off some of the large debts they have to lender countries like the United States.

             
                                        This map is provided by Weebly.

Deforestation has a purpose; people aren't just chopping down trees to defy the environment. While we tend to focus on the dangers and negative consequences of such a practice, it is important to be aware of the reasons this process exists in the first place. While the benefits may or may not outweigh the costs, it's vital to understand both sides of the story if we are to develop informed plans of how to take action.