Role of Forest in Carbon Cycle Essay Sample

The blazing sun rising into the soft blue sky, animals scurrying around the rough forest. The trees are dancing to the birds' cheerful tunes, as the sunlight is reflecting off their cool green leaves. All of this beauty is in a world that doesn't exist. A reality that could never happen because of deforestation. There will be no animals prancing around, no more birds chirping their songs, and no more trees to sway in the wind. Instead, the buzzing sound of a chainsaw cutting down millions of trees. This is the sound of deforestation. This is the sound of animals, plants, and even people dying. Deforestation is the act of clearing a wide area of trees. As readers read this sentence, 50 to 100 acres of forests will be abolished,  disrupted, or impoverished. Yearly, an area of forest the size of Great Britain is "converted" into urban land. If these trends continue, by the year 2000, all tropical forests, with the exception of two areas the western Brazilian Amazon and Central Africa will have been destroyed. Deforestation must be banned because it results in Increased Greenhouse Gases, loss of habitat,  and a host of problems for indigenous people.  

To begin with, deforestation leads to increased greenhouse gasses. When forests are impeded, much of that stored carbon is released into the atmosphere again as CO2. Deforestation contributes to global warming. “The loss of tropical rainforest is more profound than mere destruction of beautiful areas. If the current rate of deforestation continues, the world's rain forests will vanish within 100 years- causing unknown effects on global climate....” (Urquhart, et. al.) Therefore, if deforestation continues, it'll cause many unknown effects on the environment, like global climate change. Deforestation and the clearing of forests are accountable for around 20% of worldwide gas emissions. China and also the US are the highest two gas emitters, but the emissions from Brazil and Indonesia are significantly higher. Meaning, the amazon rainforest, in Brazil, has higher emissions than the worlds leading manufacturers.  In the chart, “Carbon Footprint of Deforestation”, China and therefore the USA have the highest carbon emissions in the world. But scientists have noticed that trees are the third-highest carbon emissions in the world. Can humans control this number? Yes, if humans stop deforestation there would be less CO2 within the atmosphere. 

To add, deforestation causes a loss of habitat. To start, one of the foremost dangerous and unsettling effects of deforestation is the loss of animal and plant species because of their loss of habitat. 70% of land animals and plant species live in forests. To elaborate, deforestation will destroy the animals and plant population throughout the globe. “Deforestation, unfortunately, destroys habitats making it very difficult for animals to live.”(How does deforestation affect animals?) This means that removing trees and other types of vegetation makes it very difficult for animals to keep living.  Wildlife habitats are fragmented and native species are forced to maneuver and board inadequate habitats. Habitat fragments could also be too small to support a viable population of animals, and animals in one population might not be ready to breed freely with individuals in other populations. Also, animals might not be able to find sufficient shelter, water, and food to survive within the remainder of their habitat. To not mention, animal species are completely keen on primary forest habitats, such as the spotted owl within the north of the western US, can't survive in secondary forest habitats. Therefore, this implies that each one and any species cannot reproduce when deforestation occurs and can gradually disappear.

Not to mention, millions of indigenous people live in tropical, moist forests. The problem of populations in these areas may include population pressure, a term for summarizing the stress brought about by an excessive population density and unemployment. Also, Tribal groups are forced to move their resource bases to stay within the forest.  Since the forests are getting smaller, the people have to move. For example, Illegal loggers cleared areas three times the size of Gibraltar in Brazil’s Amazon. Is this what humans want to happen to Amazon? The amazon is the biggest tropical forest and illegal loggers have cleared areas bigger than Gibraltar. The forests provide habitats for hundreds of indigenous groups, which are now being forced to leave places that they have been for years. Not to mention, forests are vital to human existence, and if deforestation continues humans and animals will not exist anymore. “As large amounts of forests are cleared away, allowing exposed earth to whither and die and the habitats of innumerable species to be destroyed, the indigenous communities who live there and depend on the forest to sustain their way of life are also under threat.” (Effects of deforestation: The Pachamama Alliance) This means that indigenous communities who live in forests depend on the resources provided by the forest are being taken away.  “One of the key actions governments can take to protect and maintain forest ecosystems is restoring land rights to Indigenous peoples, which prevents private interests from clearing the land.” (Effects of deforestation on humans and the environment) This means that governments can do something about deforestation, by taking action which will make a difference in the lives of indigenous people. Also stated in the same article, “A study found that, in Brazil, deforestation rates decreased by two-thirds in areas where Indigenous people fully owned their lands.”   

Some people may think that deforestation makes room for more crops to be ground which can then be used to feed more people and helps us shape forests for the future. However, they fail to understand that cutting down trees is bad for the environment such as climate change, loss of habitat, and a host of problems for indigenous people. Also, others may not understand that trees and plants absorb water from the ground and prevent soil from becoming over-saturated. Therefore, deforestation will increase flooding.  there are theories that in 2050, it is estimated that there will be 10 billion people on the planet. They may believe that we need more space to live in.  however, they fail to understand that there will be a negative impact on the environment because trees filter carbon dioxide out of the air that we breathe if there are fewer trees less oxygen will be produced. Overall, deforestation needs to be stopped once and forever.

In summary, deforestation needs to be taken more seriously in order to save the world. If deforestation continues at its current rate, there will be no rainforest on the planet in 100 years. That means that there would be people living on the earth not knowing what a rainforest was. Deforestation must be banned because it results in the loss of trees and other vegetation can cause  Increased Greenhouse Gases, loss of habitat,  and a host of problems for indigenous people.