Tuesday, February 17, 2009
How does the rate of population increase affects the rate of deforestation and its effect to earth
Trees are one of the most important aspects for the planet we live in. They helps to remove carbon dioxide from the earth to prevent global warming, and they provide shelter and food for million of species on earth.
Deforestation is the cutting of trees and the elimination of forests to accommodate the demands of a growing population.
Rapid population growth has resulted to the conversion of forest areas to non-forest lands for settlement and farming. Together with this is urbanization and residential area expansion. This takes a significant loss of forest lands both for harvesting forest products as more people need more lumber to build their houses and for developing the greater area their houses, malls, business centers will be built. An increase in population also means an increase in produce consumption. Thus,
rainforests are destroyed and converted to cattle pasture to supply the burgeoning demand for meat. In Central America, almost half of the
rainforests have been slashed and burned for cattle farming in order comply with foreign demands. Twenty-five per cent of the Amazon's forests have also been destroyed for cattle ranches.
