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Forest degradation is a process in which the biological wealth of a forest area is permanently diminished by some factor or by a combination of factors. "This does not involve a reduction of the forest area, but rather a quality decrease in its condition."
Deforestation is defined as the conversion of forest to other land uses (regardless of whether it is human-induced). [14] Deforestation and forest area net change are not the same: the latter is the sum of all forest losses (deforestation) and all forest gains (forest expansion) in a given period. Net change, therefore, can be positive or ...
Habitat degradation, fragmentation, and pollution are aspects of habitat destruction caused by humans that do not necessarily involve over destruction of habitat, yet result in habitat collapse. Desertification, deforestation, and coral reef degradation are specific types of habitat destruction for those areas (deserts, forests, coral reefs).
Biophysical mechanisms by which forests influence climate. Irreversible deforestation would result in a permanent rise in the global surface temperature. [23] Moreover, it suggests that standing tropical forests help cool the average global temperature by more than 1 °C or 1.8 °F.
The forest resources of the United States remained relatively constant through the 20th century. [3] The Forest Service reported total forestation as 766,000,000 acres (3,100,000 km 2) in 2012. [4] [5] [3] A 2017 study estimated 3 percent loss of forest between 1992 and 2001. [6]
Human-induced land degradation tends to be particularly serious in dry regions. Focusing on soil properties, Oldeman estimated that about 19 million square kilometers of global land area had been degraded; Dregne and Chou, who included degradation of vegetation cover as well as soil, estimated about 36 million square kilometers degraded in the ...
Half of the area experiencing deforestation consists of new forests or forest growth. In addition to direct human-induced deforestation, growing forests have also been affected by climate change. The Kyoto Protocol includes an agreement to prevent deforestation, but does not stipulate actions to fulfil it. [2]
Around 40% of the Earth's original forest cover has been lost in the last 8000 years. [14] Desertification: Human-led changes in land management practices lead to changes in the ecological characteristics of a region. Land mismanagement and climate change can lead to a loss of ecosystem services, such as through degradation of soil. [15]