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Land use change, especially in the form of deforestation, is the second largest source of carbon dioxide emissions from human activities, after the burning of fossil fuels. [4] [5] Greenhouse gases are emitted from deforestation during the burning of forest biomass and decomposition of remaining plant material and soil carbon.
"This does not involve a reduction of the forest area, but rather a quality decrease in its condition." The forest is still there, but with fewer trees, or less species of trees, plants or animals, or some of them affected by plagues. [1] This degradation makes the forest less valuable and may lead to deforestation.
In tropical countries, forests are often cleared to plant fruit trees, such as bananas, pineapples, and mangoes. [7] This deforestation is having a number of negative environmental impacts, including: Biodiversity loss: Forests are home to a wide variety of plant and animal species, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. [8]
Probably the most profound impact that habitat destruction has on people is the loss of many valuable ecosystem services. Habitat destruction has altered nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and carbon cycles , which has increased the frequency and severity of acid rain , algal blooms , and fish kills in rivers and oceans and contributed tremendously ...
Deforestation in the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state, 2009. Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. [1] Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use.
Deforestation is the permanent destruction of forests and woodlands. Deforestation is brought about by commercial logging, conversion of woodlands to agricultural land, and the felling of trees for firewood and building material. [16] Commercial logging is the harvest of timber products for the profit that is gained from selling the product. [17]
Eden: People+Planet (formerly Eden Reforestation Projects) is a nonprofit NGO that works in developing countries to rebuild natural landscapes destroyed by deforestation. Eden works directly with communities experiencing extreme poverty resulting from the deforestation and destruction of the land that sustains them.
Due to low light on the forest floor, there is a diverse population of epiphytes, a type of plant that grows on the canopy trees, rather than soil, to access better light. Many vines use a similar tactic, however they root in the ground, growing up the trees to reach light. [ 15 ]