Before terrorists were the eminent threat, before Al Gore started his global warming campaign and before the Y2K scare sent the world into a panic, there was the talk of deforestation. We’ve all seen the people who advocate its cause. We call them tree huggers, and sometimes worse. What most people don’t know is; trees are our life line. They produce the oxygen which we breathe. And without the sufficient amount of trees to produce this oxygen, we die. Trees also help control our climate and are the life-blood of developing countries economies. It’s hard work to get people aboard the stop-deforestation train. Most think that it’s only causing animals to lose their natural habitat, so they couldn’t care less.

Deforestation isn’t a problem that can be completely prevented. Some of the causes of this are not manmade. Acid rain and wildfire causes many forests to dwindle in size. Though, loggers and tree removal for urban developments are also quickly killing our forestlands. Slash-and-burn techniques are a major concern, also. This occurs when people cut down the trees and then burn them to make agriculture or pastures for their livestock.

Over the past decade, deforestation has had significant effects on the environment. The destruction or removal of forest cover has resulted in a degraded environment which reduces biodiversity. The massive deforestation taking place in many countries is resulting in climate change and reshaping the geographic layout. Deforestation affects the amount of water in the groundwater and soil, which affects the amount of water in the Earth’s atmosphere. Valuable forest is being lost which fosters medicinal conservation and the recharge of aquifers. It can also cause genetic variations which effect crop resistance.

The dwindling forest lessens the landscape’s capacity to retain and transport precipitation. Instead of trapping the water and feeding it to a groundwater system, the water quickly runs off the surface at much higher speeds than it would underground. This quick transportation of water can lead to flash flooding or more localized floods. Deforestation also causes decreased evapotranspiration, which lessens atmospheric moisture and effects precipitation levels downwind from the deforested area. Water is not recycled to downwind forests; instead, it is lost in the runoff and returns directly to the ocean.

Along with environmental and geographical impact, there is also economic impact from deforestation. The fast manor in which people in developing countries are tearing down their forests without reforestation is causing a loss in long-term income. Forests are being ripped apart for the heating and housing needs of almost three billion people. The short-term gain seems to outweigh the long-term effects. Deforestation without reforestation will eventually leave places like West Africa and Southeast Asia without a heat source, and their economy will be shattered. Basically, people are taking trees, but not putting any back.

Deforestation is a problem which affects a lot of countries around the world. American’s don’t seem to put much emphasis on it. But, eventually, it will be an overwhelming cause for concern for our entire planet. The people in West Africa and Southeast Asia are already starting to see the adverse effects. It won’t be long before the rest of the world needs to help correct this problem.