O logging it is one of the most serious environmental problems of our time, as in addition to devastating forests and natural resources, it compromises the balance of the planet in its various elements, including ecosystems, severely affecting the economy and society. Thus, every time a forest area is removed, we have a practice of deforestation, which can also be called “deforestation”.
Causes of deforestation
Deforestation, although it is an anthropic (human) action, is not done by chance. There are some reasons that cause or intensify the occurrence of this problem, among which we can mention:
a) Agricultural expansion:the advancement of arable areas and agricultural frontier causes the advancement of human activities over the natural environment, causing entire areas of forests are replaced by pastures, agricultural fields or rural areas awaiting recovery financial.
b) Mining activity: the practice of mining is also one of the major factors responsible for the devastation of forests, as entire areas are devastated for the installation of equipment and activities for the exploration of reserves of the most diverse ores, such as gold, silver, bauxite (aluminum), iron, zinc and many others.
c) Greater demand for natural resources: there is, in the world, an exaggerated increase in consumerism, with a greater demand for raw materials and, consequently, for natural resources. Thus, the goods offered by nature are increasingly explored, with emphasis on the wood, palm oil and other elements, which, when removed, cause the destruction of forests.
d) Growth of urbanization: with the increase of urbanization both in Brazil and in the world, the green areas located both in the areas around the cities and within the limits urban areas are removed for the construction of housing, developments, buildings, industries and many other forms of human intervention on their space.
e) increase in fires: Accidental or intentional, criminal fires over natural areas have been spreading, with frequent news about them appearing in newspapers and magazines. In times of drought, the vegetation is drier and fire spreads more easily, so that any spark, depending on the location, can cause a real catastrophe.
Forest area destroyed by the action of fires
Consequences of deforestation
There are several consequences and impacts generated by deforestation, given that human intervention in the natural environment inevitably leads to imbalances. Among such problems, we can mention:
a) Loss of biodiversity: with the destruction of forests, the natural habitat of many species becomes scarce or non-existent, contributing to the death of many animals and even extinction endemic types, those that are only found in restricted locations. This configuration brings problems to the food chain and can even impact economic activities such as hunting and fishing.
b) Erosion of soils: without the trees, the soil in many places is unprotected, being easily impacted by the action of erosive agents, such as rain and river water, in addition to other elements. With the consequent erosion, many areas are lost.
c) Extinction of rivers: the removal of forests causes the destruction, in some cases, of springs that feed the rivers. In addition, hillside areas on the banks of watercourses suffer from increased erosion, which causes more earth and rocks to be “thrown” into river beds, which causes their weakening.
d) Weather effects: the climate and temperatures depend on natural conditions. Many forests contribute by providing moisture to the environment, so their removal implies the change in the climate balance of many regions, not to mention the intensification of the effect stove.
e) Desertification: in addition to erosion, soils can suffer from the absence of vegetation. In arid and semi-arid areas, desertification, with the loss of soil nutrients, in addition to the sanding process, which occurs in regions with humid climate and sandy soils.
f) Loss of natural resources: natural resources, even renewable ones, can become scarce as a result of deforestation. This is the case of water, wood, in addition to countless medicinal raw materials taken from plant extraction.
By Me. Rodolfo Alves Pena
