Deforestation
Deforestation refers to the indiscriminate cutting down of trees, leading to the depletion of forest cover. Human activities like urbanization, industrialization, mining, shifting cultivation, and overuse of forest resources have significantly degraded forest ecosystems.
Causes of Deforestation
Shifting Cultivation (Slash-and-burn)
- A patch of forest is cleared and vegetation burned; ash enriches soil temporarily.
- Crops are grown for 2–3 years; then the land is abandoned and another patch is cleared.
- Requires only simple tools, but leaves behind degraded land.
Development Projects
- Infrastructure such as dams, hydropower plants, roads, railways, and reservoirs often involve large-scale deforestation.
- While these projects benefit society, they carry severe environmental costs.
Fuelwood Demand
- Growing population and dependence on firewood for energy increases pressure on forests.
Raw Material for Industries
- Industries exploit forests for wood (paper, plywood, furniture, packaging), and plant-derived resources (gums, resins, perfumes, wax, tannins, latex, rubber, alkaloids).
- Overharvesting disrupts ecological balance.
Other Factors
- Overgrazing by livestock, expansion of agriculture, mining, urban sprawl, floods, fires, pests, diseases, and even defense-related activities contribute to forest degradation.
Impacts of Deforestation
- Reduces closed forest areas, replacing them with degraded, fragmented ecosystems.
- Breaks the natural water recycling through transpiration, leading to lower rainfall and groundwater depletion.
- Increases soil erosion and habitat degradation, altering groundwater flows and increasing pollution.
- Mining activities strip forests, and underground mining consumes timber for gallery supports. Abandoned mines suffer erosion and habitat loss.
- Overall, it negatively impacts biodiversity, soil fertility, microclimate, and ecosystem services.