Introduction
Deforestation means cutting down large areas of forests, and it is a fundamental problem for the environment. Forests are very important for the planet. Forests play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity, regulating climate, and supporting the livelihoods of millions. However, increasing human demands for agricultural lands, urban development, and natural resource extraction have accelerated the rate of deforestation (Deforestation, 2012).
Rainforest of the Third world are disappearing
not only to meet the needs of its residents, but also to fulfill the
needs of industrialized countries. With petroleum’s increasing price,
rainforests in Indonesia and Sumatra are being logged to produce palm
oil farms in the quest to produce green fuel.
The forests cover approximately 31% of the Earth’s land cover and are
home to more than 80% of the terrestrial animal species, plants, and
fungi (World Wildlife Fund [WWF], n.d.).
They act as carbon sinks by extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere which helps to mitigate the impacts of climate change. When forests are cleared or degraded, the stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere and contributes to global warming. The widespread loss of tree cover poses a danger to many plant and animal species, upsets ecosystems, and accelerates global warming and climate change.
Deforestation resulted in an average of 16 million hectares (39 million
acres) loss of forest in the 1990s and reduced to 13 million hectares
(32 million acres) annually in the first 10 years of the 21st century.
Forest utilization in the less-developed countries is attributed to
rapid urbanization, population growth, and economic requirements for the
forest product (Hund, 2013).