Habitat Loss. Elephants - Habitat Loss For centuries, elephants have suffered mass murder at the hands of ivory traders. This has been the main threat faced by these impressive beasts. However, as the world continues to ‘develop’ and expand, a shortage of space is rapidly becoming the top concern for wildlife. Naturally, the predominant species will occupy the land and, as the human race continues to expand (despite a distinct lack of resources), animals are forced to negotiate on their habitat. Deforestation Farming and development has lead to vast areas of natural forest being burned, chopped down, or otherwise destroyed.
As time progresses, farmers are not only destroying more areas in their quest for fertile soil, they are also increasing in number. The lack of viable forest areas means less oxygen production and massive soil erosion (as tree roots play a major part n anchoring soil). Overhunting As is the nature with the human race, hunting has been carried out in absolute excess. Our Sustainable Planet » Wildlife. • The ocean is immense but not a reservoir of unlimited life, and it is concentrated in coastal zones teeming with diversity. These coastal zones are subject to commercial exploitation, the polluting refuse of our rivers and rising sea levels from melting glaciers due to global warming. • The coastal zones are the source of 80% of marine species and these wetlands and mangrove forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate through violent storms, erosion from human encroachment and agricultural expansion, pollution and global warming. • Coral reefs are reservoirs of biodiversity with 4,000 species of fish and they are rapidly disappearing. 70% of the coral on the earth is threatened by global warming, pollution and human activity.
Most coral lies in shallow water that is easily warmed by rising temperatures from global warming. • The ocean floor is becoming littered with debris (plastic, non-biodegradable materials), which drowns birds, turtles and seals who ingest the material. Global Warming and Sea Turtles. Global Warming & Sea Turtles The effects of global warming will have enormous impacts on sea turtles and other wildlife. The rate of global warming far exceeds the abilities of animals to adapt naturally to such dramatic environmental changes. These changes are predicted to cause the extinction of many species over the next few decades.
Sea level rise from the melting of polar ice is already contributing to the loss of beach and sea turtle nesting habitat. Weather extremes, also linked to climate change, mean more frequent and severe storms which alter nesting beaches, cause beach erosion, and inundate, or flood sea turtle nests. Hotter sand from increasing temperatures results in decreased hatching rates or complete nest failure. Increased sand temperatures also affect hatchlings by altering natural sex ratios, with hotter temperatures producing more female hatchlings. Sea turtles use ocean currents to travel and find prey. Did You Know? What is SEE Turtles? Links & Resources. SAY NO TO PALM OIL. The Health of the Earth & Its People. The wholesale industrialized exploitation of nature for short-term gain cannot be sustained; it is a major component of what we have termed agricide.
The crime of agricide is perpetrated on a variety of fronts, and it's far-reaching consequences show that the health of earth and its inhabitants cannot be separated. EROSION & DEPLETION OF RESOURCES Agricide includes escalating soil erosion; the impoverishment and poisoning of the soil; the pollution of lakes, rivers, and oceans from the runoff of topsoil contaminated with chemicals; the destruction of groundwater sources from pollution and overuse; the use of nitrogenous fertilizers that are also implicated in the destruction of the earth's ozone layer; and the development of fast growing, high yield hybrid strains of crops and animals that are more susceptible to disease.
The USDA estimates that cropland erosion is occurring in the United States at a rate of two billion tons of soil a year. According to Dr. H. Ethiopia: Deforestation and monoculture plantations behind the fires. Ethiopia: Deforestation and monoculture plantations behind the fires A mountainous tropical country with altitudes of over 4,000 metres, Ethiopia has many regions which were once rich in vegetation and are now rocky, desert areas. Desertification and erosion have further increased within the past decade. Almost all the forests in Ethiopia have been destroyed in the last 40 years, according to a study by the United Nations. Less than 3% of the entire country is now covered with trees, compared to the 40% of a century ago and 16% in the early 1950s, prompting fears of an impending environmental disaster in this country which is home to coffee and one of the biodiversity hotspots of the world, now with large areas exposed to heavy soil erosion.
The most threatened vegetation zones of the country are not found in the wildlife designated areas; these are the moist evergreen forests and the dry evergreen forests, the most extensive and most widely used forest resources. Top. Solutions to Deforestation | Greenpeace. "I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues" -The Lorax, Dr. Seuss Around the world, forests are being logged for timber and paper pulp and cleared to grow mono-crops like palm oil and soy while they are deteriorating from the impacts of global warming.
Deforestation is a major driver of global warming, responsible for up to 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions–more than all the cars, trucks, planes, boats and trains in the world combined. Deforestation doesn’t just threaten our climate, it threatens the livelihoods of 1.6 billion people that rely on forests for food and economic activity. Ending deforestation and protecting forests will not only preserve biodiversity and defend the rights of forest communities, it is also one of the quickest and cost effective ways of curbing global warming. Drivers of deforestation vary from region to region-below are examples of human activity driving the destruction of the world’s natural forests. 1. 2. 3. Wield your consumer power! Chapter 2: The Environmental Effects of Strip Mining - The Strip Mining Handbook. All mining operations have a disruptive effect on the environment, but the sheer volume of material involved in strip mining makes the impact on the environment especially acute.
Surface mining (another name for "strip mining") can severely erode the soil or reduce its fertility; pollute waters or drain underground water reserves; scar or altar the landscape; damage roads, homes, and other structures; and destroy wildlife. The dust and particles from mining roads, stockpiles, and lands disturbed by mining are a significant source of air pollution. In order to participate effectively in controlling the abuses of strip mining, it is important to understand the basic techniques of surface mining and the types of environmental damage that can result. The Mechanics of Strip Mining This section describes the five main types of surface coal mining techniques: area mining, open pit mining, contour mining, auger mining, and mountaintop removal. Area Mining Open Pit Mining Contour Mining Auger Mining. AMAZON RAINFOREST DEFORESTATION. Amazon Rainforest Deforestation - © Istockphoto Commercial logging is the single most important factor for Amazon rainforest deforestation, followed by cattle grazing and other reasons we will review shortly...
Amazon rainforest is disappearing at an alarming rate, and the same applies for all the remaining rainforests in the world. Once the covered 14% of earth's surface, now only 6%. Experts estimate they could disappear within 40 years. Amazon rainforest alone is vanishing at a rate of 200,000 square miles a year - out of 2,5 million square miles, embracing nine South America countries or 2/3s of the continent. Rainforest Deforestation Facts Main reasons for the vanishing rainforest include... Commercial logging: Logging tropical hardwoods for exportation (teak, mahogany, etc) as well as other timber for furnitures, ply wood, etc , followed by other wood-related industries such as chipboard and cardboard. Cattle grazing in the Amazon rainforest - © Mikadx/Istockphoto Choose Your Language. New forest map shows 6% of Amazon deforested between 2000 and 2010. To Our Faithful Current.com Users: Current's run has ended after eight exciting years on air and online.
The Current TV staff has appreciated your interest, support, participation and unflagging loyalty over the years. Your contributions helped make Current.com a vibrant place for discussing thousands of interesting stories, and your continued viewership motivated us to keep innovating and find new ways to reflect the voice of the people. We now welcome the on-air and digital presence of Al Jazeera America, a new news network committed to reporting on and investigating real stories affecting the lives of everyday Americans in every corner of the country.
You can keep up with what's new on Al Jazeera America and see this new brand of journalism for yourself at Thank you for inspiring and challenging us. . – The Current TV Staff. Forests: Threats to our forests. Deforestation Results of deforestation Forests are cleared all around the world for a number of reasons, including: Harvesting of timber to produce wood and paper products Clearing land for farms, cash-crop plantations, and cattle ranching Clearing land for urban development, including homes and roads. Forests are also being destroyed by acid rain resulting from our pollution-causing activities and through the introduction of disease and invasive species. What happens when forests are cleared? Floods and soil erosion Erosion The roots of a tree make gaps in the soil so that when it rains the water can sink in before being absorbed by the soil.
Because the soil no longer can absorb the water, when it rains the water remains on the top of the soil and this can result in floods. What we lose: About 24 billion tons of agricultural topsoil (the top layer of soil) wash or blow away each year. Drought Forests help produce rainfall. Greenhouse gases and acid rain Species extinction. Environment - Ecuador - problem, area, farming, system. As of 2000, Ecuador's major environmental problems were erosion in the highland areas; deforestation, especially in the Oriente; and water pollution. The Ecuadoran Institute of Water Resources estimated that the amount of arid land increased by 31.5% between 1954 and 1979, when 7.5% of the coastal lowland and Sierra were classified as arid.
Between 1981 and 1985, 340,000 hectares (840,000 acres) of land were deforested annually. By the 1990s, Ecuador had lost over 30% of the original mangrove area, which covered over 117,000 hectares. As of 1994, it was estimated that, at current deforestation rates, coastal forests will be completely eliminated within 15 years and the Amazon forests will be gone within 40 years.
Traditional farming practices have been blamed for most of these problems, but oil development has also played a role in the clearing of forests. Ecuador's cities produce about 1.2 million tons of solid waste per year. Impact of Deforestation | Be Green To Live. You all might be watching in TV sets across the globe that there are lot of mud slides in hills,floods and other natural disaters. why this is happening.It is partially due to deforestation. The effect of deforestation on environment can cause floods, fertility of the soil can be gone , there will be soil erosion, water cycle can be disturbed which results in drought and there will be disturbance in nature . deforestation Deforestation has much economic importance but the bad effect is that 1. It causes erosion. 2. 3. 4. 5. Amazon_deforestation When forest cover is lost, runoff rapidly flows into streams, elevating river levels and subjecting downstream villages, cities, and agricultural fields to flooding, especially during the rainy season.
Situated on steep slopes, montane and watershed forests are especially important in ensuring water flow and inhibiting erosion, yet during the 1980s, montane formations suffered the highest deforestation rate of tropical forests. deforestation_impacts. Deforestation. Deforestation Deforestation: The conversion of forest to another land use or the long-term reduction of the tree canopy cover below a 10 percent threshold. Deforestation implies the long-term or permanent loss of forest cover and its transformation into another land use.
People have been deforesting the Earth for thousands of years, primarily to clear land for crops or livestock. Annual change in forest area by region in millions of hectares per year, 1990-2010. There is a continued trend towards expansion in Europe, while large-scale afforestation in China of between 2 and 3 million hectares per year is contributing to net gains in Asia. The rate of deforestation is decreasing in some countries, such as Brazil and Indonesia. However, net losses remain significant in South America and Africa despite this reduction. The world’s total forest area is just over 4 billion hectares, corresponding to 31 percent of the total land area or an average of 0.6 ha per capita. Soil Impacts July 30, 2000. GREEN: Disappearing forests - Live. IN a recent conversation with my friend Michele Lin, she mentioned about a group of wild boars roaming in the park near her house in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.
“It’s so weird. I thought wild boars are dangerous but people even feed them at the park,” said Michele. “I guess they had to come out of their ‘home’ for food as there are development projects going on in the forest there.” This is just one of the many instances of animals making contact with humans. We’ve also read reports of elephants rampaging human settlements, tigers attacking rubber tappers and snakes making their way into homes.
The animals are not to blame though, as their homes have been invaded through deforestation. At the launch of the recent Boh Forest Friends School Programme, the WWF-Malaysia team tells us more about deforestation in the country. DON’T CHOP! The data was collected using satellite images that analysed forest cover change in insular Southeast Asia. Deforestation can be simply put as the clearing of trees. Deforestation effects on Sarawak. Rainforest clearing for oil palm plantation Deforestation effects on Sarawak mount as land clearing is raging at an unprecedented rate. Rural natives are physically and economically displaced. Wildlife and plant species disappear, rivers lose their functions, air and water are severely polluted, farms and gardens dwindle in production and local climate goes haywire.
Read on. The full accounts of this issue is outlined below. Consider the air you breathe. If the biomass is further gotten rid of by open burning the situation is even worse. These gases are cancer-causing. But this does not mean that these direct impacts on human do not exist. The clean air and water that were once abundant are now rare commodities. And in the event of drought those water tanks are useless. Many rural natives are complaining of poor harvests and declining fruit production during fruiting season. The severity of local climate change is biting deep. What about the most controversial issue of ? You Are Secure! Eastern Africa: environment. SOMALIA'S DEGRADING ENVIRONMENT. Habitats -- Rain Forest Deforestation Pictures, Wallpapers, Downloads. Search results for palm oil deforestation on news.mongabay.com.
What Lies Beneath Deforestation. Impact of Deforestation - Species Loss, Extinction and Disease. Deforestation of Tropical Rainforests - A Case Study of Madagascar. Destroying Nature Unleashes Infectious Diseases. Reforestation & avoided deforestation | carbonfund.org. Proliferation of mountain roads a hazard to the environment in SE Asia. Pakistan. Impacts and Causes of Deforestation in the Amazon Basin. Soil Erosion and Degradation | Threats.
Deforestation/Erosion Photos (Madagascar) Deforestation wildlife erosion. Impact of Deforestation - Soil Erosion. Haiti Soil. Deforestation in Ethiopia. Scope of the Challenge. Keeping Forests Standing. Help to Protect Wildlife from Extinction in Brazil. Forestry in a treeless land | Iceland Forest Service | Skógrækt ríkisins. Congo Rainforest Slideshow. Zimbabwe: A Cry for the Environment. Rainforests - Action For Our Planet.