Deforestation

Definition:

- It involves the permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodland.

- It includes a destruction of forests, in which the treetops touch each other to form a canopy in which trees are spaced further apart

- This term does not apply to the removal of trees from plantations or industrial forests.

- Cote d’Ivoire has the highest rate of deforestation in Africa (5.2% per year).

- Ghana and Nigeria used to have the most extensive tropical forests in West Africa, but less than 15% of their original forests remain today.

What causes deforestation?

1. Fuel-wood

- The people rely on wood as a major source of energy for cooking and heating.

- As population increases, this balance has been disrupted, and in some areas woodlands and forests have been severely depleted as a result.

2. Subsistence Agriculture

- As population pressures increase, local farmers are forced to seek out new areas to grow their crops.

- It makes the way for arable land.

3. Commercial Agriculture

- The spread of large plantations and commercial farms has displaced local farmers from their lands.

- It makes the way for their farms.

4. Logging

- Commercial logging has destroyed large tracts of rainforest.

- Logging companies are interested in hardwoods.

- Not only does the logging itself destroy the forests, but so too do the roads which have to built to provide access for loggers.

Others: Mining, Urban and Industrial development

What are the Effects of Deforestation?

1. Reduction in biodiversity

- Many of the plant and animal species which inhabit the forest become endangered or extinct.

2. Erosion and soil depletion

- When the forest cover is cleared, a rapid decline in soil fertility can take place, and the soil can be quickly eroded by heavy rainfall.

3. Destruction of human habitats

- As forests are destroyed, the people lose their livelihood and often then cultures and societies.

4. Economic benefits

- The foreign exchange earnings of many African countries are boosted, at least in the short term, by the export of forest products. In many remote areas, the building of roads for forest exploitation provide access for previously unreachable areas.