Our Disappearing Forests

The Loss of Our Forests

Slowly throughout the last couple of centuries, the decline of our forests has led to a carbon crisis with only mankind to blame. Trees collect carbon dioxide throughout their lives and through the cutting of forests, there is a dramatic increase in carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere. As of 2007 the rate of deforestation was about 32 million acres per year and is only increasing as time goes by (Struck). About 10% of global warming is due to the loss of forests and damage done to them and it will keep rising if deforestation is not put to an end (The Effects of Deforestation).

Air pollution, known for killing around 3.3 million people a year along with the collection of greenhouse gases in or atmosphere are contributing to the continuation of the rise of global warming and climate change affecting the world (Adams). As a bit of a ripple effect of the rise in carbon dioxide by the removal of forests, “The oceans, so important to us for seafood, have become 30 percent more acid because of higher concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere” (Lovejoy). This rising rate of deforestation is going to continue rising along with air pollution if humans are not taking bigger efforts to change their ways to answer mother nature’s cry for help.

Deforestation is caused by many things and while mankind may not always be the cause of this situation, we play a major role in the decline of our forests. Along with being host to many different organisms, “forests also play a critical role in mitigating climate change because they act as a carbon sink — soaking up carbon dioxide that would otherwise be free in the atmosphere and contribute to ongoing changes in climate patterns” (Deforestation and Forest Degradation). The removal of trees “…deprives the forest of portions of its canopy, which blocks the sun’s rays during the day and retains heat at night. That disruption leads to more extreme temperature swings that can be harmful to plants and animals” (Nunez). The removal of trees is affecting more than just greenhouse gases, it is affecting the natural habitants that depend of the protection of the forests. “As well as being stunningly beautiful, forests are vital for the health of our planet. They provide food and shelter for so much of life on Earth — from fungi and insects to tigers and elephants” (The Effects of Deforestation). As a way to fight the rapid decline of our forests what better way to do that other than reforestation.

Reforestation

Reforestation can be started through a natural reforestation process, but this way may not be completely sufficient with just the help of people so there are different ways we should take. Two classifications of techniques used in the reforestation process is the even-aged stands which are when older trees are removed to let new trees grow and uneven-aged stands which are when older and younger trees are made to grow together. The best way to take in reforestation may seem to be the uneven-aged stands, but in order to guarantee the best future of the forests and the recollection of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the even-aged stands seems to be the better option. Studies have shown that “the younger the forest, the more carbon it can store” (Reforestation Methods & Management: Benefits For Our Planet). Using the even-aged stand can help guarantee that more carbon dioxide will be collected by the younger generation of trees.

Reforestation is proving to be better cost-wise and people are working to find more ways to reduce deforestation. Research has shown that “Increasing the pace of tropical reforestation would remove substantial amounts of additional carbon dioxide at low cost. According to our analysis, a hypothetical tropics-wide carbon price of $20 per ton of carbon dioxide — around the current price in European and Californian carbon markets — would incentivize land users to increase reforestation by enough to remove an additional 5.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide (5.6%) from 2020–2050, equivalent to thirty years of greenhouse gas emissions from Kuwait” (Busch). With this estimation, people can see the upside of reforestation and this gives them a more promising future to look to for the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. With more people working to push reforestation we can help repair the damage that was done by cutting down our forests.

Justification

“Trees not only absorb moisture but make a barrier for water flows during foods or downpours. Thus, they slow down the speed of currents and improve water absorption. By impeding floods, reforestation mitigates damage and losses” (Reforestation Methods & Management: Benefits For Our Planet). Through this process, it is shown that “Reforestation offers one of the best ways to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, [by] turning it into solid carbon through photosynthesis and storing it in tree trunks, branches, roots, and soil” (Busch). Research has shown that tropical reforestation is more cost-effective than possible options that may come up in the search to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (Busch). In addition to removing carbon from the atmosphere, rainforest restoration “…combats rare species extinction, both in the kingdom of plants and the kingdom of animals” which is better to help protect those species (Reforestation Methods & Management: Benefits For Our Planet).

Response to Objectifications

Many people may turn away from the fact that reforestation may be too costly and that it may not have a good outcome. While costly, reforestation will do more good than bad in the long run because it will help extend the earth’s life and the air quality throughout the planet. When working to plant trees people need to be sure they are working to do the correct research before they began the process of reforestation. If a person begins the act of plant non-native trees in the wrong area an act of good can have a very negative impact on that area. Another negative effect that reforestation can have would be the issue of wildfires. While working to regrow forests affected by wildfires, the issue of more wildfires happening in return comes up and is something that must be considered when deciding to regrow forests that are frequently affected by them.

Additional Benefits

Along with the easier removal of carbon, “Reforestation management and monitoring are easier with remote sensing, especially in hard-to-reach places. With satellite imagery by EOS Data Analytics, foresters can monitor reforestation progress, timely notice if things go wrong, and react accordingly. Low and medium-resolution remote sensing can detect the changes after 1–2 years of tree planting, while high-resolution remote sensing can provide information much earlier” (Reforestation Methods & Management: Benefits For Our Planet). Through the benefits already showing through earlier reforestation, there are now new ways to better manage our forests to help them live longer.

Conclusion

While deforestation is causing issues left and right, the way to reverse it is just around the corner and together we can make that happen. Reforestation can not only help to lower the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere, it is also helping to bring back jobs and homes to indigenous people and habitats to many other species and organisms. Through the act of reforestation, we can work together to stop this carbon crisis and prevent it from happening again.