Deforestation
The clearing of large areas of forest, often to make farmland or sell timber.
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Analogy
Removing the lungs and the homes of an ecosystem at once.
In practice
Cutting down rainforest for palm oil plantations removes habitats and reduces carbon dioxide uptake.
Practice
Flashcards
- What activities add carbon dioxide to the air?Burning fossil fuels and cutting down forests.
- Why does deforestation increase carbon dioxide?Fewer trees take in carbon dioxide, and burning or rotting trees releases it.
Interview questions
- Explain how human activities contribute to global warming.
- Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide
- Deforestation reduces carbon dioxide uptake
- Farming releases methane from cattle and rice paddies
- Greenhouse gases trap more heat, so temperatures rise
Questions people ask
Why do people cut down forests?
Forests are cleared to create farmland for crops and cattle, including palm oil and soya. Wood is also sold for timber, paper and fuel, and land is cleared for roads and homes. Often these bring jobs and money in the short term, but at a cost to wildlife and the climate.
What can be done to reduce deforestation?
Governments can protect forests by law and punish illegal logging. Companies can use wood and palm oil that is certified sustainable. People can recycle paper and buy less. Replanting trees helps, and farmers can be supported to grow food on land already cleared.