Deforestation

The destruction of the world’s forests is inevitable as our need for paper and timber grows. I believe this, because there are many ways that we, as a global population, are aiding in the annihilation of our rapidly receding forests. Therefore, as our need for land grows, our forests shrink. We need to be conscious of what we are losing when we eradicate our forests. Trees provide us with food, medicine, shelter, and warmth. Almost everything we eat that doesn’t come from an animal comes from plants and trees. Most of the pencils and furniture we use are made from the wood that comes from trees. Trees are necessary for us to survive. They provide us with oxygen so that we can breathe. They also take the carbon dioxide that is bad for us, and could kill us, out of the air, so that they can survive. Trees moderate global temperatures and rainfall, especially when in forests. They cool the earth by providing shade, and recycle water by helping to move rainfall along. And when trees are clustered together in forests, they help these natural causes to work even faster, because there are such a great amount of trees. The harvesting of timber to produce wood and paper products is detrimental to our forests. One reason is because we are cutting down trees for these products at a rate that new growth cannot keep up with. We are harvesting massive amounts of timber each second, and the average tree only grows about eighteen and half inches per year. Also, when heavy machinery is driven around to cut down the trees, the soil is packed tight into the ground, not allowing for new plants to sprout. Another reason that the harvesting of timber is detrimental to our forests is because forests help to reduce droughts. The fewer trees we have, the less water is absorbed into rain clouds, and fewer rain clouds mean less rain. This situation leads to dryer conditions that result in drought. After an area of land has been hit with a drought, the soil is tougher, and does not