Indiscriminate felling of trees as a result of urbanization, industrialization, mining operations, and use of wood for domestic and other purposes, have caused heavy depletion of forests.
Causes
Shifting cultivation
- In this practice a patch of land is cleared, vegetation is burned and the ash is mixed with the soil thus adding nutrients to the soil.
- This patch of land is used for raising crops for two to three years, and the yield is modest.
- Then this area is abandoned and is left to recover its fertility, and the same practice is repeated elsewhere on a fresh piece of land.
- All that is required for this method of cultivation is a set of simple tools, not high level of mechanisation.
Development project
- The human population have increased considerably, so with their requirements.
- Development projects like the hydroelectric projects, large dams and reservoirs, laying down of railway lines and roads are not only extremely beneficial, but they are also linked with several environmental problems.
- Many of these projects require immense deforestation.
Fuel Requirements
The increasing demand for firewood with ever growing population increases greater pressure on the forests, which results in increased intensity of deforestation.
Raw Material Requirements
- Wood is used as a raw material by various industries for making paper, plywood, furniture, match sticks, boxes, crates, packing cases, etc.
- Industries also obtain their raw materials from plants such as drugs, scents and perfumes, resin, gums, waxes, turpentine, latex and rubber, tannis, alkaloids, bees wax.
- This exerted tremendous pressure on forest ecosystem and their unrestricted exploitation for various other raw materials is the main cause of degradation of the forest ecosystem.
Other Causes
Deforestation also results from overgrazing, agriculture, mining, urbanization, flood, fire, pest, diseases, defence and communication activities.
How it affects?
- Closed forests (based on canopy level) have been diminished due to deforestation leading to increase in degraded forests.
- Forests recycle moisture from soil into their immediate atmosphere by transpiration where it again precipitates as rain.
- Deforestation results in an immediate lowering of ground water level and in long-term reduction of precipitation.
- Due to deforestation, this natural reuse cycle is broken and water is lost through rapid run off.
- Much of the mining activity in India is being carried out in forest regions. The obvious result is deforestation and soil erosion.
- Underground mining has also significantly denuded forests, as timber is used for supporting the roofs of mini galleries.
- A large number of abandoned mines are lying in bad shape and are under extensive gully erosion leading to degradation of the habitat
- Deforestation affects the biota and neighbouring ecosystems, soil erosion, land degradation, alteration of ground water channels, pollution and scarce.
