Portfolio Amirul Hakim

PORTFOLIO

Name :

Amirul Hakim Bin Aminuddin

No Matriks :

PBA21015

Semester :

SEM 3 2021/2022

Essay Title :

Deforestation

TABLE CONTENT

1. Online Article

1.1. What is causing the Deforestation
1.2. What we do?
1.3. Causes of Deforestation

2. Online Journal Article
2.1. Deforestation and world population sustainability: a
quantitative analysis
2.2. The Impacts of Oil Palm on Recent Deforestation and
Biodiversity Loss
2.3. The Influence of Deforestation on Land Surface
Temperature—A Case Study of Perak and Kedah, Malaysia

3. Online Newspaper
3.1. Deforestation of Amazon rainforest hits record highs at
start of 2022, says Brazil
3.2. YOURSAY | So deforestation will be good for orangutans
too?
3.3. Sarawak Deforestation – ground visit crucial

4. Online Magazine
4.1. Impact of Deforestation Species Loss, Extinction & Disease
4.2. What are the biggest drives of tropical Deforestation
4.3. Deforestation : Facts, causes & effect

5. Book
5.1. What a forest?

ONLINE
ARTICLE

1.1 WHAT IS CAUSING THIS DEFORESTATION

Agriculture is the leading driver of deforestation globally. A
growing global population and increased food consumption has
led to many forests being converted into farms. The type of
agriculture varies, but includes predominantly commercial
agriculture, smallholder farming and cattle ranching in Latin
America; subsistence and smallholder commercial farming in
sub-Saharan Africa; and commercial agriculture and vast
plantations in Southeast Asia.

Increased public and private sector collaboration and alignment
of efforts to address deforestation and conversion are an
important step to increasing sustainable food production and
local peoples’ livelihoods while reducing the environmental
impacts of production and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Deforestation is also being driven by logging, human migration
and population increases, extractive industries (mining, oil and
gas), transport and infrastructure projects and expanding towns
and cities. The exact causes of deforestation change over time,
and vary from region to region. These regional differences
highlight the need for place-based solutions that take specific
local contexts into account.

1.2 What We Do?

We are convinced that reforestation means more than just planting
trees. Our approach strives for an ecologically, socially and also
economically sustainable solution that benefits everyone.

1. Build Relationships

Smallholder farmers in the tropics are at the center of our work. They
are indispensable for sustainable rainforest conservation. We build long-
term relationships with the local communities and identify the individual
needs of the people in order to help them in the best possible way
through our joint activities.

2. Empower Farmers
In so-called Farmer Field Schools, the experiences and knowledge of
smallholder farmers are supplemented with knowledge from expert
foresters. In the courses, participants learn basic concepts and
techniques of agroforestry and apply them in workshops in the field.

3. Distribute Seedlings

Every year, our nurseries and those of our partners’ raise hundreds of
thousands of seedlings that are distributed to smallholder farmers free
of charge for the planting season. In order to provide the participants of
the programs with the appropriate seedlings for the conditions in their
fields, we establish our own test fields to expand our knowledge year
after year.

1. Establish Responsible Value Chains

An important part of our holistic approach is the development of
sustainable value chains. We link smallholder farmers with the wood
processing industry to provide a sustainable source of income to them.
We also explore new uses for the planted lightwoods. For instance, we
aim to introduce them in the construction sector, where they can
replace emission-intensive materials such as concrete.

1. Monitor Impact

Transparent and responsible action is one of the guiding principles of
our work. That’s why we developed TREEO – an app that makes it easy
for smallholder farmers to independently collect data from their fields.
TREEO allows us to track the growth of trees and record the CO2 stored
as biomass. With the help of the data, we can continuously optimize our
activities and provide advice and support that is tailored to
smallholders.

1.3 Causes of deforestation

Farming, grazing of livestock, mining, and drilling combined account
for more than half of all deforestation. Forestry practices, wildfires
and, in small part, urbanization account for the rest. In Malaysia and
Indonesia, forests are cut down to make way for producing palm oil,
which can be found in everything from shampoo to saltines. In the
Amazon, cattle ranching and farms—particularly soy plantations—
are key culprits.

Logging operations, which provide the world’s wood and paper
products, also fell countless trees each year. Loggers, some of them
acting illegally, also build roads to access more and more remote
forests—which leads to further deforestation. Forests are also cut as
a result of growing urban sprawl as land is developed for homes.

Not all deforestation is intentional. Some is caused by a combination
of human and natural factors like wildfires and overgrazing, which
may prevent the growth of young trees.

Why it matters and what can be done

Deforestation affects the people and animals where trees are cut, as well
as the wider world. Some 250 million people living in forest and savannah
areas depend on them for subsistence and income—many of them
among the world’s rural poor. Eighty percent of Earth’s land animals and
plants live in forests, and deforestation threatens species including the
orangutan, Sumatran tiger, and many species of birds. Removing 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.

Yet the effects of deforestation reach much farther. The South
American rainforest, for example, influences regional and perhaps
even global water cycles, and it’s key to the water supply in Brazilian
cities and neighboring countries. The Amazon actually helps furnish
water to some of the soy farmers and beef ranchers who are clearing
the forest. The loss of clean water and biodiversity from all forests
could have many other effects we can’t foresee, touching even your
morning cup of coffee.

ONLINE JURNAL
ARTICLE

1.1 Deforestation and world population

sustainability: a quantitative analysis

Abstract

In this paper we afford a quantitative analysis of the sustainability of
current world population growth in relation to the parallel
deforestation process adopting a statistical point of view. We
consider a simplified model based on a stochastic growth process
driven by a continuous time random walk, which depicts the
technological evolution of human kind, in conjunction with a
deterministic generalised logistic model for humans-forest
interaction and we evaluate the probability of avoiding the self-
destruction of our civilisation. Based on the current resource
consumption rates and best estimate of technological rate growth
our study shows that we have very low probability, less than 10% in
most optimistic estimate, to survive without facing a catastrophic
collapse.

Introduction

In the last few decades, the debate on climate change has assumed
global importance with consequences on national and global policies.
Many factors due to human activity are considered as possible
responsible of the observed changes: among these water and air
contamination (mostly greenhouse effect) and deforestation are the
mostly cited. While the extent of human contribution to the
greenhouse effect and temperature changes is still a matter of
discussion, the deforestation is an undeniable fact. Indeed before the
development of human civilisations, our planet was covered by 60
million square kilometres of forest1. As a result of deforestation, less
than 40 million square kilometres currently remain2. In this paper,
we focus on the consequence of indiscriminate deforestation

Trees’ services to our planet range from carbon storage, oxygen
production to soil conservation and water cycle regulation. They
support natural and human food systems and provide homes for
countless species, including us, through building materials. Trees and
forests are our best atmosphere cleaners and, due to the key role
they play in the terrestrial ecosystem, it is highly unlikely to imagine
the survival of many species, including ours, on Earth without them.
In this sense, the debate on climate change will be almost obsolete in
case of a global deforestation of the planet. Starting from this almost
obvious observation, we investigate the problem of the survival of
humanity from a statistical point of view. We model the interaction
between forests and humans based on a deterministic logistic-like
dynamics, while we assume a stochastic model for the technological
development of the human civilisation. The former model has
already been applied in similar contexts3,4 while the latter is based
on data and model of global energy consumption5,6 used as a proxy
for the technological development of a society. This gives solidity to
our discussion and we show that, keeping the current rate of
deforestation, statistically the probability to survive without facing a

catastrophic collapse, is very low. We connect such probability to
survive to the capability of humankind to spread and exploit the
resources of the full solar system. According to Kardashev scale7,8,
which measures a civilisation’s level of technological advancement
based on the amount of energy they are able to use, in order to
spread through the solar system we need to be able to harness the
energy radiated by the Sun at a rate of ≈4 × 1026 Watt. Our current
energy consumption rate is estimated in ≈1013 Watt9. As showed in
the subsections “Statistical Model of technological development”
and “Numerical results” of the following section, a successful
outcome has a well defined threshold and we conclude that the
probability of avoiding a catastrophic collapse is very low, less than
10% in the most optimistic estimate.

1.2 The Impacts of Oil Palm on Recent

Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss

Abstract

Palm oil is the most widely traded vegetable oil globally, with
demand projected to increase substantially in the future. Almost all
oil palm grows in areas that were once tropical moist forests, some
of them quite recently. The conversion to date, and future
expansion, threatens biodiversity and increases greenhouse gas
emissions. Today, consumer pressure is pushing companies toward
deforestation-free sources of palm oil. To guide interventions aimed
at reducing tropical deforestation due to oil palm, we analysed
recent expansions and modelled likely future ones. We assessed
sample areas to find where oil palm plantations have recently
replaced forests in 20 countries, using a combination of high-
resolution imagery from Google Earth and Landsat. We then
compared these trends to countrywide trends in FAO data for oil
palm planted area. Finally, we assessed which forests have high
agricultural suitability for future oil palm development, which we
refer to as vulnerable forests, and identified critical areas for
biodiversity that oil palm expansion threatens. Our analysis reveals
regional trends in deforestation associated with oil palm agriculture.
In Southeast Asia, 45% of sampled oil palm plantations came from
areas that were forests in 1989. For South America, the percentage
was 31%. By contrast, in Mesoamerica and Africa, we observed only
2% and 7% of oil palm plantations coming from areas that were
forest in 1989. The largest areas of vulnerable forest are in Africa and
South America. Vulnerable forests in all four regions of production
contain globally high concentrations of mammal and bird species at
risk of extinction. However, priority areas for biodiversity
conservation differ based on taxa and criteria used. Government

regulation and voluntary market interventions can help incentivize
the expansion of oil palm plantations in ways that protect
biodiversity-rich ecosystems.

1.3 The Influence of Deforestation on Land
Surface Temperature—A Case Study of Perak and
Kedah, Malaysia

Abstract

Over the past few decades, there has been a rapid change in
forest and land cover, especially in tropical forests due to
massive deforestation. The major factor responsible for the
changes is to ulfil the growing demand of increasing
population through agricultural intensification, rural
settlements, and urbanization. Monitoring forest cover and
vegetation are essential for detecting regional and global
environmental changes. The present study evaluates the
influence of deforestation on land surface temperature (LST)
in the states of Kedah and Perak, Malaysia, between 1988
and 2017. The trend in forest cover change over the time
span of 29 years, was analyzed using Landsat 5 and Landsat 8
satellite images to map the sequence of forest cover change.

With the measurement of deforestation and its relationship
with LST as an end goal, the Normalized Difference
Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used to determine forest
health, and the spectral radiance model was used to extract
the LST. The findings of the study show that nearly 16%
(189,423 ha) of forest cover in Perak and more than 9%
(33,391 ha) of forest cover in Kedah have disappeared within
these 29 years as a result of anthropogenic activities. The
correlation between the LST and NDVI is related to the
distribution of forests, where LST is inversely related to NDVI.
A strong correlation between LST and NDVI was observed in
this study, where the average mean of LST in Kedah (25 °C) is
higher than in Perak (22.6 °C).

This is also reflected by the decreased NDVI value from 0.6 to
0.5 in 2017 at both states. This demonstrated that a decrease
in the vegetation area leads to an increase in the surface
temperature. The resultant forest change map would be
helpful for forest management in terms of identifying highly
vulnerable areas. Moreover, it could help the local
government to formulate a land management plan

ONLINE
NEWSPAPER

1.1 Deforestation of Amazon rainforest hits record
highs at start of 2022, says Brazil

Detected deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon reached a record
high for the month of February following a similar record the prior
month.

Satellite alerts of deforestation in February corresponded to 199
square kilometers, the highest indicator for that month in seven
years of record-keeping and 62% more than in the same month in
2021, according to preliminary data from the Brazilian space
agency’s Deter monitoring system that were released on Friday.

Deter data last month showed January registered 430 square
kilometers of deforestation, more than quadruple the level in the
same month last year.

January and February are among the months that register the least
amount deforestation, and pale in comparison to levels seen in the
Southern Hemisphere’s summer months. Still, some have argued the
uptick could be a worrisome sign for months to come, with loggers
and legislators eager to make headway before a possible handover of
presidential power next January.

Deforestation has soared under President Jair Bolsonaro, who has
been an outspoken champion of development in the Amazon and
whose administration has defanged environmental authorities. Early
polls show him trailing his rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in October
presidential elections.

“Imagine what will happen when months of greater deforestation
incidence arrive, even more so in an electoral year,” Márcio Astrini,
executive secretary of the Climate Observatory, a network of
environmental groups, told The Associated Press.

“We know that many who are deforesting, and even lawmakers who
approve bills that favor deforestation, are betting on all or nothing,
now or never, for forest destruction and reduction of forest
protection through legislation.”

Earlier this week, thousands of Brazilians answered the call of artists
and nonprofits, gathering outside Congress to protest bills they say
threaten the Amazon rainforest by encouraging deforestation and
industrial activity on protected Indigenous lands.

1.2 YOURSAY | So deforestation will be good
for orangutans too?

Where corruption is highly tolerated, and the corrupt even
celebrated and protected. Where deaths in custody and
forced disappearances involve those responsible for law and
order. Where High Court orders may be ignored by those
paid to obey them.

Where it is openly encouraged to elect a corrupt Muslim who
stands against a clean, incorruptible non-Muslim. Where
discrimination on the basis of race and religion is called
affirmative action and is an everyday affair enabled by the
Constitution.

Having thought long and hard about it, I think Kelantan
Forestry Department director Abdul Khalim Abu Samah is a
genius with deep insights into ecology and animal husbandry.

It is a fact that there have been no reports of tigers starving
or disappearing in Saudi Arabia. Why? Because there are no
forests there.

It's a pity people like Lim Lip Eng are politicising what is a
known fact. If the DAP continues on this path of falsehood
and lies to confuse the people, the people of Kelantan will
not vote for it.

Coward: A lot of commenters, myself included, have been
slamming Abdul Kalim for his comment on tigers and land
clearing.

Taking a step back, I noted that his title actually says that he
may not a forestry expert but rather is a bureaucrat who
most likely comes from a management background.

Yes, he is a director, but his post has the word "department"
in it. At the state level, the holder of a department director
might not be a forestry expert.

In fact, it is better to have a non-forestry expert because the
holder has to manage multiple interests for which forestry is
one.

This requires different skills from forestry, and having a non-
expert prevents undue bias on forestry matters to the
detriment of other things. It is fine to have a non-expert as
director, as long as he takes and heeds advice from experts.

I am not defending him but simply pointing out the fact that
he might be a non-forestry expert, and let's take that into
account when we comment on him.

The truth is, even after giving him this benefit, he still fails as
a manager. A person holding his post should be intelligent
enough to not open his mouth on a topic that is not his
expertise but is under his management for the fear that it is
interpreted as expert advice.

Secondly, he should have consulted his experts before
opening his glob. Finally, and I really don't understand why
he did not "get it", just via daily and constant interaction with
experts, he should know that he is not qualified to make
comments like this and should restrain from doing so.

Dr Raman Letchumanan: One should not blame or simply
dismiss Abdul Khalim for his ‘expert’ opinion of how logging
increases the Malaysian tiger population.

Worldwide, decades of research, funding and expertise has
gone into tiger conservation, but its population has
decreased to alarming levels.

Yet no one thought of this obvious solution to cut down thick
forests (which hinders the free movement and hunting by
tigers), but instead, everyone was calling for conserving
forests and their natural habitats.

What a brainwave from a forester, which conservationists
the world over never thought of.

But to Abdul Khalim's credit, he is only championing what the
National Forestry Act's real intent is and to pander to the
politicians and cronies of their favourite hobby, i.e. to
plunder our useless forests and turn them into plantations,
toxic waste dumps or for mining.

For example, the National Forestry Act 1974 is, for all intents
and purposes, primarily for the exploitation of natural
resources.

It may be green coated by policies and strategies talking
about sustainable management, utilisation and conservation
but does not have the effect of law. Of the 117 sections in
the Act, only a couple have relevance to creating, protecting
or conserving forests.

Section 7 provides for states to constitute permanent
reserved forests, but how many new forests have been
created? The iconic large forests, such as Taman Negara were
created in the early 1900s, and Kuala Langat North Forest
Reserve in 1927.

Section 10 provides for several categories of use from timber
production to virgin reserved forest. Presumably, virgin
forest should be preserved and left untouched but there is no
such provision, meaning all are subject to reclassification and
exploitation.

He would soon be getting state awards and a promotion for
this discovery.

I think Abdul Khalim must have paid a visit to the African
savanna where he saw tigers and their prey happily living
side by side. Soon, Malaysia will be turned into grasslands
before becoming a desert.

Libra: It is about time the people must come to the
realisation that those who hold power are not interested in
our logic.

It is their world and they are in power and will endeavour to
continue to sustain it. Either you are with them or will be
alienated/eliminated.

The corruption of mind and system is at the maximum. So
what to do?

hange the mindset and prepare for the new norm, and fight
to regain the value system and put it in place. That's what
needs to be done.

GreenViper4010: Thankfully, someone has come out to
publicly censure Abdul Khalim.

Next thing you know, deforestation will be good for
orangutans as well as it allows them to make a living off the
palm oil plantations which result. That way, they won't get
angry and kill people.

GoldenPigeon0510: It looks like everyone is competing with
Harith Iskandar to be the best comedian.

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1.3 Sarawak deforestation - ground visits
crucial

LETTER | In conjunction with the International Day of the World’s
Indigenous Peoples, Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) wishes to repeat
our request to the federal government to conduct ground visits in
order to understand in detail how monoculture plantations in
Sarawak have caused deforestation and the violations of the native
customary rights (NCR).

We first put this request forward during the launching of our
publication, The Land We Lost – Native customary rights and
monoculture plantations in Sarawak, on July 21.

This publication stresses on how we must understand the context of
large monoculture plantations in Sarawak accurately. First, they
involve deforestation. Second, they are a post-logging development,
a result of the depletion in timber resources, caused by
indiscriminate logging conducted for more than two decades.

Third, they involve NCR violations. Fourth, the excessive size of the
plantations does matter, along with the manner and context in which

the projects are developed, typically by corporations. As such, we
continue to be supportive of any effort to protect the interests of
smallholders all over the country.

Fifth, the Licence for Planted Forests (LPF) under the jurisdiction of
the Sarawak Forests Department, of which 285,520 hectares are
under oil palm cultivation, in principle, is the permit for the
cultivation of pulp and paper and timber trees. In 2017, the size of
LPF areas stood at 2.8 million hectares, larger than the size of oil
palm cultivation in Sarawak, which according to the data from the
Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), stood at 1.5 million hectares.

However, the response from the federal government to this
publication appears to be limited to the argument that the Malaysian
Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) also recognises the NCR. In actual fact,
chapter three of the publication has already noted this effort.

Nevertheless, it questions how this principle can be put into effect in
Sarawak when the state government has a very narrow
interpretation on NCR, typically determines NCR territories in a
unilateral fashion and when the issuance of most plantation licences
in the state has already been done.

In fact, even the MPOB form for smallholders in Sarawak contains
the disclaimer which states that the purpose of the form is solely to
verify oil palm cultivation areas, and not for verifying NCR ownership.
Although it may note the NCR status, its verification it seems is still
dependent on the state authorities.

Therefore, what is the fate of indigenous oil palm smallholders in
Sarawak whose NCR land, although still safe for now, is situated
within the licensed areas of corporate plantations? This is only one of
the numerous problems affecting NCR territories in Sarawak.

Justice in the management of natural resources is the foundation for
environmental and human rights protection. There can never be

sustainability without justice. The injustice in the manner corporate
oil palm plantations has been developed in Sarawak since the 1990s
is precisely the reason for which the industry is criticised.

This injustice may also affect smallholders. This injustice also involves
pulp and paper and timber tree plantations, a fact which has sadly
been given far lesser attention. Prior to the 1990s, logging and dam
construction in Sarawak have long been associated with the same
injustice.

Clearly, the core problem here is the systemic injustice in the policies
and laws in Sarawak, which have failed to ensure the sustainable
management of forests and NCR land tenure security. Further, they
also involve other governance failures as well.

First is the failure to fully recognise the NCR, including those on
forested areas, in accordance with customary laws and judicial
decisions. Second, the absence of the free, prior and informed
consent (FPIC) process. Third, the control exerted over indigenous
village leadership and consultation spaces. Fourth, a non-transparent
governance system.

Fifth, the prohibition against mapping activities without state
authorisation. Sixth, the environmental impact assessment (EIA)
process which does not incorporate mandatory public participation.
Seventh, the policy which permits deforestation in the development
of pulp and paper, timber tree and oil palm plantations, including on
Forest Reserves and Protected Forests.

We are pleased that the federal government has undertaken several
corrective actions in its effort to fulfil "Promise 38" of its electoral
manifesto – to advance the interests of indigenous peoples in
Peninsular Malaysia. We hope that "Promise 48" of the manifesto,

which is to return and guarantee the right of customary land of the
people of Sabah and Sarawak, will not be neglected.

For the indigenous peoples of Malaysia, we would like to wish you
"Happy International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples!"

The writer is president, Sahabat Alam Malaysia.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do
not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

ONLINE
MAGAZINE

1.1 Impact of Deforestation - Species Loss,
Extinction and Disease

A fully functioning forest has a great capacity to regenerate. But exhaustive
hunting of tropical rainforest wildlife can reduce those species necessary to
forest continuance and regeneration. For example, in Central Africa, the loss of
species like gorillas, chimps, and elephants undercuts the seed dispersal and
slows the recovery of damaged forest.

Loss of habitat in the tropics also affects the regeneration of temperate
species. North American migratory birds, important seed dispersers of
temperate species, declined 1-3 percent annually from 1978-1988.

INCREASE OF TROPICAL DISEASES

The emergence of tropical diseases and outbreaks of new diseases, including
nasty hemorrhagic fevers like ebola and lassa fever, are a subtle but serious
impact of deforestation. With increased human presence in the rainforest, and
exploiters pushing into deeper areas, humans are encountering
microorganisms with behaviors unlike those previously known.

As the primary hosts of these pathogens are eliminated or reduced through
forest disturbance and degradation, disease can break out among humans.
Although not unleashed yet, someday one of these microscopic killers could
lead to a massive epidemic as deadly for our species as we have been for the
species of the rainforest. Until then, local populations will continue to be
menaced by mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever, Rift Valley fever, and
malaria, and water-borne diseases like cholera.

Many emergent and resurgent diseases are directly linked to land alterations
which bring humans in closer contact with such pathogens. For example,
malaria and snailborne schistosomiasis have escalated because of the
proliferation of artificial pools of water like dams, rice paddies, drainage
ditches, irrigation canals, and puddles created by tractor treads. Malaria is a
particular problem in deforested and degraded areas, though less so in
forested zones where there are few stagnant ground pools for mosquito
breeding. These pools are most abundant in cleared regions and areas where
tractors tear gashes in the earth.

1.2 WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST DRIVERS OF TROPICAL
DEFORESTATION?

Agricultural land covers almost 40% of Earth’s ice-free surface. To keep pace with a
growing global population, that use of land is expected to expand further, putting pressure
on vulnerable tropical forests and grasslands. But not all agriculture is equal. Globally, beef
and soy are the leading drivers of tropical deforestation and conversion of other habitats. In
South America, cattle ranches and soy fields are ravaging not just the Amazon but also the
Cerrado and Gran Chaco landscapes. Demand for those commodities is projected to rise. But
it is possible to decouple them from the loss of habitat in South America. That’s the
mission of the Collaboration for Forests and Agriculture, an initiative (led by World
Wildlife Fund, National Wildlife Federation, and The Nature Conservancy, and supported by
the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation) that aims to eliminate deforestation and habitat
loss from the world’s largest beef and soy markets.
SOUTH AMERICAN BIOMES

You’ve heard of the Amazon, the world’s largest tropical rain forest. But what about the
Gran Chaco, the largest dry forest in South America? Or the Cerrado, the continent’s
largest savanna? All three regions shelter dizzying levels of biodiversity, provide
livelihoods and a host of critical ecosystem services for millions of people, and pump
vast quantities of oxygen into the atmosphere. They’re also three of the world’s 11
biggest deforestation fronts.

CURRENT FOREST EXTENT (acres)

AMAZON
1.4 BILLION (50% of Earth’s remaining
tropical forests)

CERRADO
494 MILLION

GRAN CHACO
247 MILLION

PROJECTED DEFORESTATION (2010–2030)

THE FOOD BEHIND
DEFORESTATION

Beef and soy production are driving more than two-thirds of the recorded habitat loss in
Brazil’s Amazon and Cerrado regions and Argentina and Paraguay’s Gran Chaco region.

Demand for soy is closely connected to demand for beef and other animal proteins. Between
70% and 75% of all soy becomes livestock feed—for chickens, pigs, and farmed fish, as well

as for cows.

No.1

BEEF

Beef production is the top driver of deforestation in the world’s tropical forests. The forest conversion it
generates more than doubles that generated by the production of soy, palm oil, and wood products (the
second, third, and fourth biggest drivers) combined. Beef also drives conversion of non-forest landscapes,
from grasslands to savannas.

No.2

SOY

The second biggest driver of tropical deforestation is soybean production. Global soybean production has
increased more than fifteenfold since the 1950s. Between 1990 and 2010 in South America, the land used
for soy production swelled from 42 million acres (roughly the size of Washington State) to 114 million
acres (bigger than the state of California).

1.3 Deforestation: Facts, causes &
effects

By Sarah Derouin published January 07, 2022

Today, most deforestation occurs in the tropics, but wherever the
land-clearing happens it impacts our planet's climate.

Experts estimate that a chunk of forest the size of a soccer field is lost every second to deforestation. (Image credit:
Shutterstock)
Jump to:

• Why do people destroy forests?
• What are the consequences of deforestation?
• Are there solutions to deforestation?
• Additional resources
• Bibliography

Deforestation is the permanent removal of trees to make room for something besides
forest. Deforestation can include clearing the land for farming or livestock, or using the
timber for fuel, construction or manufacturing.
Forests cover more than 30% of the Earth's land surface, according to the World
Wildlife Fund (WWF). These forested areas produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide
(CO2), and are home to an estimated 80% of Earth's terrestrial species. Forests also are
a source of food, medicine and fuel for more than a billion people. Worldwide, forests
provide 13.4 million people with jobs in the forest sector, and another 41 million people
have jobs related to forests.
Forests are an important natural resource, but humans have destroyed substantial
quantities of forested land. In North America, about half the forests in the eastern part
of the continent were cut down for timber and farming between the 1600s and late
1800s, according to National Geographic.

BOOK

What is a forest?

From the gently sloping pristine forests of Uganda to the mountainous
tropical forests of Cuba to the towering evergreen forests of Washington’s
Olympic Peninsula, the definition of forests as “large areas covered chiefly
with trees,” does nothing to capture their spectacular diversity.

Short, tall, dry, wet, no two forests are quite the same. But there are a few
things all forests have in common, and these characteristics are at the core
of why forests are so prevalent in talks about combating global climate
change.

Trees store carbon dioxide, one of the primary greenhouse gasses
contributing to the warming of our planet. Trees take carbon dioxide from
the atmosphere during photosynthesis, then use it to build new stems,
leaves, and roots. This process stores carbon dioxide for long periods of
time. Studies have shown that older trees store more carbon than younger
trees, making old-growth forests a crucial resource to stabilizing the global
climate.

Additionally, trees fight erosion, keep the ground below their branches cool,
and provide homes for an estimated eighty percent of the world’s terrestrial
plant and animal species. From medicine to food supply to climate
regulation, forests are an essential, irreplaceable resource.

According to the World Bank, forests currently cover about 30 percent of
the world’s land area. But deforestation from disturbances, such as fire,
development, or agriculture is removing large areas of forest, and it’s
happening at an unprecedented rate.

Last year alone, the tropics lost 30 million acres of tree cover—8.8
million of which were old-growth forest, equaling an area the size of
Belgium. Once these forests are gone, the food, habitat, carbon storage,
and every other ecosystem service they provide is destroyed, and there’s no
guarantee that simply planting more trees will bring those functions back.

While forests have a lot in common, there is no one solution to save them.
Each forest exists in a unique context of community, politics, and
environmental conditions. Some forests hover on the edge of destruction.
And that’s where Earthwatch comes in.

Forests are a major, requisite front of

action in the global fight against

catastrophic climate change— thanks to

their unparalleled capacity to absorb and

store carbon.

—2018 joint statement by the UN’s environment, development, and
agriculture chiefs

Reference :

• https://wwf.panda.org/discover/our_focus/forests_practice/deforestation_fr
onts_/

• https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwj5_9rh79v
2AhWUnUsFHdWYCQMYABADGgJzZg&ae=2&ohost=www.google.com&cid=C
AESbOD2nCQiqKqoDCVFNCntIsL_PrtKEmnoc1QiJPD5x_fg9h3SlydnzIqcSZZ4Y7
Mma6ECopc_SZJL1w7e5e-s_EkNPIbMoWWBMP-4n-WMfZmozedIZv9i-
72ruWzExnBj67-
5AyuiuUnUVSAXtw&sig=AOD64_2ru9BA1xCswJPUImGfx3y2oF-
9Hg&q&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwi_ldPh79v2AhUXUWwGHdRHDK8Q0Qx6BAgCEA
E

• https://fairventures.org/en/what-we-
do/?gclid=CjwKCAjwiuuRBhBvEiwAFXKaNEGYfBZALseqoi5jfZ-
pOKoPofpg2gYBFfLA4ZHCgsJ3P09WHG02bRoCaWcQAvD_BwE

• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/deforestation

• https://earthwatch.org/stories/save-forest-
trees?gclid=CjwKCAjwiuuRBhBvEiwAFXKaNG9hcjXWjK2EIxs-
fGimYSd_xKyzyLhA9dTPvxVo9IlMdVYFRXC42RoCIHoQAvD_BwE

• https://rainforests.mongabay.com/09-consequences-of-deforestation.html

• https://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/487433

• https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/608421

• https://globalnews.ca/news/8676329/deforestation-amazon-rainforest-
record-highs-start-2022-brazil/

• https://www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/summer-2018/articles/what-
are-the-biggest-drivers-of-tropical-deforestation

• https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/6/670

Thank You! :)