Compared to traditional land use and forest inventorybased attempts to operationalize deforestation and forest degradation, this approach has the advantage of directly linking these processes to. The study analyzes deforestation and forest degradation over the last quarter century, between 1982 and 2007. Some of the major differences between deforestation and desertification are as follows. Fao 2010 for the period 200010 b of deforestation drivers, and of the relative disturbed forest area fraction of degradation drivers c, based on data from 46 tropical and subtropical countries. An assessment of deforestation and forest degradation. It gives emphasis to activities that will help in sustainable livelihood of local communities and also in conservation of biodiversity. Deforestation and forest degradation reduce thermal buffer capacity of forests. The world population is slight above 6 billion and is expected to double in the next 50 years.
Questions and answers on deforestation and forest degradation. Stepping up eu action against deforestation and forest. By contrast, degradation is a gradual process through which a forests biomass declines, its species composition changes or its soil quality declines. Perceived synergy between deforestation and or forest degradation and climate variability and change in the ejisujuaben municipality, ghana. Forest degradation means any negative changes in a forest that damage its productivity. Dec 03, 2014 the difference between deforestation and forest degradation is the amount of damage done and whether or not the forest can recover. The extent and drivers of deforestation and forest. What is the difference between deforestation and forest. Whenever forest fires are experienced, thousands of acres of trees and vegetation cover are wiped out. As drivers of deforestation and degradation operate at subnational, national, regional, and global scales, so too must strategies and inter ventions aiming to affect them. The changes in area of forest by region and subregion are shown in table 1. Difference between afforestation and reforestation. Forest degradation from fire, logging, and fuel wood collection represents an additional source of carbon emissions from land use activities in tropical forest regions 16.
Unfccc 2010 outcome of the work of the ad hoc working group on longterm cooperative action under the conventionpolicy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries. Essay introduction causes of deforestation and degradation effects of degradation conclusion essay introduction. Deforestation, forest degradation, biodiversity loss and co2. What is the difference between sustainable forestry and. Pdf an overview of theoretical and empirical studies on. Deforestation is the process of permanent destruction of a forest a. None of the studies finds any significant leakage deforestation activities shift from inside to outside pas, although the methods. The difference between deforestation and forest degradation is the amount of damage done and whether or not the forest can recover. As nouns the difference between forest and deforestation is that forest is a dense collection of trees covering a relatively large area larger than woods while deforestation is the process of destroying a forest and replacing it with something else, especially by an agricultural system. The main cause of deforestation is agriculture poorly planned infrastructure is emerging as a big threat too and the main cause of forest degradation is illegal logging. Over half of the tropical forests worldwide have been destroyed since the 1960s, and every second. Forest transition phase estimations of the relative area proportion a, and absolute net forest area change km 2 yr.
Degradation is used to mean the destruction or reduction in the quality of specific aspects of forests. Using available data, at national scale, deforestation and forest degradation in caparo represented, on average, 0. Deforestation is the destruction of forests by logging, by conversion to farm land, by desertification, or any other means and. Difference between deforestation and desertification.
What is forest degradation and what are various causes of it. Deforestation and forest degradation eu redd facility. Jul 08, 2008 deforestation defined broadly can include not only conversion to non forest, but also degradation that reduces forest quality the density and structure of the trees, the ecological services supplied, the biomass of plants and animals, the species diversity and the genetic diversity. Degradation of astanding forest, like deforestation, reduces carbonstorage,thequalityofspecieshabitat,andtheprovision of local ecosystem services, such as water quality. The deforestation variable is binary 0 or 1, whereas the degradation variable cannot be, at the risk of oversimplification. Simply put, degradation means the forest is still there, but in bad healthloss of habitats, loss of trees, inability to replace trees naturally, erosion, lack of plant and animal diversity. Intensive deforestation has occurred over much of europe at different times. Quantifying deforestation and forest degradation with. Deforestation is a particular concern in tropical rain forests because. Deforestation implies the transformation of a forest into another land cover type, whereas degraded forest has lost some of the ability to provide ecosystem services and resources sasaki and putz, 2009. The most common human activities that increase soil erosion are described below. Deforestation and forest degradation stories how habitat conservation and restoration support better human health outcomes the conservation and restoration of forests is a necessary component of a future where humanity is better able to manage and cope with the emergence of new infectious diseases.
Basic concepts of deforestation, degradation, and fragmentation 2. These layers absorb the impact of raindrops and form a protective mat over the soil. Reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Thermal response allows quantification of forest degradation and deforestation. Mar 02, 2017 strikingly, in 28 countries a third of those studied emissions from forest degradation exceeded those from deforestation. Some 96% of deforestation occurs in tropical regions. Deforestation and forest degradation impact the lives of 1. To assess whether there has been elevational shift in forest disturbance over the years, we grouped the deforestation and forest degradation into two temporal categories, namely the 20012010 and 20112017. Extreme differences in forest degradation in borneo.
Forests are important for stabilizing local thermal environment. Degradation can result in a decrease in tree cover, changes in their structure or a reduction in the number. Afforestation vs reforestation afforestation and reforestation are the converse of avoiding deforestation. This essay contains more than 700 words which will give you a vivid description of the topic.
Deforestation and forest degradation deforestation and forest degradation are the biggest threats to forests worldwide. Deforestation and forest degradation are the biggest threats to forests worldwide over half of the tropical forests worldwide have been destroyed since the 1960s, and every second, more than one hectare of tropical forests is destroyed or drastically degraded the degradation and loss of forests threatens the survival of many species, and reduces the ability of forests to provide essential. Both deforestation and forest degradation contribute to the emissions of greenhouse gases. Introduction understanding drivers of deforestation and degradation is fundamental for the development of policies and measures content from this work may be used under the terms. Deforestation is defined as the cutting down or clearing of trees from a wooded area. Naturebased solutions such as forest landscape restoration flr can reverse the effects of deforestation and degradation and regain the ecological, social, climatic and economic. In undisturbed forests, the soil is protected by layers of humus and leaf litter.
Reforestation is the act of planting new trees where trees have recently been cut down or destroyed. This is a sample essay on deforestation and degradation of forests. Both of these processes remove or reduce the multiple benefits of forest, such as the provision of. About 31% of earths land surface is covered by forests.
The degradation and loss of forests threatens the survival of many species, and reduces the ability of forests to provide essential services. Claslite algorithms and social surveys to asses and. A clear difference in thermal response exists between forests and nonforests. Ambitious targets along with a clear timeline a package of measures, including legislative initiatives adopt an allencompassing approach eu action against deforestation and forest degradation should be crosscommodity to make sure it is future proof. Depletion of forests has been a serious environmental problem. By contrast, degradation is a gradual process through which a forest s biomass declines, its species composition changes or its soil quality declines. Forest degradation results owing to decrease in tree cover, the biodiversity in the forests or the changes to a lower state of the forest structure. Causes, effects and control strategies 5 deforestation are maintained. Reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation redd lessons from a forest governance perspective there is a wide spectrum of drivers for deforestation ranging from planned and legal land use change for agriculture or infrastructure to completely illegal destruction of forests for commercial or subsistence requirements.
Whereas the forest degradation stands for when the forest and its lands remain the same but the carbon density decreases. Carbon emissions from deforestation and degradation. According to fao, deforestation is the conversion of. It is often done as a part of forest management under different silvicultural systems.
Sep 25, 2012 the report distinguishes between direct drivers, that directly cause deforestation and forest degradation, and indirect drivers, forces at the background such as changing market prices, population. Forestcountermeasures for deforestation and forest. Deforestation defined broadly can include not only conversion to non forest, but also degradation that reduces forest quality the density and structure of the trees, the ecological services supplied, the biomass of plants and animals, the species diversity and the genetic diversity. She works at the intersection between science and policy. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. By contrast, degradation is a gradual process through which a forest s biomass declines, its species composition changes or. The most concentrated deforestation occurs in tropical rainforests. The purpose is to harvest the timber and to promote natural regeneration of the forest. Agriculture is the direct driver for worldwide deforestation. Deforestation is caused by clear cutting, forest conversion for permanent agriculture and pastures, largescale shifting cultivation such as the slashandburn technique where understory is cleared after cutting. Indeed some 31 countries do not even make the list because they have already removed most of their forests and even if that remain are seriously fragmented and degraded. Afforestation and reforestation seek to achieve the goal of new forest growth in slightly different ways.
Pdf similarities and differences between international. Deforestation is caused by clear cutting, forest conversion for permanent agriculture and pastures, largescale shifting cultivation such as the slash and burn technique where understory is cleared after cutting. There is a clear linkages between deforestation and worlds demands of fiber, food, and fuel understanding the underlying or indirect causes of deforestation is crucial to address redd and climate change most deforestation is driven from outside forestry sector e. Avoiding deforestation and degradation briefing note 2 comifac14 congo basin countries presented a joint proposal as the commission for central african forests comifac.
Recognition of the important contributions from deforestation and forest degradation to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions led to proposals for reduced emissions. Forest degradation and fragmentation forest degradation is different from deforestation. What is the main difference between deforestation and. What are the impacts of forest degradation answers. Forests fires may arise on the account of natural, accidental, and human causes. Basically, many of the function s of tropical forests are not marketed and as such are ignored in decision making. When agriculture, mining, urban development or other land uses replace forest, the land is said to have experienced deforestation. Degradation refers to damage or reduction in quality of certain features of the forests. Forest fragments are isolated areas left by deforestation, where the plants and animals are cut off from the larger forest area. The term forest in this report always refers to natural forests and not any industrial and agricultural plantations or. Implies a transformation of land use from non forest to forest.
Understanding the difference between communities perspectives and expert knowledge regarding the main drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in the study area are essential if any program is to be planned, develop and executed to address deforestation and forest degradation. Thedifference between the two is thatdeforestation would lead to other land uses, while in forest degradation, the forest will remain as forest but with less carbon density. I will explain in points to make everyone understand better there are few differences given here to satisfy your question how are deforestation and afforestation different. What is the main difference between deforestation and forest. This was because of the continued deforestation and forest degradation, which was partly offset by forest expansion including planting and an increase in growing stock per hectare in some regions bryant et al. For example, in sumatra, rainforests on deep peatlands are being cleared, drained.
Reducing carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries is often referred to as. What is forest degradation and what are various causes of. The proposal stresses that forest degradation rather than deforestation in the congo basin, is likely to threaten nearly 60 per cent of the areas forests. Pdf perceived synergy between deforestation andor forest. Forest fires such as the ones that commonly happen in dry tropical forests are a major cause of forest degradation. Regrowthalso called secondary forestis abandoned farmland or timber cuts that are growing back to become forest. A methodologically similar study from sumatra finds the difference between deforestation rates in pas and wider areas during the 1990s to be 58. A forest acts as a carbon sink because it absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Per year ghg emission can be calculated by dividing the differences of carbon stock by time t. Forests, which act as sinks for carbon and other greenhouse gases are threatened with elimination. It aims at reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries. Redd current affairs today latest current affairs 2020. Over half of the tropical forests worldwide have been destroyed since the 1960s, and every second, more than one hectare of tropical forests is destroyed or drastically degraded. Policies for reduced deforestation and their impact on.
Deforestation and forest degradation are global environmental problems. Deforestation refers to the replacement of forests with different land cover types such as crops or grassland, and forest degradation refers to the substantial reduction of. Total forest degradation emissions for each region, b. Continued degradation of the forests can destroy the entire forest cover and biodiversity, and it mainly.
It is removal, decrease or deterioration of forest cover of an area. Afforestation is the act of planting forests where no forest has existed before or where there hasnt been a forest in a long time. It identifies drivers of deforestation by mapping the land covers that replaced the natural forests. The forest is still there, but with fewer trees, or less species of trees, plants or animals, or some of them affected by plagues. Deforestation, clearance, clearcutting or clearing is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land which is then converted to a non forest use.
Deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for around 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Deforestation the conversion of forest to other land use or the permanent reduction of the tree. It aims to incentivize developing countries to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conserve forest carbon stocks, sustainably manage forests and enhance forest. Deforestation and forest degradation account for approximately 11 percent of carbon emissions, more than the entire global transportation sector and second only to the energy sector. The deforestation stands for the the cutting of jungle trees and using its land for other than purposes like dam development and hydroelectric power plant. These greenhouse gas emissions contribute to rising temperatures, changes in patterns of weather and water, and an increased frequency of extreme weather events. According to the united nations framework convention on climate change unfccc, these terms are defined as direct human induced conservation of non forested lands back to forested lands with the help of activities such as planting, seeding, and human induced promotions of natural. Spacetime detection of deforestation, forest degradation and. There are various impacts of forest degradation ranging from biodiversity loss, increase in green house gases emission which leads to the green house effect, even soil nutrient loss and a wide. While deforestation, degradation and poor forest management reduce carbon storage in forests, sustainable management, planting, and rehabilitation of forests can increase carbon sequestration. Forest degradation is a process in which the biological wealth of a forest area is permanently diminished by some factor or by a combination of factors. This does not involve a reduction of the forest area, but rather a quality decrease in its condition.
An assessment of deforestation and forest degradation drivers. Quantifying deforestation and forest degradation with thermal. Introduction understanding drivers of deforestation and degradation is fundamental for the development of policies and measures content from. Forests maintain conditions that make life possible. Next, the mapped areas of deforestation, forest degradation and regeneration were computed per elevation zone. It is now clear that in order to constrain the impacts of climate change within limits that society will reasonably be able to tolerate, global average. Forests help maintain conditions that make life possible, from regional hydrological cycles to global climate changes bryant et al.