DEFORESTATIONDEFORESTATION

How Forests Reduce How Forests Reduce Natural HazardsNatural Hazards

• Trees prevent sediment runoffTrees prevent sediment runoff• Forests hold and use more water than Forests hold and use more water than

farms and grasslandsfarms and grasslands• Leaves capture rainwater and reduce Leaves capture rainwater and reduce

raindrop impact, which decreases soil raindrop impact, which decreases soil erosionerosion

• Roots hold soil in place, reducing the Roots hold soil in place, reducing the movement of sediment, preventing movement of sediment, preventing landslideslandslides

• Roots create dry soil by absorbing water, Roots create dry soil by absorbing water, which prevents overflow of rainwaterwhich prevents overflow of rainwater

What, Who, and Why?What, Who, and Why?DeforestationDeforestation

• Clear-cuts for logging and pulp wood Clear-cuts for logging and pulp wood (for paper)(for paper)

• Cultivation of land for agricultureCultivation of land for agriculture• Permanent pasturesPermanent pastures• Open-pit miningOpen-pit mining• Dam ConstructionDam Construction• Chemical DefoliantsChemical Defoliants• Urban ExpansionUrban Expansion• WildfiresWildfires

Harmful Behaviors, Harmful Behaviors, Harmful Side-EffectsHarmful Side-Effects

• Paving roads and infrastructures within Paving roads and infrastructures within forestsforests– Causes soil compactionCauses soil compaction– Blocks culverts that funnel water underground Blocks culverts that funnel water underground

and focus runoff into gulliesand focus runoff into gullies– Alter water runoff patterns and permanently Alter water runoff patterns and permanently

disrupt subsurface water flowdisrupt subsurface water flow– Enables greater human access to forests, Enables greater human access to forests,

increasing the number and severity of forest firesincreasing the number and severity of forest fires

• Roads are permanent whereas clear-cuts are Roads are permanent whereas clear-cuts are temporary and allow for regenerationtemporary and allow for regeneration

Logging roads trigger debris avalanches Logging roads trigger debris avalanches that accelerate erosion 25 to 340 times that accelerate erosion 25 to 340 times more than intact forestsmore than intact forests

Effects of DeforestationEffects of Deforestation• Soil erosionSoil erosion

– Heavy impact of rain causes increased Heavy impact of rain causes increased sedimentary erosion and quicker runoffsedimentary erosion and quicker runoff

– The eroded soil is deposited into river The eroded soil is deposited into river beds, shrinking the channels and lowering beds, shrinking the channels and lowering the carrying capacity of water, increasing the carrying capacity of water, increasing the likelihood of flooding exponentiallythe likelihood of flooding exponentially

Effects of DeforestationEffects of Deforestation• LandslidesLandslides

– Without the roots of trees to hold the soil Without the roots of trees to hold the soil in place, moderate to heavy rainwater can in place, moderate to heavy rainwater can cause massive mudslidescause massive mudslides

– Landslides, particularly mudslides, usually Landslides, particularly mudslides, usually occur in steep, narrow stream channels occur in steep, narrow stream channels that allow them to move very quickly and that allow them to move very quickly and pick up more debris as they gopick up more debris as they go

• Once the landslide has slowed down Once the landslide has slowed down and reached a more level plane, the and reached a more level plane, the debris and mud solidify to cause debris and mud solidify to cause blockage of valleys and streams, blockage of valleys and streams, backing up water and leading to backing up water and leading to large, sudden floodslarge, sudden floods

Effects of DeforestationEffects of Deforestation

• FloodsFloods– Deforestation does not directly cause Deforestation does not directly cause

floods, but it does exacerbate the floods, but it does exacerbate the magnitude and force of the floodsmagnitude and force of the floods

– Without trees, the soil cannot absorb Without trees, the soil cannot absorb enough rainwater, causing massive enough rainwater, causing massive runoffrunoff

Effects of DeforestationEffects of DeforestationTrees use CO2, converting it into oxygen for other organisms to breathe. Deforestation leads to higher CO2 levels, which directly contribute to global warming.

MadagascarMadagascar• Deforestation began when the Deforestation began when the

island was annexed as a French island was annexed as a French colony in 1896colony in 1896

• Due to famine and unstable Due to famine and unstable politics, the natives fled to the politics, the natives fled to the forests, where they began using forests, where they began using “shifting cultivation,” in which “shifting cultivation,” in which they cleared regions of the they cleared regions of the forests, sometimes by burning forests, sometimes by burning them, and used the land for them, and used the land for subsistence agriculturesubsistence agriculture

• Beginning in the 1950’s, the Beginning in the 1950’s, the rate of deforestation increased rate of deforestation increased dramatically due to population dramatically due to population increase and improvements in increase and improvements in technologytechnology

ConsequencesConsequences

• Social ConsequencesSocial Consequences– Today, the majority of the Malagasy people live in Today, the majority of the Malagasy people live in

poverty due to the economic exploitation of their poverty due to the economic exploitation of their country and are unable to find jobscountry and are unable to find jobs

– In order to create some sort of income, many natives In order to create some sort of income, many natives turn to exploitation of their natural resources, turn to exploitation of their natural resources, mainly the forests. For them, it is a choice between mainly the forests. For them, it is a choice between their own lives and livelihood of the foresttheir own lives and livelihood of the forest

– Large corporations have a great deal of influence on Large corporations have a great deal of influence on whether or not deforestation continues because the whether or not deforestation continues because the Malagasy government needs their investments in Malagasy government needs their investments in order to survive.order to survive.

ConsequencesConsequences

• Environmental ConsequencesEnvironmental Consequences– By 1985, only 34% of the original forest in By 1985, only 34% of the original forest in

Madagascar remainedMadagascar remained– Lack of trees leads to increased likelihood Lack of trees leads to increased likelihood

of violent floods and mudslidesof violent floods and mudslides– Soil erosion causes the runoff of Soil erosion causes the runoff of

sediments, leaving the deforested area sediments, leaving the deforested area barren. The runoff prevents not only the barren. The runoff prevents not only the regeneration of the forest but also regeneration of the forest but also inhibits further growth from relief efforts.inhibits further growth from relief efforts.

Due to the color of the sediment runoff in Madagascar, many have commented on aerial photography, like this one, by saying that it appears as though the country itself is bleeding. In a way, that is exactly what is happening.

Yellow River Floods: Yellow River Floods: Yangtze, ChinaYangtze, China

Is Deforestation to Blame?Is Deforestation to Blame?• Controversy over whether two Controversy over whether two

decades of deforestation contributed decades of deforestation contributed to serious floods in 1998 (4,000+ to serious floods in 1998 (4,000+ casualties)casualties)

• ““logging carried out without a policy logging carried out without a policy of sustainable forest management”of sustainable forest management”

• Lost 30% of forest cover in the last Lost 30% of forest cover in the last 15 years, 85% altogether15 years, 85% altogether

1998 Floods1998 Floods

• Soil erosion on higher part of the Soil erosion on higher part of the Yellow River caused silting of the Yellow River caused silting of the riverbed. This caused a build up of riverbed. This caused a build up of water in the central/lower part of water in the central/lower part of the river, which eventually lead to the river, which eventually lead to floodingflooding

• Deforestation robbed the land of Deforestation robbed the land of important flood plain waterwaysimportant flood plain waterways

Controversy in BeijingControversy in Beijing

• Beijing government blamed floods on small-scale Beijing government blamed floods on small-scale loggers and farmers. loggers and farmers.

• Established a plan to mitigate against further Established a plan to mitigate against further floods:floods:– relocated more than 1 million logging employeesrelocated more than 1 million logging employees– closed hillsides to herders to allow for regrowthclosed hillsides to herders to allow for regrowth– protected 60 million hectares of forests upstream and protected 60 million hectares of forests upstream and

began replanting programsbegan replanting programs– Began construction of Xiaolangdi DamBegan construction of Xiaolangdi Dam

• China linked to logging in Africa, the Amazon, China linked to logging in Africa, the Amazon, Burma, Indonesia Burma, Indonesia

Haiti and Hurricane Haiti and Hurricane JeanneJeanne

• Haiti has lost more than 90% of its Haiti has lost more than 90% of its original forest coveroriginal forest cover

• Jeanne left the country completely Jeanne left the country completely devastated by massive floods triggered devastated by massive floods triggered by the hurricaneby the hurricane

• Deforestation due to centuries of Deforestation due to centuries of forced poverty by imperial domination forced poverty by imperial domination and capitalist exploitationand capitalist exploitation

• Jeanne had less of an impact upon Jeanne had less of an impact upon Bahamas and FloridaBahamas and Florida

It’s Not Just The It’s Not Just The Forests…Forests…

• Environmental Refugees: people displaced due to Environmental Refugees: people displaced due to environmental degradationenvironmental degradation

• Worldwide, more people are displaced each year Worldwide, more people are displaced each year due to environmental disasters than by war. due to environmental disasters than by war.

““The rapidity at which this The rapidity at which this country is being stripped of its country is being stripped of its forests must alarm everything forests must alarm everything thinking man…It is high time thinking man…It is high time

that we should turn our earnest that we should turn our earnest attention to this subject which attention to this subject which

so seriously concerns our so seriously concerns our national prosperity”national prosperity”

--U.S. Secretary of the Interior Carl U.S. Secretary of the Interior Carl Shurz, 1877Shurz, 1877

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