Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Current Statistics on Deforestation:

Statistics reveal that the rapid rate of deforestation, globally, springs from illegal logging operations. The biodiversity of the Amazon is threatened more than ever with the rise in statistics revealing that by 2030 the region would be reduced to a mere 10% of what it is today! Satellite images retrieved, prove that the rate of tropical deforestation is down by yet another 23%. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization or UNFAO states that the rapid declines could bring the global forest cover to the size of the Asia Sub-continent by 2050!

Every year more than 8.5 million hectares of tropical rainforests are being razed. Environmental groups are targeting the development and implementation of an educational program to enable those responsible for the damage to decipher the difference between forest types and unclaimed, common land.
“More than 12 million hectares of forest land is lost to urbanization or allied activities each year. This has resulted in a rapid global decline in some regions. For example, in Nigeria 81% of its original forest cover is now permanently lost. The tropical rainforests of Brazil are less by 90-95%.
The forests of Central America are down by two-thirds lowlands, since 1950.
Countries like India, Mexico, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Sri Lanka, the Congo and Ghana have lost much more than 50% of their rainforest cover.
Harvesting of forest cover has left Afghanistan with a little over 25% forests throughout the country.”


At-a-glance: Deforestation Facts and Figures

• Deforestation occurs at a rate of about 50,000 square miles (129,499 square kilometers)
annually. This is an area roughly the size of England.
• Africa and South America suffer the largest loss of forest worldwide.
• Tropical rainforests are home to more than half of all species on the planet.
• The world's forests store 283 gigatons of carbon. However, this decreases by 1.1 gigatons
annually due to deforestation.
• 84 percent of the world's forests are publicly owned.
• The main cause of deforestation is human activity.
• Only 11 percent of the world's forests are designated for conservation


(All facts and statistics directed sourced from www.howstuffworks/deforestation.com)


So, how do all these deforestation rates affect us both locally and globally? After much scientific assessment, few experts will disagree that, over time, the human race will suffer much more from the destruction of rainforests than we will benefit, which begs the question…

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