What is Deforestation?

Deforestation is the systematic eradication and clearance of naturally occurring forests through burning and logging of the area. Trees which are cut down can be sold as a commodity, or they can be burned and the charcoal derivative sold for fuel harvesting. Once sufficiently cleared, the surrounding area becomes available for use as agricultural plantations, livestock pastures, settlements and more. (ref)

In many countries, Deforestation is a widely occurring large scale operation that poses as an extremely profitable economic resource. However, the other side of the coin suggests that deforestation has resulted in the extinction of many plants and animals, the changing climatic conditions, pollution of our oceans, desertification of vast amounts of land and the displacement of indigenous people. Scientists and environmentalists agree that the removal of trees without sufficient reforestation has had adverse impacts on our habitat, biodiversity and the earth’s ability to remove atmospheric carbon dioxide through biological processes, such as photosynthesis in plants and trees. Many regions of deforested land, which once produced fertile soils, have disintegrated into wasteland with extremely degraded soils and high volumes if soil erosion.

All photo's taken by: Ashleigh Gallagher