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Paper Abstract: Causes & effects of deliberate & massive removal of trees & possible prevention. Paper Introduction: DEFORESTATION OR ECOLOGICAL DESTRUCTION A global ecological disaster is a very real possibility in light of the rate at which forests are being devastated and biological species wiped out. Deforestation, or the deliberate removal of trees, is one of the most longstanding and significant ways in which man has changed the environment. It is believed that humans have been destroying the environment since the Mesolithic and Neolithic times. Because man has found so many uses for trees, they are being used faster than they can replace themselves (Goudie, 1986). Although trees are renewable resources, they are being cut down faster than nature can replace them. Forests are also cleared for farming and grazing of livestock. Much of the Midwestern United States has been cleared for livestock as well as farmland. Homes and office buildings Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. It has been determined that welose about half a ton of forest for every hamburger produced in a CentralAmerican forest. The existence of this debt causesmany third world nations to over exploit their natural resources withoutthe creation of stable alternatives (Allen). Natural gas is also a fossil fuel but it burnsmuch cleaner and releases less carbon dioxide per ton burned. Recycling allows us to halt the need for new lumber for paper and itis also a great energy source. Forests are also cleared for farmingand grazing of livestock. For example, much of the rain forests in Central America have beenturned into cattle ranches. M. Paul Ehrlich points out, "The primarycause of species extinction is not by deliberate exploitation but habitatdestruction often by individuals of poor tropical nations simply trying toeke out a living from the land" (Allen, 1988). One common trap is thecounter trap. (1987, March). Although manyspecies are being wiped out to the point of extinction, another problemarises when the endangered species is not "cute and cuddley." As PaulEhrlich puts it, "many of the less cuddley, less spectacular organisms thatHomo Sapiens are wiping out are far more important to the human future thanare most of the publicized endangered species" (Allen, 1988). Tropical rain forests cover approximately seven percent of the planetand support about fifty percent of the earth's known species. Guilford, CT: DushkinPublishing. Tree growth and environmental stresses.Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press. Kozlowski, T. Theburning of tropical rain forests adds up to twenty percent to the amount ofcarbon released into the atmosphere each year. Instead of buying their products they are being given money to payoff their debts in return for the promise to keep their rain forestsintact. Much of the problem with the ozone layer is connected with theburning of fossil fuels. Bioscience, 37(3). It is believed that scientists have discovered 1.6million species, but this is just a fraction of the estimated four tothirty million species that are yet undiscovered by man. The EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) recently accumulated important data that revealedsome important dangers to mankind as well as the earth's environment. In the short term the solution is negative but it leads to apositive end. Other formsof energy are also available such as wind or hydroelectric power. It has been proventhat biological diversity, as well as the environment as a whole, have beennegatively affected by deforestation. This is a relatively short time agoconsidering the four to five billion years that the earth has existed(Kittredge). Since this meat is produced much more cheaplythan in the United States, much of it is imported into the country andturned into assorted meat products. Theywarn that if current trends continue, an additional forty million cases ofskin cancer could strike United States citizens over the next eighty years. Homes and office buildings havereplaced trees along hillsides. One major change thatwould be difficult to implement, but would bring about the most results, isthe halt of converting grasslands and uninhabited land into concreteplaylands or farms. They remove carbon dioxidewhile releasing oxygen into the atmosphere (Kittredge, 1978). At first this process was considered to be the "worstatmospheric pollution incident that this planet has known," according toBritish scientist James E. (1988-1989). Because man has found so many uses fortrees, they are being used faster than they can replace themselves (Goudie,1986). It was not until 4 million yearsago that air-breathing amphibians evolved and 2 million years ago whenwarm-blooded mammals first appeared. Third world nations should receive monetary support, if necessary, toprevent them from having to sell all of their rain forests. As Edward Wilsontells us, "No one knows the diversity in the world, not even to the nearestorder of magnitude. Environment 88/89. At the time, oxygenwas deadly to many of the organisms. The ozone layer also maintains a relatively stable temperatureworldwide. It is likehaving astronomy without knowing where the stars are" (Tangley). The problem keeps getting worse; itcannot go away until people take on the responsibility to rectify thisworsening problem. Tangley, L. Edward . In Ann H. Also, a great number ofprescription drugs that are sold in the United States consist mainly ofchemicals found in tropical plants. Each Central American forest hamburger represents about55 square feet of forest (Uhl, 1987). Deforestation, or the deliberate removal of trees, is one of the mostlongstanding and significant ways in which man has changed the environment. References Allen, J. Two billion years ago green plants mastered the chemistry ofconverting sunlight and chemicals into complex molecules. One major threat that exists today is the problem with the ozonelayer, which shields the earth from ultraviolet radiation. T. According to the United Nations Environment Program and the Foodand Agriculture Organization, 5.9 million hectares or .7 percent of today'stotal cover - approximately the size of West Virginia and somewhat morethan the entire country of Costa Rica - are being permanently cleared orconverted each year. Ultraviolet rays are also the main cause of cataracts. Although ozonein the lower atmosphere creates smog, in the upper atmosphere it performs avaluable function by absorbing ultraviolet radiation from the sun.Ultraviolet radiation is a primary cause of skin cancer. It would be hard at first to change old habits so we tend tojust push the negative thoughts out of our minds. Trees and the products of trees have alsobeen used as a source of energy. Trees also use the carbondioxide from the air during photosynthesis. Rethinking continuous cultivationin Amazonia. They also affectthe human immune system making people more vulnerable to disease. Although trees are being cut down and forests are being turned intofields and high rise buildings, is this actually having a detrimentaleffect? Goudie, A. All of our undisturbed land should be left that way(Allen). Producing materials from existing suppliescan reduce the amount of energy required by as much as 95 percent. But what is that hamburger reallycosting the environment in the long run? (1979). Makingpaper from discards not only saves our forests but it also reduces theenergy used per ton by up to three-quarters and requires less than half thewater. Although this problem seems unstoppable, there is much that could bedone that would at least lessen, and eventually rectify, the problem.Although most people would not like a life without trees it is hard to dosomething to stop this problem from occurring because man gets stuck in akind of "trap." Just because man has the ability to make rationaldecisions does not mean he will always act on them. This carbon dioxide is the majorfactor in causing disastrous climatic change so recycling paper could be animportant factor in curbing the greenhouse effect. Much of the Midwestern United States has beencleared for livestock as well as farmland. Carbon dioxide hasbeen determined to be a major factor in determining the earth'stemperature. One major concern of biologists is that the loss of forests iscausing a mass extinction of species. We must use our resources wisely if we are not to cause our owndemise. Deforestation at the hands of loggers, farmers, ranchers, andmining concerns may result in the eradication of one million species by theend of the century (Tangley, 1987). One spillover ofthis process was surplus oxygen, released into the atmosphere duringphotosynthesis. It is estimated that by the year 2135 all theremaining rain forests will be permanently destroyed (Fearnside). Uhl, C., & Parker, G. It is believed that humans have been destroying the environment since theMesolithic and Neolithic times. (1978). (1986, November). Somescientists believe that the species extinction crisis is a threat tocivilization second only to the threat of nuclear war. It also stops theUnited States and other developed nations from depriving the third worldnations of all of their timber. These threatened ecosystems have already proved a valuable source ofmedicines, foods and a new seed stock for corn. We need to think of long-term effects instead of short-termprofits. (1986). New York: McGraw-Hill. It would also reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into theair by the burning of fossil fuels. (1987, December). Lovelock (Kittredge, 1978). Bioscience, 36.----------------------- 8 Fearnsdale, P. Erhlich's opinion, "The environmentis not an infinite sink that can be abused without penalty, as manysocieties have learned to their sorrow" (Allen, 1988). The human impact on the natural environment.Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Although trees are renewable resources, they are being cut downfaster than nature can replace them. Forest influences-the effects of woodyvegetation on climate, water, and soil. But it willeventually catch up with us. Nobody thinks twiceabout throwing paper out instead of recyclingit; we just leave it for the "next guy" to worry about. Wilson warns us, "Theextinctions ongoing worldwide, promise to be at least as great as the massextinction that occurred at the end of the age of dinosaurs" (Tangley,1987). What will the world be like without trees? Our steak in thejungle. We do not know for sure how many species there are,where they can be found or how fast they are disappearing. The threat of climatic change, however, could be greatlyreduced by protecting the forests that are usually taken for granted. She believes thatnatural systems do have considerable ability to resist degradation andrebound from gross insults if given half a chance. The anticipated result is a global warming and aworldwide shift in temperature and rainfall patterns. DEFORESTATION OR ECOLOGICAL DESTRUCTION A global ecological disaster is a very real possibility in light ofthe rate at which forests are being devastated and biological species wipedout. Without this layer the earth's temperature would skyrocket.There is currently a build-up of dangerous gases known as the "greenhousegases." These gases allow the sun's radiation to pass through, but trapthe longer wavelength radiation emitted from the earth which otherwisewould escape into space. But despitetheir extraordinary richness, tropical rain forests are among the mostfragile of all habits, and they nowoccupy only forty percent of the land that once supported them (Fearnside,1987). Biological diversity goes public.Bioscience, 36(11). Some smallattempts have been made to help these third world nations pay off theirdebts. This problem has become so widespreadthat scientists fear that man is killing off species faster than they canbe found and described. Kittredge, J. Consumer demand for timberin industrialized countries is causing much of the deforestation problem inpoorer, undeveloped countries that are looking to the short term economicbenefits they get from exporting their resources, often so they can makepayments on their international debt. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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