Deforestation. Deforestation is a pressing environmental problem Deforestation definition

Scientists have long been talking about the harmful effects of technological progress on nature. Climate change, melting ice, decline in quality drinking water have a very negative impact on people's lives. Environmentalists around the world have long sounded the alarm about pollution and destruction of nature. One of the most important is deforestation. Forest problems are visible especially in civilized countries. Environmentalists believe that deforestation leads to many negative consequences for the Earth and humans. Without forests there will be no life on Earth, this needs to be understood by those on whom their preservation depends. However, wood has long been a commodity that is expensive. And that is why the problem of forest destruction is so difficult to solve. Perhaps people simply don’t realize that their entire lives depend on this ecosystem. Although everyone has long revered the forest, often giving it magical functions. He was a breadwinner and personified the life-giving power of nature. They loved him, they treated the trees with care, and they responded to our ancestors in the same way.

Forests of the planet

In all countries, in every corner of the world, massive deforestation is taking place. The problem with the forest is that with the destruction of trees, many more species of plants and animals die. Violated in nature. After all, a forest is not only trees. This is a well-coordinated ecosystem based on the interaction of many representatives of flora and fauna. Besides the trees great importance In its existence there are shrubs, herbaceous plants, lichens, insects, animals and even microorganisms. Despite mass deforestation, forests still occupy about 30% of the land area. This is more than 4 billion hectares of land. More than half of them are tropical forests. However, the northern, especially coniferous, massifs also play a great role in the ecology of the planet. The countries richest in greenery in the world are Finland and Canada. Russia contains about 25% of the world's forest reserves. The fewest trees left in Europe. Nowadays forests occupy only a third of its territory, although in ancient times it was completely covered with trees. And, for example, in England there are almost none left; only 6% of the land is given over to parks and forest plantations.

Rainforests

They occupy more than half of the entire green area. Scientists have calculated that about 80% of animal species live there, which could die without their usual ecosystem. However, felling tropical forests is now progressing at an accelerated pace. In some regions, such as western Africa or Madagascar, about 90% of the forest has already disappeared. A catastrophic situation has developed in the countries South America, where more than 40% of trees have been cut down. The problems of tropical forests are not just a matter for the countries in which they are located. The destruction of such a huge array will lead to environmental disaster. After all, it is difficult to assess the role that forests play in the life of mankind. Therefore, scientists around the world are sounding the alarm.

Meaning of forest

Using forests for the benefit of people

Green spaces are important for humans not only because they regulate the water cycle and provide all living things with oxygen. The forest contains about a hundred fruit and berry trees and shrubs, as well as nuts, more than 200 species of edible and medicinal herbs and mushrooms. Many animals are hunted there, such as sable, marten, squirrel or black grouse. But most of all, man needs wood. This is why deforestation occurs. The problem with forests is that without trees the entire ecosystem dies. So why does a person need wood?

Deforestation

Forest problems arise when this happens uncontrollably, often illegally. After all, forests have been cut down for a long time. And over the 10 thousand years of human existence, about two-thirds of all trees have already disappeared from the face of the Earth. Forests began to be cut down especially a lot in the Middle Ages, when everything was needed more space for construction and farmland. And now every year about 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed, and almost half of them are places where no one has ever set foot before. Why are forests cut down?

• to free up space for construction (after all, the growing population of the Earth requires the construction of new cities);
• as in ancient times, the forest is cut down during slash-and-burn agriculture, making way for arable land;
• the development of livestock farming requires more and more space for pastures;
• forests often interfere with the extraction of minerals so necessary for technological progress;
• and finally, wood is now a very valuable commodity used in many industries.

What kind of forest can be cut down?

The disappearance of forests has long attracted the attention of scientists. Different states are trying to somehow regulate this process. All forest areas were divided into three groups:

Types of deforestation

In most countries, forest problems concern many scientists and government representatives. Therefore, at the legislative level, logging is limited there. However, the fact is that it is often carried out illegally. And although it is considered poaching and is punishable by large fines or imprisonment, the massive destruction of forests for profit is on the rise. For example, almost 80% of deforestation in Russia is carried out illegally. Moreover, the wood is mainly sold abroad. What official types of logging exist?

What damage does deforestation cause?

The environmental problem of the disappearance of the so-called “lungs” of the planet is already worrying many. Most people believe that this threatens to reduce oxygen supplies. It is true, but it is not the main problem. The scale that deforestation has now reached is astounding. Satellite photos of former forest areas help to visualize the situation. What can this lead to:

• the forest ecosystem is destroyed, many representatives of flora and fauna disappear;
• a decrease in the amount of wood and plant diversity leads to a deterioration in the quality of life of most people;
• the amount of carbon dioxide increases, which leads to the formation of the greenhouse effect;
• trees no longer protect the soil (washing out the top layer leads to the formation of ravines, and lowering the level groundwater is the cause of deserts);
• soil moisture increases, causing swamps to form;
• Scientists believe that the disappearance of trees on mountain slopes leads to the rapid melting of glaciers.

Researchers estimate that deforestation causes damage to the global economy worth up to $5 trillion a year.

How are forests removed?

How does deforestation happen? A photo of the area where recent logging took place is an unsightly sight: a bare area, almost devoid of vegetation, tree stumps, patches of fire pits and stripes of exposed soil. How does this happen? The name “cutting down” has been preserved from the times when trees were felled with an axe. Nowadays they use chainsaws for this. After the tree has fallen to the ground, the branches are cut off and burned. The bare trunk is taken away almost immediately. And they move it to the place of transportation by dragging it to a tractor. Therefore, there remains a strip of bare land with torn out vegetation and destroyed undergrowth. In this way, young growth that could revive the forest is destroyed. At this place, the ecological balance is completely disrupted and other conditions for vegetation are created.

What happens after cutting down

On open space completely different conditions are created. Therefore it grows new forest only where the deforestation area is not very large. What prevents young plants from growing stronger:

• The light level changes. Those undergrowth plants that are accustomed to living in the shade die.
• Another temperature regime. Without tree protection, sharper temperature fluctuations and frequent night frosts occur. This also leads to the death of many plants.
• An increase in soil moisture can lead to waterlogging. And the wind blowing moisture from the leaves of young shoots does not allow them to develop normally.
• The dying of roots and the decomposition of the forest floor release many nitrogenous compounds that enrich the soil. However, those plants that need just such minerals feel better on it. Raspberries or fireweed grow fastest in clearings; birch or willow shoots develop well. Therefore, the restoration of deciduous forests proceeds quickly if people do not interfere with this process. And here coniferous trees after cutting down they grow very poorly, since they reproduce by seeds for which there is no normal conditions development. Such Negative consequences has deforestation. The solution to the problem - what is it?

Solving deforestation

Environmentalists offer many ways to preserve forests. Here are just a few of them:

• the transition from paper to electronic media, waste paper collection and separate waste collection will reduce the use of wood for paper production;
• creation of forest farms on which crops with the shortest maturation periods will be grown;
• ban on logging in environmental protection zones and tougher punishment for this;
• increasing the state duty on the export of wood abroad to make it unprofitable.

The disappearance of forests is not yet a concern ordinary person. However, many problems are associated with this. When all people understand that it is forests that provide them with a normal existence, perhaps they will treat trees more carefully. Each person can contribute to the revival of the planet's forests by planting at least one tree.

Forests play a very important role in the life of our planet. Without them, life would be practically impossible. But what exactly are the functions of green areas? What happens if forests die?

Plot for Hollywood

Happy American family, living in a small cozy house with a garden somewhere near east coast The United States suddenly discovers that it has become unusually hot during the day and unusually cold at night.

The garden is slowly being invaded by ever-increasing hordes of insects.

Finally, one morning with a clear sky and warm weather The nearest river suddenly overflows its banks, and soon the entire area is flooded with water.

Fortunately, we are not threatened with a complete sudden disappearance of forests, but extremely unfavorable events, even catastrophic ones, will occur even if a small part of them dies. And the process has already started. To understand what is happening, we need to remember what the role of forests is in the Earth’s ecosystem.

Hungry years

Deforestation occurs both due to natural causes and as a result of human activities. For Russia, this problem is not yet very relevant - our forests have a greater restoration potential than, say, tropical ones, therefore, in place of the cleared tracts, if the bare areas are not built up and plowed up, new ones most often grow.

The plowing and development of forests in Russia is now also not the most widespread phenomenon, although the threat of clearing a significant amount of natural plantings for development purposes has become more noticeable in last years“thanks” to the new forest legislation.

What happened before? Historians are well aware of the fact that in 1891 an unprecedented famine broke out in Russia, literally shaking the empire. The reason was crop failure caused by severe drought, which primarily affected forest-steppe and steppe areas. And throughout XIX century There have been many such hungry years in our country. Nevertheless, it was the famine of 1891 that served as the impetus for events in a wide variety of spheres of public life.

The disaster of 1891 confronted the Russian government with the need to find out what the causes of these phenomena were. The answer given by the young talented geologist V.V. Dokuchaev, was revolutionary for those times: disastrous droughts arise as a result of environmental degradation of territories caused by deforestation and environmental dangerous methods conducting Agriculture. The largest climatologist of that time, A.I., shared the same opinion. Voeikov.

As a result, a familiar to almost everyone appeared forest belt system in sparsely forested regions of Russia. Unfortunately, in some regions there are still not enough of them, and in the forest zone there are many open unused places where forests once grew. They would be worth replanting.

Regulation of temperature and hydrological conditions

Back in the 20s of the last century, L.S. Berg noted:

“A lot has been written on the issue of the influence of forests on climate... Undoubtedly, extensive forests should have a certain effect on the temperature of the surrounding areas... how the forest affects the precipitation that has already fallen. Inside the forest itself, the amount of rain reaching the soil is less than in the field, because a significant part of the precipitation remains on the leaves, branches and trunks, and also evaporates. According to observations in Austria, in dense spruce forest Only 61% of precipitation reaches the soil, in beech 65%. Observations in Buzuluksky pine forest Samara province showed that 77% of all precipitation reaches the soil... The importance of forests for the process of snow melting is enormous. Its effect is threefold: firstly, the forest prevents the blowing of snow and thus acts as a keeper of its reserves; then, by shading the soil, the trees prevent the snow from melting quickly. Secondly, by delaying air movement, the forest slows down the exchange of air above the snow. And the latest observations show that snow melts not so much due to the absorption of radiant energy from the sun, but due to contact with significant masses of warm air rushing over the snow. By maintaining snow cover for a long time, the forest regulates water flow in rivers in spring and early summer. Forests are of particular importance in countries with long and snowy winters, for example in Russia.”

Thus, already at the beginning of the twentieth century, the most important role of green space as a regulator of temperature and hydrological regimes was well known.

The forest significantly influences the distribution and accumulation of summer and especially winter precipitation. On the one hand, it maintains the groundwater level, reduces surface water runoff, on the other hand, it enhances the processes of plant transpiration, condenses more water vapor, which increases the frequency of summer precipitation.

That is, the role of forests in the water and soil regime of the area is diverse and depends on species composition woody plants, their biological features, geographical distribution.

Dust storms

The death of forests can cause severe erosion processes, which have also been known for a long time and can be talked about for quite a long time. The same Dokuchaev considered deforestation one of the reasons for the occurrence of dust storms. And this is how he described one of the cases dust storm in Ukraine in 1892:

“Not only was the thin snow cover completely torn off and carried away from the fields, but also the loose soil, bare of snow and dry as ash, was thrown up by whirlwinds at 18 degrees below zero. Clouds of dark earthen dust filled the frosty air, covering the roads, sweeping over gardens - in some places trees were carried to a height of 1.5 meters - laying down in shafts and mounds on the streets of villages and greatly impeding movement along railways: we even had to tear railway stops away from snowdrifts of black dust mixed with snow.”

During a dust storm in 1928 in the steppe and forest-steppe regions of Ukraine (where, by that time, a significant part of the forests had already been destroyed and the steppes were plowed), the wind lifted more than 15 million tons of black soil into the air. Black earth dust was carried by the wind to the west and settled over an area of ​​6 million km2 in the Carpathian region, Romania and Poland. The thickness of the chernozem layer in the steppe regions of Ukraine after this storm decreased by 10–15 cm.

Dust storm in southern Australia

History knows many such examples, and they occur in various regions - in the USA, North Africa(where, as some believe, forests once grew in place of the Sahara), on Arabian Peninsula, V Central Asia and etc.

Biodiversity

By the beginning of this century, the wording in describing the global importance of forests had changed slightly, although the essence remained the same, and new points were added. For example, the concept of “biodiversity” arose. « Biological diversity", according to international convention, “means the variability of living organisms from all sources, including, but not limited to, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this concept includes diversity within species, between species, and ecosystem diversity.”

This convention was adopted by the international community in 1992 as a response to the catastrophic decline in biodiversity on the planet, and above all in tropical forests.

About 70% of all species of living organisms live in forests. Other estimates range from 50 to 90% in tropical rainforests, including 90% of the species of our closest primate relatives. 50 million species of living beings have no other place to live except tropical forest.

Why do we need to preserve biodiversity? There is a purely pragmatic answer to this question. Huge mass biological species, including small ones (insects, mosses, worms) and especially in tropical forests, has been studied very little or has not yet been described at all by scientists. Genetically, each species is unique, and each species may be the carrier of some yet undiscovered beneficial properties for humanity, for example, food or medicinal properties. Thus, more than 25% of all currently known medicinal products was obtained from tropical plants, for example a substance such as taxol. How many of them are not yet known to science and how many could be lost forever along with the species that carry them?

Thus, the extinction of any species could result in the irreplaceable loss of an important resource. In addition, each species is of interest to science - it may turn out to be an important link in the evolutionary chain, and its loss will complicate the understanding of evolutionary patterns. That is, any type of living organism is information resource, perhaps not yet used.

Greenhouse effect

The forest cover of the Earth is its main productive force, the energy base of the biosphere, the connecting link of all its components and most important factor its stability.

It is important to know

Forest is one of the planetary accumulators of living matter, holding a number of chemical elements and water, which actively interacts with the troposphere and determines the level of oxygen and carbon balance. About 90% of the total phytomass of land is concentrated in forests and only 10% in other ecosystems, mosses, grasses, and shrubs. The total leaf surface of the world's forests is almost 4 times greater than the surface of our entire planet.

Hence the high absorption rates solar radiation and carbon dioxide, oxygen release, transpiration, and other processes that influence the formation of the natural environment. When green areas are destroyed over a large area, the biological cycle of a number of chemical elements accelerates, including carbon, which passes into the atmosphere in the form carbon dioxide. A greenhouse effect occurs.

Live filter

Forests are capable of actively transforming chemical and atmospheric pollution, especially gaseous ones, Moreover, coniferous plantations, as well as some types of deciduous trees (linden, willow, birch) have the greatest oxidizing ability. In addition, the forest has the ability to absorb individual components industrial pollution.

The quality of drinking water stored in reservoirs largely depends on the forest cover and the condition of plantings in the catchment area. This is especially important if, on agricultural land located near water supplies, large quantities pesticides and fertilizers are used. Pollutants dissolved in water may be partially retained by forest soils.

There is a well-known example of the city of New York, in the vicinity of which in the mid-1990s, deforestation, development, intensification of agriculture and the development of the road network led to a sharp decline in the quality of drinking water. The city authorities were faced with a choice: build new wastewater treatment plants worth $2–6 billion and spend up to $300 million annually on their maintenance, or invest in improving the protective functions of forests and other ecosystems of water protection zones. The choice was made in favor of the second option, including for economic reasons. Significant funds were used to purchase land along rivers and streams to prevent further development, as well as to pay farmers and forest owners for their use of environmentally responsible management practices in water protection zones. This example demonstrates that good management forest ecosystems may turn out to be significantly more cost-effective than purely technical solutions.

Forests are dying

It would seem that we have more than enough reasons for the “whole world” to defend every piece of the forest. But the lessons of past centuries and this century have not yet been learned.

Every year the area of ​​green areas decreases by approximately 13 million hectares. Now natural plantings occupy only about 30% of the land area, despite the fact that in the past they were distributed over much larger territory. Before agriculture and industrial production, the forest area was more than 6 billion hectares. Since prehistoric times, the area under forests has been reduced by about half on average across all continents.

Most of the tracts were cut down to create agricultural land, while another smaller part was occupied by rapidly growing settlements, industrial complexes, roads and other infrastructure. Over the past 40 years, forest area per capita has decreased by more than 50%, from 1.2 hectares to 0.6 hectares per person. Currently, according to FAO (Food and Agronomy Organization of the United Nations), about 3.7 billion hectares are covered by forest.

Most affected by active human activity European forests. In Europe, there are currently virtually no primary (primary) forests left. They have been replaced by fields, gardens and artificial forests.

In China, 3/4 of all arrays were destroyed.

The US has lost 1/3 of all its forests and 85% of its primary forest stands. In particular, in the eastern United States, only a tenth of the plantings that existed there in the 16th–17th centuries have survived.

Only in some places (Siberia, Canada) forests still predominate over treeless areas, and only here there are still large tracts of relatively untouched northern forests.

What to do?

We have already passed half the way to the complete destruction of forests. Will we turn away from it? What to do? The most common answer is to plant forests. Many people have heard about the principle “as much as you cut down, plant as much.” This is not entirely true.

• It is necessary to plant forests primarily in those regions where deforestation processes are intense, and in those places where the forest can grow, but for some reason has disappeared and will not recover on its own in the foreseeable future.
• It is necessary not only to plant trees to replace those cut down, but also to cut them down so that the natural potential for forest restoration is preserved. Simply put, in almost every forest that is subject to industrial logging, there is quite viable undergrowth - young trees of the same species that make up the forest canopy. And it is necessary to cut in such a way as not to destroy them and preserve the conditions for their life. This is quite possible with modern technologies. Most The best way felling - while maintaining natural forest dynamics. In this case, the forest almost does not “notice” that it is being cut down, and a minimum of measures and costs for reforestation are required. Unfortunately, the experience of such logging both in Russia and in the world is small.

The answer to many questions is sustainable forest management, without crises, disasters and other shocks.

Sustainable development (as well as sustainable forest management) is development that meets the needs of life current generation people without depriving future generations of this opportunity.

World Fund wildlife(WWF) in its work pays a lot of attention to the implementation of sustainable forest management both in Russia and in the world.

But this is a topic for a separate article. Let us only note that currently sustainable forest management the best way correspond international systems voluntary forest certification, which are already quite widespread in Russia.

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In conclusion, let’s try to answer the question: what can I personally do to prevent forests from disappearing? Here's what:

1. Save paper.

2. Under no circumstances allow arson in the forest: first of all, do not set fire to dry grass and do not allow others to do this; If you find grass burning, either try to eliminate it yourself, or, if this is not possible, call the fire department.

3. Buy products from responsibly managed forests. In Russia, these are, first of all, certified products.

4. And finally, just go to the forest more often to learn to understand and love it more.

It's better that we never know what will happen if the forests disappear!

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For reference:

Taxol – antitumor drug; Previously, it was obtained only from the bark of the Pacific yew tree, but now they have learned how to obtain it synthetically; in addition, it can be obtained by biotechnological methods.

Phytomass – the total mass of living matter of all plants.

See: Ponomarenko S.V., Ponomarenko E.V. How can we stop the environmental degradation of Russian landscapes? M.: SoES, 1994. 24 p.

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Tree names often have very interesting story origin. They are often formed from the surname or first name of a famous person.

Not only the tree itself is symbolic, but also its parts - branches, trunk, roots, shoots. We invite you on a fascinating journey into the mythological past of the tree.

Global deforestation has slowed over the past quarter century, but the Amazon forest, which produces nearly half of the oxygen humans breathe, continues to be cut down.

"Reducing the area Amazonian forests approaching the point of no return. If deforestation in the lungs of our planet exceeds 20%, then the process can no longer be reversed,” quotes scientists from Euronews.

Photo source: http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2009/wwf-lungs-before-its-too-late/

By 2018, the area of ​​the Amazon forest had decreased by 17% over the past 50 years.

“If the climate in the Amazon changes due to deforestation or global warming, then more than half of the Amazon forest will become desert savanna,” says Carlos Nobre, who received the award in 2007 Nobel Prize world as part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Watch a video about the disappearance of forests in Radonia (Brazil).

Millions of hectares of forest disappear every year

Ensuring food security and rational use forests are central to the Goals sustainable development. But the forests are disappearing.

The Earth's population is growing all the time, and along with it, the demand for resources is growing - wood, fiber, fuel, food, feed and medicine. According to UN experts, by 2050 the demand for wood will triple - to 10 billion cubic meters. will require increased agricultural production, which will lead to the conversion of forest areas to arable land and will be a major driver of deforestation, especially in tropical and low-income countries.

Causes of deforestation

The Food and Agriculture Organization's State of the World's Forests (SOFO) 2016 report shows that it is possible to increase agricultural productivity and strengthen food security while halting and even reversing deforestation. Comprehensive planning Land use management is key to ensuring a balance between different land uses, supported by the right policy instruments to promote sustainable forestry and agriculture. Source: FAO

The disappearance of forests can occur as a result of human activity and as a result of natural processes, but our influence is much more significant than, for example, natural disasters. Today man has unprecedented technical capabilities allowing changes in land use on a huge scale. The causes of deforestation can be distinguished as:

direct human actions that have a direct impact on deforestation, examples:

• expansion of agricultural production (if we talk about the whole world, then according to FAO estimates (pdf), the direct cause of 80% of deforestation is the expansion of agricultural production areas);
• urban growth;
• infrastructure development;
• mining, etc.

so and deep:

• population growth(Since 1970, the world's population has doubled, while per capita food consumption has also increased, from an average of 2,370 kcal per person per day in the late 1970s to 2,770 kcal per person per day in 2012 - and There have been changes in diets towards increased consumption of livestock products and vegetable oils);
• agricultural development(profitability increases due to tax benefits, development of transport arteries, development of new markets, for example, biofuel, improvement of technology, currency devaluation leading to increased demand for exports);
• high levels of poverty, inefficient agricultural production systems(in search of income, people turn their attention to forests)
• Uncertainty and precarious land tenure(the value of future forest products decreases compared to income from agricultural products in the near term);
• mismanagement(imperfect planning and monitoring, insufficient involvement of the local population and stakeholders, corruption, lack of a regulatory framework, insufficient investment in research and education), etc.

For what reasons are forests disappearing (seven countries in South America 1990–2005)

Source: FAO, 2016. State of the World's Forests 2016. Forests and agriculture: land use challenges and opportunities. Rome.

In countries Latin America Export-oriented commercial agricultural production accounts for 70% of forest loss (2000-2010). Since 1990

Unfortunately, for very large number For people, the forest is only a source of wood. We can only change this situation by providing information about the importance of the forest and the consequences of its destruction. Forests provide economic benefits and at the same time provide basic human needs. Lack of development in some regions has led to misuse of forest resources. Population growth increased the demand for new land for agriculture, settlements and buildings, which affected the condition of forests.

Earth Summit

In 1992, the UN organized the Earth Summit, at which global community was warned about the dangers associated with deforestation. As a result, governments around the world have begun to make efforts to prevent disaster by implementing measures to ensure the conservation and sustainable development of forests. At the Earth Summit, an Intergovernmental Commission on Forests was established to oversee the implementation of the Forest Policy program. All countries should take part in greening the world by planting trees. Forestry must be managed in such a way that it meets the social, economic, environmental, cultural and spiritual needs of present and future generations.

International financial assistance developing countries so that they can protect their forest resources. Forest conservation policies should support the identity, culture and rights of indigenous peoples through sustainable forest management programs that are informed by environmental guidelines. Such programs should be developed by national governments, non-governmental organizations, as well as private enterprises in cooperation with all stakeholders.

Functions of the forest

Environmental:

The forest serves as a habitat for most animals and natural environment for plants.
The forest creates and preserves soil for agriculture.
The forest participates in the formation of climatic conditions.
The forest regulates the water cycle and ensures a constant supply of water.

Economic:

The forest is a source of wood.
The forest creates conditions for farming.
The forest is a source of components for the production of medicines/medicines.
The forest is involved in the development of ecotourism.
The forest provides work for foresters, scientists, and other categories of workers.
Despite all these important functions, forests are becoming increasingly scarce as a result of highway and dam construction, mining, industrial deforestation, settlement construction, forest fires, pollution and farming.

Consequences of forest destruction:

Droughts, floods, soil erosion and desertification.
Climate changes causing global warming.
The disappearance of some species of plants and animals (reduction of biological diversity).
Hunger and poverty.
Loss of jobs.
Conflicts over fertile lands.
What can be done to save the forest?

You can reduce your paper and wood consumption. Use paper made from waste paper or non-wood materials. Choose paper that is not made with chlorine. Always write to back side sheet whenever possible.

Manage your business responsibly. Business owners need to know that they are held accountable to the public for actions that cause harm. environment. If you feel that a company's actions are harmful, please send the company a letter expressing your concerns.

Practice reusing or recycling. Nowadays, almost anything can be recycled. Return hangers to the dry cleaner and use cardboard milk cartons as planting pots.

Choose products with minimal packaging. Do you really need separate juice packs when you can use a thermos instead? Almost 50% of waste is packaging.

Plant trees. The UN has launched a tree planting campaign. Contact your school or club to get involved in the campaign and take part in planting trees.

Spread the word. How more people learn about the death of tropical rainforests, the more actively they will fight to stop this process.

Interesting facts about forests

Every second, a portion of the tropical rainforest disappears, with an area equal to football field. Forests Central Africa are the natural habitat for more than 8,000 various types plants. More than 5,000 different things are made from wood, such as houses, furniture, pencils, kitchen utensils, fences, books, newspapers, movie tickets, toothpaste and even clothing.

The oldest tree on Earth, which is already 4,700 years old, grows in the USA. This tree, which is the most ancient “inhabitant” of the Earth, grew when the Egyptians built the pyramids.

Much of the tropical rainforest is being cut down for its valuable timber. The liberated areas are used for agriculture, as pastures, and are also used by companies to locate their production facilities.

Trees and other vegetation are key to preserving the Earth's climate. In recent years, the issue of preserving forests on the planet has become particularly acute. The number of green spaces and their condition in cities and other populated areas monitored by the competent authorities.

Sanitary felling of trees on the site is possible only after agreement with utility companies.

Sanitary felling

Trees, like other living organisms, are susceptible to diseases, they age and become unsafe. The spontaneous collapse of such a tree can lead to accidents and injuries, as well as the collapse of power lines, damage to cars and other property.

Regular cutting down of trees within settlements is necessary for:

• timely removal of diseased, old or damaged plants that can cause harm to people or property;
• rejuvenation of the garden and landscaping, as new plants will be planted in place of old trees;
• carrying out construction work during the construction of new buildings, laying roads or communications.

All these activities must be carried out in accordance with current legislation after approvals.

For industrial purposes, wood is obtained by cutting down forests. This process must be controlled by the state. IN Lately cases have become more frequent illegal logging forests, in this case no one cares about preserving nature and reducing harm to the forest ecosystem.

As a result, irreparable damage to nature is caused:

• after the destruction of the forest ecosystem, many species of animals and plants disappear;
• the decline in the diversity of flora affects the quality of life of the planet's population;
• An increase in carbon dioxide in the planet's atmosphere leads to greenhouse effect, as a result comes global change climate;
• there is a constant washout of the soil, destruction of the top fertile layer, which leads to the formation of deserts;
• increased soil moisture provokes waterlogging in areas where trees have been cut down;
• the destruction of green spaces on mountain slopes leads to rapid melting of glaciers.

Negative consequences can be mitigated by planting new plants, as well as reducing the consumption of wood and paper products. Recycling paper also allows us to partially solve the problem of cutting down trees.

Deforestation can lead to dire consequences, watch the video: