Environmental damage from deforestation. The modern plague is the destruction of forests. Correct forest cutting

Forest filters water and regulates the water cycle in nature. It retains moisture in the soil longer than a non-forested area, since evaporation from the forested soil and the release of moisture from tree leaves occurs much more slowly. Thereby forest makes it possible to fill streams and rivers more evenly with water, especially during the period of snow melting. The risk of flooding in wooded areas is much lower than in areas with few trees. Forest reduces soil drift and erosion by wind, water, scree and snow avalanches and thereby prevents karsting of the landscape. In addition, the groundwater level is protected from falling due to the root system of trees. Forest is a carbon accumulator, since it constantly binds carbon from carbon dioxide adsorbed in leaves and needles. One kilogram of dry wood contains approximately 500 grams of carbon. By absorbing carbon dioxide from the air and sequestering carbon in wood, the proportion of CO2 in the atmosphere, which causes the greenhouse effect, is reduced.

The process of forest destruction is actual problem in many parts globe, since it affects their environmental, climatic and socio-economic characteristics. Deforestation leads to a decrease in biodiversity, wood reserves for industrial use and quality of life, as well as to an increase in the greenhouse effect due to a decrease in the volume of photosynthesis.

The full extent of the consequences of deforestation is unknown and has not been verified by sufficient scientific data, which causes active controversy in scientific community. The scale of deforestation can be seen in satellite images Lands that can be accessed, for example, using the program
Define real speed deforestation is quite difficult, since the organization responsible for recording these data (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO) mainly relies on official data from the relevant ministries of individual countries. According to estimates of this organization, the total losses in the world over the first 5 years of the 21st century amounted to 7.3 million hectares of forest annually. Estimated World Bank in Peru and Bolivia, 80% of logging is illegal, in Colombia - 42%. The process of disappearing Amazon forests in Brazil is also happening much faster than scientists thought.

Globally, the rate of deforestation decreased in the 1980s and 1990s, as it did from 2000 to 2005. Given these trends, forest restoration efforts are projected to increase forest area by 10% over the next half century. However, reducing the rate of deforestation does not solve the problems already created by this process.

Consequences of deforestation:

1) The habitat for forest inhabitants (animals, mushrooms, lichens, herbs) is being destroyed. They may disappear completely.

2) The forest retains the top fertile layer of soil with its roots. Without support, the soil can be carried away by the wind (you get a desert) or water (you get ravines).

3) The forest evaporates a lot of water from the surface of its leaves. If you remove the forest, the air humidity in the area will decrease, and the soil moisture will increase (a swamp may form).

The thesis that after cutting down a forest the amount of oxygen will decrease is incorrect from an ecological point of view (a forest, as a developed ecosystem, absorbs as much oxygen from animals and fungi as it produces by plants), but it may work in the Unified State Examination.

The impact of forests on the environment is extremely diverse. It manifests itself, in particular, in the fact that forests:
- are the main supplier of oxygen on the planet;
- directly affect water regime both in the territories they occupy and in adjacent territories and regulate the water balance;
—- reduce the negative impact of droughts and hot winds, inhibit the movement of shifting sands;
— by softening the climate, they help increase agricultural yields;
— absorb and/transform part of atmospheric chemical pollutants;
— protect soils from water and wind erosion, mudflows, landslides, coastal destruction and other unfavorable geological processes;

It's hard to overestimate. It's not for nothing that there are trees. They generally constitute a single ecosystem, which affects the life of various species, the soil, atmosphere, and water regime. Many people have no idea what kind of disaster deforestation will lead to if it is not stopped.

The problem of deforestation

IN this moment the problem of cutting down trees is relevant for all continents of the earth, but this problem is most acute in countries Western Europe, South America, Asia. Intensive destruction of forests leads to the problem of deforestation. An area cleared of trees turns into a poor landscape and becomes unsuitable for life.

To understand how close the disaster is, you should pay attention to a number of facts:

• more than half have already been destroyed, and it will take a hundred years to restore them;
• now only 30% of the land is occupied by forests;
• Regular cutting down of trees leads to an increase in carbon monoxide in the atmosphere by 6-12%;
• Every minute, an area of ​​forest that is the size of several football fields disappears.

Causes of deforestation

Common reasons for cutting down trees include:

• wood has a high value as construction material and raw materials for paper, cardboard, manufacturing of household items;
• forests are often destroyed in order to expand new agricultural land;
• for laying communications and roads

Besides, a large number of trees suffer as a result, which constantly occur due to improper handling of fire. They also occur during the dry season.

Illegal deforestation

Quite often, cutting down trees occurs illegally. Many countries around the world lack institutions and people who can control the process of deforestation. In turn, entrepreneurs in this area sometimes commit violations, annually increasing the volume of deforestation. It is also believed that wood supplied by poachers who do not have a permit to operate also enters the market. There is an opinion that the introduction of a high duty on timber would significantly reduce the sale of timber abroad and, accordingly, would reduce the number of trees cut down.

Deforestation in Russia

Russia is one of the leading wood producers. Together with Canada, these two countries contribute about 34% of the total material exported to the world market. The most active areas where trees are cut down are in Siberia and the Far East. As for illegal logging, everything is resolved by paying fines. However, this does not contribute in any way to the restoration of the forest ecosystem.

The main result of cutting down trees is deforestation, which has many consequences:

• climate change;
• pollution environment;
• ecosystem change;
• destruction of a large number of plants;
• animals are forced to leave their usual habitats;
• deterioration of the atmosphere;
• deterioration in nature;
• soil destruction, which will lead to;
• emergence of environmental refugees.

Permit for deforestation

Companies that cut down trees must obtain a special permit for this activity. To do this, you need to submit an application, a plan of the area where the felling is taking place, a description of the types of trees that will be cut down, as well as a number of papers for coordination with various services. In general, obtaining such permission is difficult. However, this does not completely rule out the illegality of deforestation. It is recommended that this procedure be tightened while the planet's forests can still be saved.

Sample permit for deforestation

What will happen to the planet if all the trees are cut down?

Forest destruction is accelerating. The green lungs of the planet are being cut down to seize land for other purposes. According to some estimates, we lose 7.3 million hectares of forest every year, which is roughly the size of the country of Panama.

INjust some facts

• About half have already been lost tropical forests peace

• Forests currently cover about 30% of the world's land mass

• Deforestation increases annual global carbon dioxide emissions by 6-12%

• Every minute a forest the size of 36 football fields disappears on Earth.

Where are we losing forests?

Deforestation occurs all over the world, but those most affected are rainforests. NASA predicts that if the current rate of deforestation continues, tropical forests could disappear completely within 100 years. Countries affected include Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, Congo and other parts of Africa, and some areas of Eastern Europe. The biggest danger is facing Indonesia. Since the last century, the state has lost at least 15.79 million hectares of forest land, according to the University of Maryland and the World Resources Institute.

And although deforestation has increased over the past 50 years, the problems go back deep into history. For example, 90% of the native forests of the continental United States have been destroyed since the 1600s. The World Resources Institute notes that indigenous forests remain in to a greater extent in Canada, Alaska, Russia and the Northwestern Amazon.

Causes of forest disappearance

There are many such reasons. As stated in the WWF report, half of the trees illegally removed from the forest are used as fuel.

Other reasons:

• To free up land for housing and urbanization

• Extraction of wood for processing into products such as paper, furniture and building materials

• To highlight marketable ingredients such as palm oil

• To free up space for raising livestock

In most cases, forests are burned or cut down. These methods lead to the land remaining barren.

Forestry experts call clear-cutting an "ecological trauma unmatched in nature except, perhaps, by a large volcanic eruption."

Forest burning can be done using fast or slow techniques. The ashes of burnt trees provide food for plants for some time. When the soil becomes depleted and the vegetation disappears, farmers simply move to another plot and the process begins again.

Deforestation and climate change

Deforestation is recognized as one of the factors contributing to global warming. Problem #1: Losing forests impacts the global carbon cycle. Gas molecules that absorb thermal infrared radiation are called greenhouse gases. The accumulation of large amounts of greenhouse gases causes climate change. Unfortunately, oxygen, being the second most abundant gas in our atmosphere, does not absorb thermal infrared radiation as well as greenhouse gases. On the one hand, green spaces help combat greenhouse gases. On the other hand, according to Greenpeace, 300 billion tons of carbon are released into the environment every year precisely because of the burning of wood as fuel.

Carbon is not the only greenhouse gas associated with deforestation. water vapor also falls into this category. The impact of deforestation on the exchange of water vapor and carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and earth's surface is the biggest problem in the climate system today.

Deforestation has reduced global steam flows from the ground by 4%, according to a study published by the US National Academy of Sciences. Even such a small change in steam flows can disrupt natural weather and change existing climate models.

Some more consequences of deforestation

A forest is a complex ecosystem that affects almost every species of life on the planet. Removing forests from this chain is tantamount to destroying the ecological balance both in the region and throughout the world.

INspecies extinction: National Geographic says that 70% of the world's plants and animals live in forests, and cutting them down leads to habitat loss. The local population, which collects wild plants, also experiences negative consequences. plant food and hunting.

Water cycle: The trees are playing important role in the water cycle. They absorb precipitation and release water vapor into the atmosphere. According to North Carolina State University, trees reduce pollution by trapping polluting runoff. In the Amazon, more than half of the water in the ecosystem comes through plants, reports the National Geographic Society.

E Rosa soil: Tree roots are like an anchor. Without forests, soil is easily washed away or blown away, which negatively affects vegetation. Scientists estimate that a third of the world's arable land has been lost to deforestation since 1960. On the spot former forests crops such as coffee, soybeans and palm trees are planted. Planting these species leads to further soil erosion due to the small root systems of these crops. The situation with Haiti is clear and Dominican Republic. Both countries share the same island, but Haiti has much less forest cover. As a result, Haiti is experiencing problems such as soil erosion, floods and landslides.

Anti-deforestation

Many people think that to solve the problem you need to plant more trees. Planting can mitigate the damage caused by deforestation, but it will not completely solve the situation.

In addition to reforestation, other tactics are being used. This is the transition of humanity to nutrition on plant based, which will reduce the need for land that is cleared for livestock farming.

One of the main topics of our time is the problem of disruption of natural functioning ecological system our planet and, as a consequence, an environmental disaster that we cannot stop. There are many problems that put humanity on this slippery slope. And one of the main ones is deforestation. In Russia, this phenomenon has acquired alarming proportions in recent decades. After all, the territory has enormous resources. And if earlier we were worried about the loss of tropical forests, today mass felling forests in Russia has brought our country to a leading position in the world.

Why do we need forests?

We all remembered from school that only green plants, thanks to the unique process of photosynthesis, replenish our atmosphere with oxygen. Not many people remember that as a result of this process, plants take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere - a product of our respiration and fuel combustion. It is the presence of excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that we owe to the greenhouse effect and climate change on the planet. According to some estimates, it is to deforestation in Russia and around the world that we owe the formation of about 20% of all greenhouse gases in the planet’s atmosphere.

Forests are part of the drainage system of our planet. Just as in the human body, disturbances in the blood circulation lead to stagnation and various types of tissue damage, so in the planet’s ecosystem, forests filter groundwater and provide hydrological regime rivers, lakes, seas and oceans. Forests prevent drainage, sand encroachment, soil erosion and washout, floods and landslides. Global floods, which previously occurred on the planet on average once every 50 years, today in some areas “delight” people every 4 years.

And that is not all

And not the last argument for the vital necessity of forests is the preservation of biodiversity on our planet. In ecology, the resilience of an ecosystem is determined by the number of species of living organisms living in it. According to some reports, our planet has already entered the era of the fifth global extinction. The Red Data Books of the regions are constantly updated with species that are in danger of extinction from the face of the Earth. The well-known “butterfly effect,” when the disappearance of one species of moth over 100 years led to changes in the topography of the Amazon floodplain, is not a fairy tale or the subject of a blockbuster. This is our harsh reality.

Forest is considered a renewable natural resource. This may indicate that no matter how much we take, nature will restore its quantity. But current rates of logging do not allow forest ecosystems to regenerate themselves. And humanity is losing forests, introducing the planet into a phase ecological crisis.

Ecological problem

Deforestation in Russia and in the world leads to such negative consequences for the ecology of the entire planet:

• Disappearance and reduction in the number of representatives of flora and fauna.
• Depletion of species biodiversity.
• An increase in the share of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
• Lithospheric changes - soil erosion, desertification, waterlogging.

This is not a complete, but significant, list of problems that are directly related to deforestation of our planet.

Global problem

Deforestation in Russia is only part of a planetary process, as a result of which the planet loses up to 200 thousand hectares of forest annually.

Latest data from the World Resources Institute and the Maryland Institute in collaboration with by Google Based on an analysis of satellite images, they showed that Russia occupies a leading position in deforestation. We are followed by Canada, together with which we are responsible for 34% of all forest loss on the planet.

Statistics indicate the loss of 20 hectares of forest on the planet in 1 minute. At the same time, 13 million hectares of the world's forests disappear irrevocably every year. Consider the scale.

Why are we cutting down forests?

Of course, the reason is obvious - it is to ensure our livelihoods and technological progress.

Wood is a valuable resource in many economic sectors and an essential component of progress.

But, main reason- this is generally our existence on the planet. Our biological species, which, due to certain evolutionary advantages, has proven successful on this planet, as evidenced by the growth in the number of individuals and the general expansion of territories. There is none biological species, whose habitat is absolutely the entire territory of the planet. Our number has already exceeded 7 billion and continues to grow.

With the advent Agriculture we have destroyed half of the planet's forests. Just look at the distribution maps natural areas on our continent and this becomes obvious. Zone coniferous forests there are also in Europe, but where have you seen a forest similar to Siberian? And we continue to increase the area of ​​agricultural land.

In nature, everything is interconnected. Climate change, which was also caused by deforestation of the planet, has led to more frequent wildfires. Even without our help, they are reducing forest areas and replenishing the atmosphere with carbon dioxide.

And yet we need to cut down the forest; how to do it is another matter.

Forest can be different

Forests in Russia and around the world are cut down for the extraction of minerals, timber, and clearing of agricultural land. All forests on the planet are divided into three categories:

You can chop in different ways

In this regard, there are several types of cutting:

• Final felling (selective, clear, gradual). Their goal is to harvest wood.
• Cuttings for plant care. This is the thinning of the forest with the destruction of plants Bad quality. As a result, they also obtain wood technological production.
• Complex reforestation felling. The goal is to reconstruct forest areas for restoration beneficial properties forests.
• Sanitary fellings are used to create landscapes and firebreaks.

From what has been said, it is clear that the problems of deforestation in Russia are associated with final cuttings, especially clearcuts. Here the concepts of “undercut” and “overcut” appear, which are equally bad for the forest. But that's all if the logging is legal.

Forest certificate - solution to the problem

Since the mid-1990s global community accepted the concept sustainable development. Part of which was the concept of sustainable forest management. In accordance with it, deforestation must meet certain requirements, which must ensure reasonable and controlled consumption of this resource - forest. The introduction of special technologies will create a balance between the need for wood and the ecological functions of the forest. It will also take into account the interests of future generations of people.

Today, FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certificates are received by legal logging companies, which are given quotas for deforestation. Our country is second in the world, after Canada, in the number of certified forests (38 million hectares). Certificates were issued to 189 forest management entities, and there are about 565 thousand forest management entities in our country. And it is they who receive state quotas for the volume of deforestation in Russia and are required to label rare species of wood when exporting (for now).

This is what legal logging activity looks like. But this is the tip of the iceberg, and the main turnover of the forest is there, under water.

For your information. IN Irkutsk region, which, according to some estimates, accounts for 50% of all illegal logging in Russia, in the summer of 2017, a pilot project “Lesregister” was launched, which provides for the marking of all harvested wood in order to track its turnover.

"Black" lumberjacks

The statistics of illegal deforestation in Russia are striking in their scale. According to World Fund wildlife(World Wildlife Fund), the country is losing about $1 billion due to illegal deforestation. In 2017, in the Arkhangelsk region alone, 359 illegal logging was recorded, the losses from which amounted to $12 million. Facts about deforestation in Russia are recorded in the northwestern part of the country and the Far East. This worries environmentalists and ordinary residents.

Statistics on deforestation in Russia from International agency environmental research(Environmental Investigation Agency) says that 80% of valuable forest species (linden, oak, cedar, ash) in the Far East are cut down illegally.

The public is concerned

A wave of indignation swept across the media about illegal deforestation in Russia by the Chinese. Over the past 20 years, when restrictions on timber harvesting were introduced in China, in border areas (Lake Baikal and Far East) many loggers from the Middle Kingdom appeared. According to estimates by the international non-governmental organization Environmental Investigation Agency, 50-80% of timber exported from Russia to China was obtained in circumvention of official quotas through illegal logging on leased lands.

The public and environmentalists, foresters and officials are making certain attempts to stop the uncontrolled destruction of forests.

But legal logging sometimes leads to completely opposite results. For example, in Ust-Ilimsk, a criminal case was opened against the head of the forestry department, who, under the guise of sanitary felling, destroyed healthy trees on a total area of ​​83 hectares. Damage - 170 million rubles.

Large-scale fight against deforestation

The solution to the problem of deforestation in Russia must be carried out at all levels: international, state, regional and personal.

The main measures should be:

• Formation of a weighted legislative framework For driving forest resources on the federal and international level.
• Introduction of a strict system of accounting and control over logging. Improving wood marking systems.
• Tougher penalties for illegal logging and the use of uncertified wood.
• Measures to increase the area of ​​forests and create zones with special environmental status.
• Improving fire prevention activities.
• Activation of secondary wood processing and reduction of the use of this resource in the industrial sector.
• Extension social programs and awareness of the population about caring for this natural resource. Environmental education and education of all segments of the population, starting with preschoolers.

Certain steps have already been taken at many levels. Latest requests public of the Irkutsk region to the President Russian Federation Vladimir Putin was led to a revision of quotas for deforestation, which include valuable species trees (in particular cedars). Labeling wood and its circulation within the country is finding more and more supporters.

And then what?

It’s high time for us to think about the state of the ecosystem of our beautiful home. Otherwise we risk being left without it. And everyone needs to start - with themselves. Caring attitude to nature, separate collection garbage, economical use natural resources, planting trees, purchasing products made from recycled materials (they are labeled “recycled”) - this is a very small list of what everyone can do to preserve the unique forests of Russia.

Don't forget about the spiritual component of the forest. Over the course of thousands of years, it has shaped the culture and customs of many ethnic groups. We cannot exist without nature. But on the other hand, civilization is impossible without forest resources.

Environmentalists say that for full recovery forest area our country, which accounts for 20% of the world's forest area, we need 100 years. And this despite the fact that cutting down will stop. Of course, these are utopian dreams. But we can still do something so that our children and grandchildren recognize the smell coniferous forest not from air fresheners in hygienic rooms.

The nature and solution to the problem of deforestation
The forest expanses only seem limitless. In the process of human activity, most of the planet's vegetation is destroyed, and deforestation is becoming widespread and widespread. The depletion of resources leads to the decline of the forest fund even in the taiga zone. Together with the forest fund, flora and fauna are destroyed, and the air becomes dirtier.

The main reason for deforestation is their use as construction material. Massifs are also cut down to make way for buildings, farms or agriculture.
With the advent of technological progress, the work of deforestation was automated, cutting productivity increased many times, and the volume of logging increased.
Another motive for such actions is the creation of pasture for livestock. Grazing one cow requires about a hectare of space, for which hundreds of trees are cut down.

Consequences

Forests are good not only for their aesthetic component. This is a whole ecosystem, home to many plants and animals, insects, birds. With the destruction of this massif, the balance in the entire biosystem is disrupted.

Uncontrolled destruction of forest lands leads to the following consequences:
disappearance of certain species of fauna and flora;
species diversity decreases;
the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases;
appear soil erosion with the formation of deserts;
area with high level groundwater becomes swampy.

Moreover, more than 50% of the forest area is occupied by tropical forests. And it is their cutting down that is most dangerous for ecological situation, as they contain about 85% of all known fauna and flora.
Deforestation statistics

Forest loss is a worldwide problem. It is relevant not only in the CIS countries, but throughout Europe and America. According to statistics, 200 thousand are cut down annually square kilometers plantings. This entails the disappearance of hundreds of plant species and thousands of animals.

In Russia, 4 thousand hectares are cut down annually, in Canada - 2.5 thousand hectares, the least is in Indonesia, where 1.5 thousand hectares are destroyed annually. The problem is least pronounced in China, Malaysia, and Argentina. According to average data, approximately twenty hectares are destroyed in the world per minute, especially in the tropics.

In Russia, especially a lot of coniferous species are destroyed. A large number of wetlands have formed in the Urals and Siberia. This phenomenon is difficult to control, since most logging is carried out illegally.

Ways to solve the problem

One way to solve the problem is to restore the used volume of trees, at least partially. This approach will not help to fully compensate for losses. Comprehensive measures must be taken.

These include:
forest management planning;
strengthening resource protection and control;
improvement of environmental legislation;
development of a system for recording and monitoring the background of plantings.

Additionally, it is necessary to increase the area of ​​new plantings, create territories with protected flora and a strict regime for the use of resources. It is necessary to prevent mass Forest fires and popularize recycling wood