Deforestation as Habitat Destruction

• Deforestation is the permanent destruction of natural, indigenous trees and bushes by felling, poisoning or burning them in order to clear an area for other purposes
• Urban development
• establishing fields for food production
• wood for fuel
• timber for construction
• mineral mining
• traditional remedies
• Large scale habitat destruction occurs, which threatens biodiversity or destroys a large variety of plant and animal species
• Deforestation also removes a source of water vapour from the area. Drier climates with more extreme temperatures destroys species in surrounding areas
• Removal of forest species may impact on other species in adjacent ecosystems, giving an advantage to some pests or causing further extinctions
• Possible actions to limit the effect of deforestation on habitat destruction:

  • Support recycling of wood products
  • Conserve and protect areas of high biodiversity
  • Create awareness of the importance of deforestation
  • Encourage afforesation
  • Develop more sustainable logging practices
  • Educate local communities on the possible sources of food/income in the forest