Forest conservation strategies and environmental impact

Forests Conservation

Forest Conservation

Global warming has become a hot topic since last few decades and there have been continuous efforts in understanding its causes and drastic consequences over the environment. It is a simple term that relates to the increase in the temperature of the earth which affects the entire world equally. Global warming has advanced dramatically with the increase in the use of the hydrocarbons, excess burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. One of the major contributors in global warming is the rising amount of carbon dioxide gas in the environment, which is released by burning of fossil fuels and gets trapped inside the environment, causing it to get hotter day by day. To cut down the ratio of carbon dioxide as compare to oxygen gas, it is important that the naturally occurring forests must be conserved and there should be afforestation instead of de-forestation. Several other severe affects of global warming like melting of glaciers, increase in sea levels, flooding, famine, heavy precipitations, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes and typhoons etc. can be avoided by taking such initiatives (Harmon 2009).

Eradicating trees and forests for constructive needs are adding up to the effect of global warming. According to WWF official website, Forests cover 31% of total land area and more than 40% of the world's oxygen is produced by rainforests; thus the forests are correctly termed as the lungs of the world and the environment. As without lungs, it is impossible for humans to breathe, similarly without a suitable number of forests and trees. It is not possible to attain a desirable level of oxygen gas which can compete with the growing level of carbon dioxide in the environment and eventually, we humans will get in a big trouble (WWF 2012).

According to famous climatologist from University of Wisconsin-Madison, Jonathan Foley; the process of deforestation can cause a rise in temperature to about 4-6 degree Celsius if the amount of carbon dioxide is also doubled, while a simple doubled green house effect cause a rise in temperature to about 1-2 degree Celsius, clearly indicating that deforestation is extremely harmful for the environment and the forests should be conserved in order to save the future. Also, a noticeable decrease in rainfall would be observed due to deforestation as rain falls occur due to transpiration breathing of plants. If forests are deprived of evaporative cooling, the process of transpiration would not take place properly as the land would get dried and as a result the global warming will definitely increase (Global Warming 2001).