Forests remain one of the main components of the planet's ecosystems. They cover a little less than a third of the land surface. But it wasn't always like this, the Earth was covered in forest on a much larger scale until humanity got to it.

Farmers against the forest

Forests were cut down in ancient Greece, and in the Roman Empire, and in ancient China, and in India thousands of years ago. Today, the planet continues to lose forests due to an increase in the number of people. We need more and more food, we need railways, territories, materials for economic and business activities. By cutting down forests and plowing land for pastures, we degrade and destroy ecosystems and lose biodiversity.

Three large areas of the planet's rain forests - the Amazon basin, the Congo basin, the Indonesian archipelago. It is home to countless species. Due to deforestation and degradation of rainforests, we are losing the biodiversity of the planet.

So, Brazil has lost 55 million hectares of forest since 1990, which is almost the area of ​​Ukraine, and after all, Brazil is 13% of the entire forest of the Earth, it is in second place after Russia (20%). These lands are now used by farms and pastures.

Forest Covering the Earth

"Beef, corn, and bean farmers are putting pressure on the government to loosen forest protection, threatening the world's largest rainforest," said Earth-policy environmentalist Emily E. Adams.

Tropical forest loss

Today, steps are being taken to remedy the situation, such as UNREDD (United Nations Program to Reduce Deforestation and Forest Degradation) - a serious attempt to link forest conservation to the theme of climate change. The idea is to financially incentivize local farmers and communities to protect forests.

Deforestation in Radonia, Brazil

Annual net change in forest area

The rate of forest loss has more than halved

The percentage of land area covered by forest has decreased from 31.7 to 30.7 (from 1990 to 2015). The main reason for the destruction of the green cover of the planet is the conversion of land for the development of agriculture and infrastructure. However, landscape restoration, afforestation and natural expansion of forests have led to an increase in forest areas. Intense efforts to slow deforestation have slowed global forest loss from 7.3 million hectares per year in the 1990s to 3.3 million hectares per year between 2010 and 2015, according to the Report on Sustainable Development Goals 2016 .

The growth and decline of forest areas can be seen in the materials of the University of Maryland clicking on the picture and selecting Forest Cover Loss 2000-2014 (Transparent) and Forest Cover Gain 2000-2012 (Transparent) on the right

Decrease and increase in the forest cover of the Earth

• Maximum deforestation: Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa.
• The biggest increase: East Asia.

The disappearance of forests leads to the destruction of the biodiversity of the planet. More than 80 percent of terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects live in forests. According to the UN, of the 8,300 known animal species, 8 percent are extinct, and another 22 percent are on the verge of extinction.

Tropical forests make up more than 50% of all green spaces on the planet. Over 80% of animal and bird species live in these forests. To date, the deforestation of the rainforest is happening at a rapid pace. These figures are horrific: more than 40% of trees have already been cut down in South America, and 90% in Madagascar and West Africa. All this is a global ecological catastrophe.

The Importance of the Rainforest

Why is the forest so important? The importance of the rainforest for the planet can be listed endlessly, but let's dwell on the key points:

• the forest takes a huge part in;
• trees protect the soil from being washed out and blown away by the wind;
• the forest purifies the air and produces oxygen;
• it protects the territory from sudden changes in temperature.

Tropical forests are a resource that regenerates very slowly, but the rate of deforestation is destroying a large number of ecosystems on the planet. Deforestation results in dramatic temperature fluctuations, changes in air speed and rainfall. The fewer trees growing on the planet, the more carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere and. Swamps or semi-deserts and deserts are formed on the site of cut down tropical forests, many species of flora and fauna disappear. In addition, groups of ecological refugees are emerging - people for whom the forest was a source of livelihood, and now they are forced to look for a new home and sources of income.

How to save the rainforest

Today, experts offer several ways to save the rainforest. Every person should join this: it's time to switch from paper media to electronic ones, to hand over waste paper. At the state level, it is proposed to create a kind of forest farms, where trees that are in demand will be grown. It is necessary to ban deforestation in protected areas and toughen the punishment for violating this law. It is also possible to increase the state duty on wood when exporting it abroad, in order to make the sale of wood not expedient. These actions will help save the planet's rainforests.

Deforestation is ramping up. 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 annually, which is about the size of the country of Panama.

INthese are just a few facts

• About half of the world's rainforests have already been lost

• Currently, forests cover about 30% of the world's land.

• 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 rainforests are the most affected. NASA predicts that if the current scale of deforestation continues, the rainforests could completely disappear in 100 years. Countries such as Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, Congo and other parts of Africa, and some areas of Eastern Europe will be affected. The biggest danger threatens Indonesia. Since the last century, this state has lost at least 15.79 million hectares of forest land, according to the University of Maryland USA and the World Resources Institute.

And while deforestation has increased over the past 50 years, the problem goes back a long way. For example, 90% of the original forests of the continental United States have been destroyed since the 1600s. The World Resources Institute notes that primary forests have survived to a greater extent in Canada, Alaska, Russia, and the Northwest Amazon.

Causes of deforestation

There are many such reasons. According to a WWF report, half of the trees illegally removed from the forest are used as fuel.

Other reasons:

• To release land for housing and urbanization

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

• To highlight ingredients that are in demand on the market, such as palm oil

• To free up space for livestock

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

Forestry experts call clear-cutting an "environmental trauma that has no equal in nature, except, perhaps, a large volcanic eruption"

Forest burning can be done with fast or slow machinery. The ashes of the burnt trees provide food for the plants for some time. When the soil is depleted and the vegetation disappears, the farmers simply move to another plot and the process starts all over again.

Deforestation and climate change

Deforestation is recognized as one of the factors contributing to global warming. Problem #1 - Deforestation affects 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 fight greenhouse gases. On the other hand, according to Greenpeace, annually 300 billion tons of carbon are released into the environment due to the burning of wood as a fuel.

Carbon is not the only greenhouse gas associated with deforestation. water vapor also belongs to this category. The impact of deforestation on the exchange of water vapor and carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the 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 vapor flows can disrupt natural weather patterns and change existing climate models.

More consequences of deforestation

The forest is a complex ecosystem that affects almost every kind of life on the planet. To remove the forest from this chain is tantamount to destroying the ecological balance both in the region and around the world.

INspecies extinction: National Geographic says that 70% of the world's plants and animals live in forests, and their deforestation leads to loss of habitats. The negative consequences are also experienced by the local population, which is engaged in the collection of wild plant food and hunting.

Water cycle: Trees play an important role in the water cycle. They absorb precipitation and emit water vapor into the atmosphere. Trees reduce pollution by trapping pollutant runoff, according to North Carolina State University. In the Amazon, more than half of the water in the ecosystem comes through plants, according to the National Geographic Society.

E soil rose: Tree roots are like anchors. Without a forest, the soil is easily washed out or blown away, which negatively affects the vegetation. Scientists estimate that a third of the world's arable land has been lost to deforestation since the 1960s. In place of the 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 system of these crops. The situation with Haiti and the Dominican Republic is illustrative. 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.

Opposition to deforestation

Many believe that more trees should be planted to solve the problem. Planting may mitigate the damage caused by deforestation, but will not resolve the situation in the bud.

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

1 Do you care about the state of the environment in your region, in the country, on the whole planet? If yes, why? Write.

2 Serezha and Nadya's dad offers a task. Create symbolic drawings for each of the environmental issues you have studied.

Ocean pollution problem

The garbage problem

Present your work to the class. Explain the symbols you suggested.

3 What other environmental problems of the planet do you know? Write.

4 Using the textbook, give examples (1-2 in each paragraph).

A) International agreements on environmental protection.

b) International environmental organizations.

V) International Ecological Days.

5 As instructed by the textbook (p. 47), prepare a report on the work of international environmental organizations in Russia.

Message subject:

Communication plan:

Important information to report:

Source(s) of information:

6 Make an Ecological Calendar for yourself. Cut it out from the Appendix and stick it on thick paper. Explain how you understand the meaning of each international day. If necessary, refer to additional literature, the Internet. Use this calendar when preparing various environmental activities in class.

The world through the eyes of an ecologist. Grade 4 World around Workbook Part 1-which answers?

Let's try to answer the questions that were asked in the workbook on the subject "The world around us".

I would answer as follows.

1 Yes, I care.

Air pollution, deforestation, ozone holes. All this applies to absolutely all the inhabitants of the planet. The problem is quite serious and needs to be addressed. If measures are not taken, for example, to reduce air pollution, then in the near future it will simply be hard for us to breathe, which will negatively affect our health.

2 Ocean pollution problem, the picture would look something like this.!

Tropical deforestation problem

The garbage problem

3 Destruction of animals and plants, natural resources are depleted, soil pollution.

5 Subject: All-Russian Society for the Conservation of Nature (VOOP)

Plan: What is WOOP?

When was WOOP founded?

The results of the work of the VOOP.

Deciphering the name VOOP makes it clear what it is. All-Russian Organization for Nature Conservation. But it was not always called that and originally looked like this

At first, the WOOP only promoted respect for the environment, then its members began to protect water bodies, landscaping, and so on.

It has existed since 1924. The result of the work of the organization is the preservation of the purity of the environment. An example of the work of the VOOP: in the Irkutsk region, a group of volunteers was assembled to clean up the shores of Lake Baikal.

Source of information: Internet.

6 You can use an illustrative example to make your own ecological calendar.

varvarainfo.ru

The forest is a vanishing heritage | PUPPY KITTY

Rainforests provide 40% of the oxygen of the whole earth. Today, hundreds of hectares of tropical forests are destroyed daily.

How did rainforests? Let's imagine that we were transported 60 million years ago. Tropical forest is an intricate interweaving of plants vying for nutrients and light. Every morning, under the rays of the sun, moist air rises above the forest to turn into thunderclouds during the day. Every afternoon, rain falls on rainforests all over the planet. This moisture and warmth is reflected in the name of the forests.
Since the beginning of time on Earth, the sun has been warming the band around the Earth's equator every day with the energy of its rays. So a daily dose of sunlight and water nourished the rainforests, gradually changing and shaping every manifestation of life.
Rainforests now cover lands called Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Thailand, Burma, India, Madagascar, Congo, Cameroon, and the Amazon - all of which are covered with these luxurious forests.

Favorable conditions of tropical forests give rise to a huge variety of species and forms. Some rainforest trees grow for 100 years or more and then fall or die. In place of the fallen giant, a gap appears, into which young plants immediately rush. The energy contained in the tissues of a tree is never wasted. The termites immediately set to work, and soon after the completion of the entire cleaning cycle, the forest will receive back the resources spent on the growth of the tree. New trees are racing to fill the gap. A year later, the patterned canopy of the forest has already been restored. In the forest, everything is used again and again.
There are many examples of symbiotic partnership in the forest - the survival of some species depends on others. But they all rely on trees.
Various species of monkeys and other agile primates live in large numbers in the forest. Eating everything that comes in their way, they easily move among the branches. However, with the advent of man, trees began to be used in a completely different way than any animal before him. Tools have changed a lot in the last 200 years, and wood consumption has also skyrocketed. Now it is we, the people, who are the most powerful source of change that the rainforests have ever known. And now, when with the help of our tools we can cut forests completely, a different perspective on our activities has suddenly opened up.

Forest under threat of destruction

Hundreds of hectares of tropical forests are destroyed every day in the world, clearing space for crops, pastures and roads. These forests provide approximately 40% of the earth's oxygen. The amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of burning forests is one of the main causes of the greenhouse effect. 70% of drugs sold in the US are made exclusively from rainforest plants.
Environmental problems are no longer a matter of a single state. Species never before seen by man are threatened with extinction every day.
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Scientists have long been talking about the harmful effects of technological progress on nature. Climate change, the melting of ice, the decline in the quality of drinking water have a very negative impact on people's lives. Ecologists around the world have long sounded the alarm about pollution and the destruction of nature. One of the most important is deforestation. Forest problems are visible especially in civilized states. Environmentalists believe that deforestation leads to many negative consequences for the Earth and humans. Without forests, there will be no life on Earth, this must 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 deforestation is solved with such difficulty. Perhaps people just do not think that their whole life depends on this ecosystem. Although since ancient times everyone has revered the forest, giving it often magical functions. He was the breadwinner and personified the life-giving force of nature. He was loved, the trees were treated 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 problems of the forest are that with the destruction of trees, many more species of plants and animals die. broken in nature. After all, the forest is not only trees. This is a well-coordinated ecosystem based on the interaction of many representatives of flora and fauna. In addition to trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, lichens, insects, animals and even microorganisms are of great importance in its existence. Despite massive 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 ones, especially coniferous massifs, also play a great role in the ecology of the planet. The greenest countries in the world are Finland and Canada. In Russia, there are about 25% of the world's forest reserves. The least number of trees left in Europe. Now 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 territory of green spaces. Scientists have calculated that about 80% of animal species live there, which, without the usual ecosystem, can die. However, the deforestation of tropical forests is now proceeding at an accelerated pace. In some regions, such as West Africa or Madagascar, about 90% of the forest has already disappeared. A catastrophic situation has also developed in the countries of South America, where more than 40% of the trees have been cut down. The problems of tropical forests are not only the business of the countries in which they are located. The destruction of such a huge massif will lead to an ecological catastrophe. 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.

The meaning of the forest

Use of 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. About a hundred fruit and berry trees and shrubs, as well as nuts, more than 200 species of edible and medicinal herbs and mushrooms grow in the forest. Many animals are hunted there, such as sable, marten, squirrel or black grouse. But most of all, a person needs wood. This is what causes deforestation. The problem with the forest 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 for 10 thousand years of human existence, about two-thirds of all trees have already disappeared from the face of the Earth. Especially a lot began to cut down the forest in the Middle Ages, when more and more space was required 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 human has ever set foot before. Why is the forest cut down?

• to make room for construction (after all, the growing population of the Earth needs to build new cities);
• as in ancient times, the forest is cut down with slash-and-burn agriculture, freeing up space for arable land;
• the development of animal husbandry requires more and more space for pastures;
• forests often interfere with the extraction of minerals, so needed by mankind for technological progress;
• and finally, wood is now a very valuable commodity used in many industries.

What kind of forest can be cut down

For a long time, the disappearance of forests has 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 states, forest problems are of concern to many scientists and government representatives. Therefore, at the legislative level, felling is limited there. However, the fact is that it is often carried out illegally. And although it is considered poaching and is punishable by heavy fines or imprisonment, mass destruction of forests for profit is on the rise. For example, almost 80% of deforestation in Russia is carried out illegally. Moreover, wood is mainly sold abroad. And what are the official types of felling?

What damage does deforestation cause?

The ecological 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 stores. This is true, but this is not the main problem. The extent to which deforestation has now taken on is striking. A satellite photo of the former woodlands helps visualize the situation. What can this lead to:

• the ecosystem of the forest is being destroyed, many representatives of flora and fauna are disappearing;
• the decrease in the amount of wood and the diversity of plants 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 cease to protect the soil (washing out of the upper layer leads to the formation of ravines, and the lowering of the groundwater level causes the appearance of deserts);
• soil moisture increases, due to which swamps are formed;
• scientists believe that the disappearance of trees on the slopes of the mountains leads to the rapid melting of glaciers.

According to researchers, deforestation causes damage to the world economy in the amount of up to 5 trillion dollars a year.

How are forests harvested?

How is deforestation done? The photo of the area where the felling has recently taken place is an unsightly view: bare terrain, almost devoid of vegetation, stumps, patches of fires and strips of bare soil. How does it work? The name "cutting down" has been preserved since the time when trees were felled with an axe. Now chainsaws are used 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, hitching it to a tractor. Therefore, there remains a strip of bare land with torn vegetation and destroyed undergrowth. Thus, young shoots are destroyed, which could revive the forest. At this place, the ecological balance is completely violated and other conditions for vegetation are created.

What happens after cutting

In open space, completely different conditions are created. Therefore, a new forest grows only where the cutting area is not very large. What prevents young plants from getting stronger:

• The light level changes. Those undergrowth plants that are accustomed to living in the shade die.
• Other temperature regime. Without tree protection, there is a sharper temperature fluctuation, frequent night frosts. 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 death of the 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 Ivan-tea grow most quickly in clearings, birch or willow shoots develop well. Therefore, the restoration of deciduous forests goes quickly if a person does not interfere in this process. But coniferous trees grow very poorly after cutting down, since they reproduce by seeds for which there are no normal development conditions. Deforestation has such negative consequences. The solution to the problem - what is it?

Solving deforestation

Ecologists offer many ways to save 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 where those with the shortest maturation periods will be grown;
• a ban on felling in nature protection zones and tougher penalties for this;
• raising the state duty on the export of timber abroad to make it unprofitable.

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