WWF projections indicate that if the island of Borneo continues at its current rate of deforestation, it will be severely affected by climate change through the increased risk of floods and forest fires, human health impacts, changes in agricultural yields and damage to infrastructure .
What are the causes of deforestation in Borneo?
The leading reason for deforestation in Borneo is largely subsistence and agro-industrial agriculture . Subsistence agriculture mostly involves slash-and-burn practices from local communities. It requires low technology and is usually done on a rotation (or shifting) basis.
What are the major impacts of deforestation?
The loss of trees and other vegetation can cause climate change, desertification, soil erosion , fewer crops, flooding, increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and a host of problems for indigenous people.
What is the biggest cause of deforestation in Borneo?
Oil palm plantations are the main driver of deforestation in Borneo. ... Using satellite imagery, the researchers measured total forest loss, how much plantation area was added, and how much forest was cleared and converted to plantations for each year between 2000 and 2017.
What impact is deforestation having on the environment?
Trees absorb and store carbon dioxide. If forests are cleared, or even disturbed, they release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Forest loss and damage is the cause of around 10% of global warming . There's simply no way we can fight the climate crisis if we don't stop deforestation.
What are the 10 effects of deforestation?
- Climate Imbalance and Climate Change. Deforestation also affects the climate in many ways. ...
- Increase in Global Warming. ...
- Increase in Greenhouse Gas Emissions. ...
- Soil Erosion. ...
- Floods. ...
- Wildlife Extinction & Habitat Loss. ...
- Acidic Oceans. ...
- The Decline in Life Quality of People.
What is deforestation and its causes and effects?
Deforestation refers to the decrease in forest areas across the world that are lost for other uses such as agricultural croplands, urbanization, or mining activities . Greatly accelerated by human activities since 1960, deforestation has been negatively affecting natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and the climate.
Why is Borneo so special?
Borneo is the world's third largest island , behind Greenland and New Guinea. Orangutans can only be found in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. ... Borneo is home to Southeast Asia's highest mountain: Mount Kinabalu. During the last 10 years 360 new species have been found in Borneo.
Who is responsible for the deforestation of Borneo?
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – The palm oil industry was responsible for at least 39% of forest loss on the biodiversity-rich island of Borneo between 2000 and 2018, data from a research firm based in Indonesia shows.
What is the rate of deforestation in Borneo?
Between 2000 and 2017, 6.04 million hectares of old-growth forest were lost in Borneo, a decline of 14% . About half of that area was ultimately converted to industrial plantations, and 92% of the forest that was converted was replaced with plantations within one year of being cleared, the study found.
What are the impacts of deforestation caused by palm oil in Borneo?
Oil palm threats in Borneo
The unsuitability of the terrain may also result in large-scale soil erosion, flooding and increase the risk of fire .
What is Borneo doing to stop deforestation?
By replanting areas with native rainforest trees and protecting them from wildfires, we restore critical habitats and reconnect populations of orangutans and other native species .
Who is destroying Borneo?
Greenpeace investigations provide new evidence that it is Unilever's own palm oil traders and producers (themselves RSPO members) who are leading ‘aggressive expansion' of the sector that results in the devastation of the last remaining orang-utan rainforest and peatland habitat in Borneo.
How does cutting down trees affect us and our environment?
Large scale tree cutting can lead to deforestation , a transformation of an area from forest to terrain with little vegetation. Plants create oxygen and absorb greenhouse gases. The destruction of trees may, therefore, encourage global warming. Changing temperatures can alter which organisms can survive in an ecosystem.
What are the five main causes of deforestation?
The most common pressures causing deforestation and severe forest degradation are agriculture, unsustainable forest management, mining, infrastructure projects and increased fire incidence and intensity .
What is the most important environmental issue?
Global Warming
Of all the current environmental issues in the U.S., global warming may be the most notable because its effects are so far-reaching.
