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=Deforestation= Deforestation is a global crisis. Animals are dying or forced to migrate because their home which is the forests has been cleared by man because of the need for lumber. So I have started an inquiry to investigate about deforestation. Below are some of my information, the work log and my question about deforestation.

Deforestation was around at the times of civilization. Fire was one of the very first items that changed the landscape of this world. Deforestation was around since 11,600BC (also known as the Mesolithic Period). This you might find surprising because deforestation was around in such early times although at that time deforestation was minor since technology wasn't introduced much. Early settlers, armed with axes and shovels came and destroyed some part of the forest. There were no machines at that time so they were not so harmful.

Nowadays deforestation is a really serious problem. Animals are dying because the forest they live in is being chopped down for human uses: farms, settlements, and other forms of buildings.

A British environmentalist Norman Myers said that 5% of the causes of deforestation were for cattle-ranching, 19% because of heavy logging, 22% because of the growing sector of palm oil plantations and 54% due to farming reasons.

So, all these fall into one question: why are we cutting these trees down? In Roman times, when Rome ruled Europe 90% of the forest was in place. Nowadays about 500,000 hectors are being torn down in a short period of time: such as a week. Do we really need to cut down trees and ruin animal's habitats just for our own convenience? Think of all the animals that died and the ones that are about to. I think we should stop deforestation once and for all and save our animals. If deforestation continues then by 2050 the whole world's forest won't be much. The whole world's jungle species will be reduced.

But how are we going to live without wood/timber? The increase in the population is driving the need for more timber for household furniture etc. The reforestation is just not matching the pace of the deforestation. Thus our grandchildren will not enjoy the world that we had and they deserve it. This will probably be the world our grandchildren will live in if we don't stop this crisis and it will be up to our children or our grandchildren to stop this, but it should be up to us to stop this. So, by using less timber we might survive this crisis and give our grandchildren a sight of the beautiful forest we have now. Not grassland like it would be if we continued at this rate.

(Deforestation results in southern Mexico) Click here for the questions. Bibliography:
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http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/deforestation.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeforestatiPr http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0322-amazon.html http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange2/current/lectures/deforest/deforest.html [] []

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