Forests are collection of trees and other plants in some areas. They may range from populated wilderness to urban forests. They may also range from tropical rain forests to vast boreal forests. Approximately, 31% of land of the world is filled with forests. Forests have many benefits such as sequestering atmospheric carbon (Hollar 67), containing nearly 90% of the Earth’s biodiversity, providing home for wildlife, regulating water cycle, and providing many recreational and spiritual opportunities. Presently, five countries with most forest areas are Russia, Brazil, China, Canada, and the U.S. (Bengston and Michael 35).
On the other hand, deforestation is the process of removal of trees. It has been reported that 1.8 million square kilometers of forest in the world is converted into non-forest land between the year 2000 and 2012. South America, Africa, and Oceania are facing the largest loss of forest, whereas Europe and North America are facing modest or little change in the areas of forest. Asia is showing positive change in forest-covered areas (Bengston and Michael 35).
Many countries are working to reduce the issue of deforestation. Brazil was one of those countries, which have controlled deforestation. It has been reported that Brazil was able to reduce deforestation rate by more than three-quarters. Greenhouse gas emissions in Brazil had also been reduced by 39% between the year 2005 and 2010. However, after 2013 deforestation rate doubled. An important cause of deforestation is to develop cattle pasture. It has been estimated that about 78% of logging between 2011 and 2012 in Para state, which is Brazil’s largest timber producer, was illegal (Schiffman 46). It has been estimated that at the current rate of deforestation rain forests of the world would completely vanish in a century.
