The Dangers Facing Our Forests

Every year, billions of trees are felled, primarily to make way for agricultural activities. Since the late 1940s, a staggering half of the world’s rainforests have vanished!

When a forest is eradicated, so too are the valuable services and resources it offers.

Our Planet—Built to Thrive

Remarkably, some areas that have undergone deforestation have shown a significant capacity for recovery and even growth. Recently, ecologists have been astonished to observe how swiftly deforested regions can naturally regenerate and revert to thriving forests.

Here are a few instances:

Researchers monitored lands cleared for agriculture and subsequently abandoned. Their investigation of 2,200 such sites across the Americas and West Africa indicated that these soils could regain their forest-supporting health in as little as ten years.

According to a study published in Science magazine, it is estimated that within a century, these areas could naturally restore a vibrant diversity of trees and other forest organisms.

Scientists in Brazil conducted a comparison between the rate of reforestation in places with minimal human interference and those where extensive human-designed methods were employed.

The Threats to Our Forests

Each year, billions of trees are cut down, mostly to clear land for agricultural use. Since the late 1940s, 50% of the world’s rain forests have disappeared.

Our Planet—Designed to Survive

Some deforested lands have displayed an amazing ability to recover and even expand. Ecologists have recently observed, to their surprise, how quickly deforested lands have been able to regrow naturally and become healthy forests again.

Consider these examples:

• Forested lands that were cleared for farming and later abandoned were monitored by researchers. A study of 2,200 such plots in the Americas and West Africa revealed that soil can return to its original forest-friendly health within 10 years.
• Researchers estimate that within about 100 years, the lands could naturally achieve a healthy diversity of trees and other forest life-forms, according to a study published in Science magazine.
• Scientists in Brazil recently compared the rate of reforestation in areas with virtually no human intervention to that of areas where robust man-made strategies were implemented.
• Referring to the researchers in this study, National Geographic reports: “To their delight, they found tree-planting was unnecessary. In just 5 years, the tested plots, without any tree-planting, were full of young trees.”

What Is Being Done

Worldwide, efforts have been made to manage existing forests and to restore those that have been degraded. As a result, according to a United Nations source, “global deforestation has slowed by more than 50%“ over the past 25 years.

But these efforts are not enough to save our forests. “The rate of primary forest loss in the tropics has been stubbornly consistent over the last few years,” says a report published by the organisation Global Forest Watch.