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Commercial
timber industry is a major cause of deforestation
in Asia, Africa, and the Amazon. Commercial timber
cutting can clear several acres in two hours. |
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Only
12 square miles of forest are replanted each year in the
Ivory Coast of Africa, yet, over two thousand square miles
of forest are logged yearly. |
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According
to the World Bank, at least commercial loggers destroy
12.5 million acres of rainforest each year. Developing
countries, facing large debts, export timber as a way
to earn foreign exchange. |
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Rainforests
are being cleared for cattle ranching to provide beef
for the export market. One thousand pounds of forest life
per acre is destroyed for every hamburger produced in
Central America. |
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Between
1961 and 1978, 40% of the tropical forests in Central
America were destroyed while grazing land more than doubled. |
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In Central
America, the land can only sustain cattle ranching for
5 to 7 years before it is unable to support life and becomes
consumed by weeds |
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Large
agricultural projects that export bananas and coffee add
to the problem of deforestation when they are not managed
properly. |
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Government
sponsored agricultural resettlement programs cause massive
deforestation. In response to a population crisis in major
cities, Brazil and Indonesia are moving thousands of families
into the forest. |
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Thousands
of miles of forest are being destroyed by people migrating
into them. The forests are replaced by agriculture that
gives low yields and is only productive for a short period
of time. |
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As
rural populations grow, the need for fuelwood increases
and deforestation often results. Village people in parts
of Africa and Asia have depleted their fuelwood supply. |
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Deforestation
is also caused by demands of wealthy countries for timber
and other agricultural products. |
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More
on De Forestation.... |
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