Deforestation and forest degradation represent a significant fraction of the annual worldwide human-induced emission of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, the main source of biodiversity losses and the destruction of millions of people's homes. Despite local/regional causes, its consequences are global. This book provides a general view about deforestation dynamics around the world, incorporating analyses of its causes, impacts and actions to prevent it. Its 17 Chapters, organized in three sections, refer to deforestation impacts on climate, soil, biodiversity and human population, but also describe several initiatives to prevent it. A special emphasis is given to different remote-sensing and mapping techniques that could be used as a source for decision-makers and society to promote forest conservation and control deforestation.

Nearly three years ago, world leaders agreed to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – the central framework for guiding development policies throughout the world. This edition of The State of the World’s Forests is aimed at enhancing our understanding of how forests and their sustainable management contribute to achieving several of the SDGs. Time is running out for the world’s forests: we need to work across sectors, bring stakeholders together, and take urgent action. The State of the World’s Forests 2018 identifies actions that can be taken to increase the contributions of forests and trees that are necessary to accelerate progress towards the SDGs. It is now critical that steps be taken to work more effectively with the private sector, and the informal forest sector must be transformed in order to bring broader economic, social and environmental benefits. Seventy years ago, when FAO completed its first assessment of the world’s forest resources, the major concern was whether there would be enough timber to supply global demand; now we recognize the greater global relevance of our forests and trees. For the first time, The State of the World’s Forests 2018 provides an assessment of the contribution of forests and trees to our landscapes and livelihoods. The purpose of this publication is to provide a much wider audience with an understanding of why forests and trees matter for people, the planet and posterity.

Every day more of the world’s forests disappear. Trees are cleared for agriculture, lost in wildfires and harvested for the valuable products they supply. Called the lungs of the planet, forests play a critical role in climate moderation. What happens when they’re gone? Are replanting and afforestation efforts helping? In If A Tree Falls: The Global Impact of Deforestation, author Nikki Tate gives an accessible and balanced look at forest practices throughout history, the growth of industry and the fight for preservation. Global deforestation affects us all. Find out what you can do to protect forests today and keep them healthy for future generations.

Global Deforestation provides a concise but comprehensive examination of the variety of ways in which deforestation modifies environmental processes, as well as the societal implications of these changes. The book stresses how forest ecosystems may be prone to nearly irreversible degradation. To prevent the loss of important biophysical and socioeconomic functions, forests need to be adequately managed and protected against the increasing demand for agricultural land and forest resources. The book describes the spatial extent of forests, and provides an understanding of the past and present drivers of deforestation. It presents a theoretical background to understand the impacts of deforestation on biodiversity, hydrological functioning, biogeochemical cycling, and climate. It bridges the physical and biological sciences with the social sciences by examining economic impacts and socioeconomic drivers of deforestation. This book will appeal to advanced students, researchers and policymakers in environmental science, ecology, forestry, hydrology, plant science, ecohydrology, and environmental economics.

“Anyone who doubts the power of history to inform the present should read this closely argued and sweeping survey. This is rich, timely, and sobering historical fare written in a measured, non-sensationalist style by a master of his craft. One only hopes (almost certainly vainly) that today’s policymakers take its lessons to heart.”—Brian Fagan, Los Angeles Times Published in 2002, Deforesting the Earth was a landmark study of the history and geography of deforestation. Now available as an abridgment, this edition retains the breadth of the original while rendering its arguments accessible to a general readership. Deforestation—the thinning, changing, and wholesale clearing of forests for fuel, shelter, and agriculture—is among the most important ways humans have transformed the environment. Surveying ten thousand years to trace human-induced deforestation’s effect on economies, societies, and landscapes around the world, Deforesting the Earth is the preeminent history of this process and its consequences. Beginning with the return of the forests after the ice age to Europe, North America, and the tropics, Michael Williams traces the impact of human-set fires for gathering and hunting, land clearing for agriculture, and other activities from the Paleolithic age through the classical world and the medieval period. He then focuses on forest clearing both within Europe and by European imperialists and industrialists abroad, from the 1500s to the early 1900s, in such places as the New World, India, and Latin America, and considers indigenous clearing in India, China, and Japan. Finally, he covers the current alarming escalation of deforestation, with our ever-increasing human population placing a potentially unsupportable burden on the world’s forests.

The growth in the human population has forced mankind to convert forested land into other land uses such as agricultural land, residential, urban, road construction and mining activities. The degradation of forest due to anthropogenic activities is significantly reducing forests in the world. These practices result in significant impacts on the forest structure, species composition and ecology, which will consequently reduce forest productivity and ecosystem functions. Due to deforestation, half of the earth's vegetation surface has reduced to one-third, resulting in large degraded areas. The significant reduction of the forest areas requires appropriate planning for sustainable management of the forests. This book reviews the extent and consequences of deforestation around the world. It highlights case studies of the causes of deforestation in Malaysia, Korea, India, Bangladesh, Columbia, Brazil and Mali. It is hoped that the book will provide insights on the importance of effective forest planning and management for the sustainable development of forest resources.

Mother Earth is undergoing an environmental upheaval as never seen before. The unprecedented number of people bearing down on earth has greatly affected the environment of our planet. Whether we are rich or poor, developed or underdeveloped nations, we are all together for better or for worse for the well-being of this planet. Of all the problems besieging the planet, rampant deforestation is probably the single most important problem we face today. The ecological problems directly and indirectly connected with deforestation are numerous and require immediate remedies. Global warming and loss of biodiversity are two problems of universal ramification for mankind that need to be resolved if mankind is to continue to exist for the next thousand years. After air, water, and food, trees are the most important natural resources that mankind need. Otherwise, God would not have created trees in the third day of the creation story in preparation for man's beginnings and existence. It is also one of the most important renewable resources that will serve mankind for eons if we only learn to respect the role they play in our lives. Since men first walked on the planet, he was surrounded by trees with all their fruits and wildlife for his benefit. For centuries, it has provided mankind with all the resources necessary for him to survive the harsh climate. With so much of our forests lost to human needs and greed, it is necessary for us to change the way we appreciate the immense value of trees. All the wealth of the nations around the world is found in their natural resources. They could be the under the sea, under the sand, under the forests and over the top of the land surfaces. Without these resources, civilizations would not have advanced to this point in time. Except for the food from the sea and the forests on the land, all the other natural resources are considered non-renewable. Yet, at the rate we are exploiting some of these resources they too would become non-renewable and even extinct. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported in 2001 that "In many countries, illegal operations proliferate and governments are unable to control their own bureaucracies or to enforce adherence to the 'rules of the game' by commercial corporations and civil society entities. In extreme circumstances, private corporations or powerful groups are able to sway government policies and 'purchase' decrees, legislation and regulations for their own benefit." Poverty has driven many to seek their fortunes in the forests. Some practice slash-and-burn while others try to eke out their livelihood by small-scale mining in the hope of striking it rich. But more often than not, they end up with nothing to show but sufferings and ill-health for all their efforts. The same is true for all the workers in the forestry sector. They toil long hours under difficult hardship only to enrich the concessionaires who stay in their air-conditioned offices in the cities. The poor indigenous people have lost most of their livelihood and are forced to turn to swidden cultivation to survive. As their ancestral lands are taken over by greedy government bureaucrats and given away to domestic and multinational companies, their only recourse was to fight a losing battle. There have been some effective actions undertaken mostly by the NGOs. It is doubtful if it will put a dent against the destructive forces now in place and deeply entrenched. The only way to stop the greedy scums is to legislate stiffer laws against illegal poaching and even wanton destruction of forestlands by licensed loggers and impose on them the ultimate death penalty and carry it out without delay. It is often the fear of death that can force a greedy person to act rationally. In this book I have tried to set down the many causes of deforestation, the consequences of what will happen if we fail to act to protect the trees and enact measures to minimize the problems.