from erosion and are home to thousands of species, and forest peoples whose lives depend on them. They.
are also a source for industrial and medical purposes.
In developing countries, much deforestation is for both local purposes and for export. The UNFPA.
(United Nations Fund for Population Activities) said in it's 1990 report that population growth may have.
been responsible for as much as eighty percent of the forest land cleared between 1971 and 1986 to make.
room for agriculture, cattle ranching, houses, roads and industries(Ramphal, 1992, p.55). It is.
estimated that in that period nearly sixty million hectares of forest were converted to farmland and a.
similar amount of forest was put to non-agricultural uses. This is equivalent to the mass of twelve.
hundred square metres of forest added to the population(Ramphal, 1992, p. 57).
Quite often, areas of forest were cleared in such a way (ex.: slash and burn) that they will.
never grow back. After a forest area has been converted to grazing lands or intensive farming, the soil.
will only sustain it for a few years. Then the land is left lifeless.
The increasing demand for fuel wood as populations expand is another important factor leading to.
deforestation. In most developing areas, wood is the primary source of fuel. In many of these areas,.
the demand for fuel wood is rising at about the rate of population growth, and ahead of the destruction.
committed by loggers (see Figure 2) (Hardaway, 1994, p.201). People are spreading out further and further to reach fresh forested areas to.
meet their fuel needs. It should also be noted that when wood is unavailable, animal dung is burned for.
fuel. This diverts a great value of nutrition from the soil.
Developed countries deplete their forests at a rate that is just as alarming, and are a great.
source of the demand for wood from developing countries. The primary use of this wood is for industrial.
purposes, i.