Consequences of Deforestation

The consequences of deforestation can be many, and here is where human security and deforestation start to cross. From the consequences of deforestation are:

Biodiversity Impact

The destruction of biodiversity, which results from the destruction of the natural habitats of plants and animals whose natural habitat are the forests (Fearnside, 2005). Fearnside also believes that loss in biodiversity and climatic impacts are the major concerns when talking about deforestation (681).

The levels of deforestation follow the levels of biodiversity loss, and the risks of complete destruction of forests would imply a risk of complete loss of biodiversity (684). Deforestation is very prejudicial to the ecosystems. By eliminating a forest several species of animals will die. This happens because the forests are the natural habitat of these species, which serve as food and shelter that are necessary to the survival of the species. 

Did you know? 48% of  the 634 known species and subspecies of primates at risk of extinction. Previous estimates 5 years ago put the figure at 39 per cent. — World Conservation Union (IUCN) 

This video illustrates how we are all connected in this big life cycle, and how species in threat can also bring a threat to humans. 

Image available at : http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2010/oct/18/nagoya-biodiversity-summit

Human Vulnerability

Deforestation can cause many consequences to the population that lives and/or depends on the forests for their lives. When the people living in the forests lose their habitat due to deforestation, they are forced to migrate and adapt to the "white world" civilization. This can lead to the lost of cultural values that were practiced in their tribes and own civilizations, as well as lost of entire tribes that no longer have a place to live. The migration of indigenous population that lives in the affected areas can also cause consequences that go from marginalization and cultural loss (Fearnside, 2005).

The video shows an indigenous talking about how him and his people from his tribe are seeing the consequences of deforestation, such as the chances in the rain and the "poison" of smoke in the forest that are making the people in his tribe sick. He also mentions how they always "say to the white people" that deforestation is wrong, and it should stop. It is an important video, as the indigenous tribes are the ones suffering the most direct consequences to deforestation. "Forest is life, it is not money" is what he said. 

Image available at http://adoptnativetree.com

The photograph shows an indigenous in a deforested area. Where should his tribe go now? What will he eat and hunt? 

Loss of Productivity

Erosion and weak soils, which leads to a decrease in food production and can lead to issues with food security. Besides, the use of soil to agriculture or animal creation can cause the loss in the components that filtrate water, what can cause floods (Fearnside, 2005). The lower the soil productivity, more land would be necessary to fill the demand for food. This issue tends to get worse as population levels rise. This issue is very connected to food security, and the vulnerability in food can be a direct threat to human security, as people can lose their ability to provide and help in the process of providing their own survival needs. 

Image available at http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2012/02/soil-erosion-increasing-global-warming.html

Global Warming

Deforestation can also contribute to global warming, due to lowered capacity of capturing carbon dioxide levels by the destruction of trees and the emission of carbon dioxide in the process of destruction. Rise in average temperatures and desertification as consequences of global warming and climate change (684). The deforestation helps in the process of global warming by increasing the amount of CO2 released in the process of burning the forests and deforesting. It also worsens the global warming process, as trees are responsible for natural capture of CO2, and when these trees go from the forest to our furniture, they lose this ability of keeping the CO2. Global warming has many consequences that can threat human security as well, and since deforestation is one of the drivers of global warming, it can be indirectly responsible as well for those threats. 

This video explains what is global warming, gas concentration and the historical process. 

Changes in Hydrological Regime

This process of soil erosion and agriculture can lead to lower levels of rain and a break in the water cycle, which can cause water scarcity issues in the future. (Moraes et al, 2013). Also, the watershed functions are lost when forest is used for agriculture or pasture for animals. The precipitation runs very quickly through deforested areas, which by consequence creates flash floods that are followed by periods of reduced or no flow. The regular flood patterns can influence this effect, and should be known prior to agriculture near rivers, for example (683). This brings threats to human security in some aspects, such as food security, since agriculture depends on rain cycles to grow foods. Besides, it can lead to water scarcity, which is also a direct threat to human security. The video below explains the water cycle, and how trees are responsible to suck the water from the soil to the underground completing the water cycle. Deforestation can also leads to floods, which can also bring several consequences and threats to human security. 

Forest damage

Logging activity increases fire chances, and the fires, in consequence, will increase the risk of complete degradation of the forests (682). The logging process also leads to spill damage, as many smaller trees are killed. This means that not only deforestation itself is hurting the forests, but the collateral damages of deforestation can be even greater than we realize, by forest degradation and spill damage.  

Image available at: http://graduationprojectsaveanimials.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/628/

Conflict

Resource scarcity can be one of the consequences of deforestation, as we seen how the soil can be affected and decrease food production, and the water cycle can break and possibly lead to water scarcity. There are several studies showing the connection between resource scarcity and conflict, which is also a direct threat to human security. 

Image available at http://asiasociety.tumblr.com/post/17573586070/photos-the-resource-conflict-in-indias-coal-mining-state

According to Fearnside (2005), the impacts are going to get exponentially more serious as the current impacts suffered start to get more severe (682). The impacts and threats on human security tend to increase as this consequences increase. 

            Moraes, E. C., Sergio H. Franchito, and V. Brahmananda Rao. "Amazonian Deforestation: Impact Of Global Warming On The Energy Balance And Climate." Journal Of Applied Meteorology & Climatology 52.3 (2013): 521-530. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.

            FEARNSIDE, PHILIP M. "Deforestation In Brazilian Amazonia: History, Rates, And Consequences." Conservation Biology 19.3 (2005): 680-688. Environment Complete. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.

         World Atlas of Great Apes and their Conservation [review] Environmental Conservation, Vol. 33, No. 02. (2006), pp. 172-172, by Volker Sommer, Andrew Fowler