Anthropogenic deforestation is a major problem facing tropical rainforests in nations whose gross domestic product is less than $4,600.

It is unclear exactly how rapidly deforestation is occurring, or how rapidly the rate of deforestation is rising. According to the World Book Encyclopedia, forested area today is about half of what it was in 1947. Some scientists predict that all tropical rainforests will be gone by 2090. Up to 90 percent of Africa's forests and 88 percent of South Asia's forests have disappeared since 1900, and Central America loses about 1.3% of its rainforests each year. Conversely, some activists denounce such figures and predictions as myths and fear mongering. Alan Grainger, a professor at Leeds University, calls into question the method of citing statistics gathered from the governments of many different countries used to ascertain deforestation rates. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has reported that the rate of deforestation is decreasing. Satellite observation, however, confirms that deforestation is occurring a lot faster than forests can regenerate. Also, the definition of a used in the United Nations report considers heavily damaged forests and savannah-like areas to be “forested”.

While there is debate in the scientific community concerning the exact rate and total amount of deforestation that has taken place since a given time, there is a virtual consensus that deforestation is a significant regional and global problem. Rainforests act as carbon dioxide sinks: they store carbon dioxide in trees and other plants that would otherwise act as a greenhouse gas. They also house many species that do not exist anywhere else, provide medicines and other resources for people, and they prevent soil erosion. Major droughts are occurring in countries where rapid deforestation is occurring. This is because trees extract groundwater through their roots and evaporate it into the atmosphere, while at the same time ensuring that aquifers are recharged by keeping soil in place.

Deforestation occurs for many reasons. Many of the products used in developed countries involve deforestation in their production. Many woods used in furniture and some building construction are sourced from either rainforest lumber itself, or grown on tree farms occupying once forested areas. Forests are also cleared to plant fruits and vegetables sold in the United States and other nations. Much of the meat Americans eat comes from cattle that grazed on farmland produced by slashing and burning parts of the Amazon rainforest. Of course, forests are also cleared to make room for urbanization.

Solving the problem of deforestation involves solutions as obvious as they are unlikely. Rainforests and other forests are cleared to enable the comfortable lives of people living in developed nations. If people were to decide to consume less of the goods whose productions involve the destruction of forests, deforestation rates would decrease. An even more radical idea would be a voluntary decrease of birth rates, which would result in fewer consumers of these goods and living space.

Also, the directory below lists organizations that are funding the purchase of forested land for the purpose of preservation. You can help prevent deforestation by contributing to these organizations.

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