User:Shaykip/Deforestation and climate change

Image/Map
The map displays a more recent representation of the change in forest area that occurs annually. Rather than Wikipedia having a map from 2015, this one should be embedded into the main seduction so that people can click on it and see the forest change in 2020.

Afforestation
There are three different types of afforestation that could have varying effects on the amount of carbon dioxide that is taken from the atmosphere. The three kinds of afforestation are natural regeneration, commercial plantations, and agroforestry. Although afforestation can help reduce the carbon emissions given off as a result of climate change, natural regeneration tends to be the most effective out of the three. Natural regeneration typically concerns a wide variety of vegetation, making natural forest levels so plants can receive sunlight to undergo photosynthesis. Commercial plantations typically result in mass amounts of lumber, which if used for fuel, will release the stored CO2 back into the atmosphere. Agroforestry stores energy based on the size and type of plant, meaning that the effect will vary depending on what is planted.

Agroforestry
Efforts are being made in Thailand to restore the land after 800,000 hectares of forest have been destroyed in exchange for cash crop land to grow maize. Agrofestry has become part of the solution to fix the damage caused by deforestation. Agroforestry would affect the agriculture and atmosphere in Thailand in numerous ways. By planting a combination of different tree species, these trees are able to change the microclimatic conditions. Nutrient cycling also occurs when trees are incorporated in the agricultural system. It is also probable that the soil erosion that occured as a result of deforestation can be mediated when these trees are planted.

Affect on Species and Habitat Loss
A study published in 2012 observed Amazonian plants and the effect that climate change and deforestation had on the vegetation and organisms found in the forest. The study found that if these living organisms were unable to adapt to the rising temperatures and loss of habitat, there would be a significant decrease in the biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest. If the Amazon experiences a loss of biodiversity, this will worsen the effects of climate change and deforestation as many of the plants will be gone, unable to take in carbon dioxide which is necessary to reduce the effects of global warming.

General Information
According to the World Resources Institute, there was a 12% increase in the loss of primary tropical forests from 2019 to 2020.

Forest Fires
As deforestation rates continue to rise, the likelihood of forest fires also increase. People tend to use wood from deforestation as a source of kindling for fires that assist in preparing meals and also serve as a source of heat. As the smoke is released from this burning wood, it can mix with clouds in the atmosphere, preventing rain and causing dry spells. When this dryness continues for long periods of time, forest fires are more likely to occur. Statistics have shown that there is a direct correlation between forest fires and deforestation. Statistics regarding the Brazilian Amazon area during the early 2000s have shown that fires and the air pollution that accompanies these fires mirror the patterns of deforestation. As a result of this, Brazil has implemented policies in an effort to prevent the constant burning of the Amazon rainforest.

The Amazon rainforest experienced fires that occurred inside the forest rather than just on the outsides of the forest. Wetlands have faced an increase in forest fires as well. Due to the change in temperature, the climate around forests have become warm and dry, conditions that allow forest fires to occur. As a result of these forest fires, stored carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere, worsening the effects of global warming and deforestation.

Mortality
A study conducted from 2002 to 2018 determined that the increase in temperature as a result of climate change, and the lack of shade due to deforestation, has increased the mortality rate of workers in Indonesia. These findings imply that developing countries will face harsh effects of global warming as they might not have access to fresh water or electricity that would power air conditioning. As deforestation rates continue to increase, the percentage of workers that face mortality will increase simultaneously.

References

“Annual Change in Forest Area, 2020.” Our World in Data, 2020, https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/forest-area-net-change-rate. Accessed 22 Mar. 2022.

Dunne, Daisy. “Mapped: Where 'Afforestation' Is Taking Place around the World.” Resilience, 31 Aug. 2021, https://www.resilience.org/stories/2021-08-31/mapped-where-afforestation-is-taking-place-around-the-world/#:~:text=August%2031%2C%202021%20A%20key%20finding%20of%20the,new%20forests%20are%20planted%20across%20land%20without%20trees.

“Halting Deforestation, an Agroforestry Approach.” WWF, 2 Oct. 2020, https://www.wwf-scp.org/halting-deforestation-agroforestry/.

Feeley, Kenneth J., et al. “The Relative Importance of Deforestation, Precipitation Change, and Temperature Sensitivity in Determining the Future Distributions and Diversity of Amazonian Plant Species.” Global Change Biology, vol. 18, no. 8, Aug. 2012, pp. 2636–47. EBSCOhost, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02719.x.

Seymour, Frances. “2021 Must Be a Turning Point for Forests. 2020 Data Shows Us Why.” World Resources Institute, 31 Mar. 2021, https://www.wri.org/insights/2021-must-be-turning-point-forests-2020-data-shows-us-why.

Thompson, Elizabeth. “Amazon Deforestation and Fires Are a Hazard to Public Health.” Eos, 21 Mar. 2022, https://eos.org/research-spotlights/amazon-deforestation-and-fires-are-a-hazard-to-public-health.

Wolff, Nicholas H., et al. “The Effect of Deforestation and Climate Change on All-Cause Mortality and Unsafe Work Conditions Due to Heat Exposure in Berau, Indonesia: A Modelling Study.” The Lancet. Planetary Health, vol. 5, no. 12, Dec. 2021, pp. e882–92. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00279-5.