How Deforestation Brings Devastation

                               

The forested area of Pakistan covers 1,902,000 hectare. Forestry sector of Pakistan is the main source of supporting lumber, paper, fuel wood, latex, medicine. The drastic change in forest has been observed in between 1990 to 2000. The dramatic lose seen is 41,000 hectare of forest per year. Recently, annual forestation rate is 1.63% observed in 2000 to 2005.

Forests helps in generating future timber, protects soil, provide favorable habitat for wildlife. The most prominent helping hand from forests are that it protects soil erosion, avalanches, prevent floods and drought, and remove greenhouse effect. These all factors will be effected if deforestation occurs. All four kinds of forests that is Tropical, Temperate, Boreal, Plantation forests have their own specific environmental effects, where deforestation would damage this pattern of forests.

Deforestation impacts causes loss of habitat of millions of species. Eighty percent of earth’s land animals and plant life is effected by deforestation. The dominating hottest coverage by deforestation that is effecting life drastically these days is “climate change”. The mechanism of greenhouse effect and ozone depletion has taken birth due to high incline graph of deforestation, it in turn grows an evil by giving increase in weather temperature.

Most critically affected ecosystem of Pakistan due to forestation are as: Juniper forest of Baluchistan is heavily harvested for timber and fuel wood. Secondly, Riparian Zone of Indus River is affected by Riverine forest. Thirdly, Himalayan temperate forest are greatly under pressure of logging for timber and firewood.

In a nut shell, deforestation is at the alarming stage of causing environmental stress in all aspects. That is in turn affecting human, plant and wild life. Prediction related to reduction in Oxygen has already shown red flag and the day is not too far to experience when every human has to carry the oxygen bags. All possible measurements should be imposed to reduce the devastation that can be in the form of planting trees and restoring forests high depth of carbon trap or covering greenhouse gases in atmosphere. Legislation or reinforcement should be carried out by government to cut down the concept of deforestation and charge serious penalties for such people. Saving forest would lead saving lives!

Written by: Ghazan Khan