11.1 Introduction
Deforestation converts forest land to alternative, permanent, non-forested land to be
used in agriculture, grazing or urban development (Van Kooten and Bulte 2000).
Aliyu et al. (2014) stated that deforestation can be defined as the clearing of any area
of its natural vegetation cover, which normally leads to a decrease in plant population, resulting in a loss of plant biodiversity. According to Indarto and Mutaqin
(2016), deforestation is a major issue discussed in global climate investigations.
Deforestation can lead to two important environmental challenges, namely, loss of
biodiversity and rising greenhouse gas emissions due to the removal of trees as
efficient natural CO 2 sinks. Forests are natural climate protectors by providing
timber as a renewable resource and by binding CO 2 , thus acting as natural carbon
dioxide sinks (Bundeswaldinventur 2015). Having nearly 350 million years of
experience with sequestering carbon, trees convert CO 2 and H 2 O into cellulose,
sugar and other carbon-containing carbohydrates via photosynthesis. In sum, forests
are storing carbon at a greater rate than releasing it (Department of Environmental
Conservation 2018). Metaphorically speaking, forests are the “lungs of the
planet. . .allowing the planet to ‘breathe’” (Bouchard 2018) by an exchange between
CO 2 and O 2 occurring in the leaves of the trees (Bouchard 2018). Meanwhile,
Mather and Needle (1998) summarized deforestation thus:
The study of the casuality of trends in forest cover. . .does not readily yield the simplicity and
elegance of explanation that would reward the ideal scientific endeavor. In the real world of
human-driven change in land and land cover . . . numerous problems and difficulties . . .
confound such an endeavor. The field cannot be successfully tilled as a disciplinary preserve,
and neither reductionism nor holism alone seems to offer the approach necessary for success.
[117–124]
According to Becek and Odihi (2008), human activities are globally recognized
as the principal cause of deforestation. Deforestation is defined by FAO (2001) as the
direct, human-induced conversion of forested land to non-forested land; presumably
carried out for the permanent conversion (loss) of the forested area. Non-forested
land that has been converted has subsequently been used for agriculture, logging,
fuel, burning, grazing and improper forest management (Allen and Barnes 1985).
Moreover, companies make use of the resources from the forest to produce tradable
consumption goods, such as timber for planks and pulp (paper), goods that later are
traded domestically and internationally through export. Commodities traded include
palm oil (used principally for foods and cosmetics), pulp and timber. The raw
materials are mainly supplied by developing countries, as export commodities are
the main backbone of their economy (CFC 2005). Thus, deforestation has been one
method for boosting income from exporting commodity goods in developing countries, which triggered the rate of deforestation to be higher compared to most
developed countries. In a study conducted by Wicke et al. (2011), in Malaysia
alone, there has been a 20% reduction in forest land, while Indonesia has seen a
30% reduction in a 30-year span. The fact that these countries are principal suppliers
for 85% of world palm oil demand implies that palm oil plantation are among the
major triggers of deforestation (Wicke et al. 2011).
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A. Omran and O. Schwarz-Herion
Deforestation converts forest land to alternative, permanent, non-forested land to be
used in agriculture, grazing or urban development (Van Kooten and Bulte 2000).
Aliyu et al. (2014) stated that deforestation can be defined as the clearing of any area
of its natural vegetation cover, which normally leads to a decrease in plant population, resulting in a loss of plant biodiversity. According to Indarto and Mutaqin
(2016), deforestation is a major issue discussed in global climate investigations.
Deforestation can lead to two important environmental challenges, namely, loss of
biodiversity and rising greenhouse gas emissions due to the removal of trees as
efficient natural CO 2 sinks. Forests are natural climate protectors by providing
timber as a renewable resource and by binding CO 2 , thus acting as natural carbon
dioxide sinks (Bundeswaldinventur 2015). Having nearly 350 million years of
experience with sequestering carbon, trees convert CO 2 and H 2 O into cellulose,
sugar and other carbon-containing carbohydrates via photosynthesis. In sum, forests
are storing carbon at a greater rate than releasing it (Department of Environmental
Conservation 2018). Metaphorically speaking, forests are the “lungs of the
planet. . .allowing the planet to ‘breathe’” (Bouchard 2018) by an exchange between
CO 2 and O 2 occurring in the leaves of the trees (Bouchard 2018). Meanwhile,
Mather and Needle (1998) summarized deforestation thus:
The study of the casuality of trends in forest cover. . .does not readily yield the simplicity and
elegance of explanation that would reward the ideal scientific endeavor. In the real world of
human-driven change in land and land cover . . . numerous problems and difficulties . . .
confound such an endeavor. The field cannot be successfully tilled as a disciplinary preserve,
and neither reductionism nor holism alone seems to offer the approach necessary for success.
[117–124]
According to Becek and Odihi (2008), human activities are globally recognized
as the principal cause of deforestation. Deforestation is defined by FAO (2001) as the
direct, human-induced conversion of forested land to non-forested land; presumably
carried out for the permanent conversion (loss) of the forested area. Non-forested
land that has been converted has subsequently been used for agriculture, logging,
fuel, burning, grazing and improper forest management (Allen and Barnes 1985).
Moreover, companies make use of the resources from the forest to produce tradable
consumption goods, such as timber for planks and pulp (paper), goods that later are
traded domestically and internationally through export. Commodities traded include
palm oil (used principally for foods and cosmetics), pulp and timber. The raw
materials are mainly supplied by developing countries, as export commodities are
the main backbone of their economy (CFC 2005). Thus, deforestation has been one
method for boosting income from exporting commodity goods in developing countries, which triggered the rate of deforestation to be higher compared to most
developed countries. In a study conducted by Wicke et al. (2011), in Malaysia
alone, there has been a 20% reduction in forest land, while Indonesia has seen a
30% reduction in a 30-year span. The fact that these countries are principal suppliers
for 85% of world palm oil demand implies that palm oil plantation are among the
major triggers of deforestation (Wicke et al. 2011).
176
A. Omran and O. Schwarz-Herion