U N I T 5 E n v i ro n m e n t a l Issue s 1

Deforestation

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.

1. How are rainforests different from other kinds of forests?
2. Why are large areas of rainforests typically cut down?
3.  What percentage of the world’s rainforests have already been cut
down?

Vocabulary Preview
Match each word with the correct definition.

1. harvest a. to disappear

2. sustainable b. to interrupt; to interfere with a normal process

3. exceed c. to turn back

4. disrupt d. to collect

5. vanish e. to go over; to go above

6. reverse f. possible to continue or maintain

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Deforestation Track 17

I
t would be difficult to imagine life without the beauty and richness of forests.
If humankind does not act quickly, however, planet Earth and all living
creatures are in danger of losing forests forever. Deforestation has already
resulted in the loss of over 80 percent of the natural forests of the world. Currently,
5 the disappearance of forests worldwide constitutes a global problem affecting the
temperate forests of the Pacific Northwest area of the US and British Columbia, and
more urgently, the tropical forests of Central and South America, Africa, Southeast
Asia, and Australia.
Deforestation occurs for many reasons. In the temperate forests of the US and
10 Canada, wood is harvested mainly for construction and paper products. In tropical
rainforests, one of the most common reasons for deforestation is agriculture.
Because the soil in many tropical regions is often nutrient-poor and since 90 percent
of nutrients in tropical forests are found in the vegetation (and not the soil), many
farmers practice an agricultural method known as “slash and burn.” This method
15 consists of cutting down the trees of an area in the rainforest and burning them to
release their rich nutrients into the soil.
The method is sustainable only if the population density does not exceed four
people per square kilometer of land. When this is the case, each farm has enough
land to let sections of it lie fallow for ten years or more, which is enough time for
20 the land to renew itself. In recent years, however, the
population density has often reached three times the
optimum load. This results in land being used more
intensively with no chance to recover. Under these
conditions, slash-and-burn farming becomes only a
25 temporary solution. Within two or three years, the
soil becomes depleted, and the farmer must repeat the slash-and-burn process
elsewhere, leaving the used land severely depleted.
Deforestation causes changes in the Earth’s atmosphere. For example,

5
constitute --- to make up
13
vegetation --- all of the plants in a certain area
14
slash --- to cut violently
19
lie fallow --- (for land) to be left unused after harvesting
22
optimum --- the best; the most favorable
26
deplete --- to make smaller in amount or number; to use up
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foliage --- the leaves on trees and plants
34
precipitation --- rain
50
extinction --- disappearance
57
devastating --- overwhelming because it is tragic or shocking

deforestation in tropical areas disrupts the cycle

30 of rain and evaporation by removing the moist
canopy of foliage that trees provide.
Undisturbed, this canopy helps create about one
half of the rainfall in a tropical forest. When this
water evaporates, it causes clouds to form and
35 promotes future precipitation. When trees are
cleared away, the canopy is lost, and the cycle is disturbed. With less evaporation, the
Earth’s surface receives more energy from the sun. This can lead to the creation of
deserts, ultimately causing atmospheric temperatures to rise. Moreover, when an area
has been stripped of trees, rainfall and sunlight damage the topsoil, making it difficult
40 for the forest to grow back.
Deforestation is also partially responsible for rising atmospheric levels of
carbondioxide. Forests release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
when trees are cut, especially when they are burned. The current yearly rate of
carbon dioxide that enters the atmosphere from deforestation is about 1.6 billion
45 metric tons. When we consider that the burning of fossil fuels releases approximately
6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, it is clear the burning of trees and
vegetation contributes significantly to carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.
These rising levels are a cause for concern because they will be responsible for 15
percent of the increase in global temperatures between 1990 and 2025.
50 In addition, deforestation causes the extinction of thousands of species of
wildlife annually. It is estimated that worldwide, 5 to 80 million kinds of animals
and plants make up the biodiversity of the Earth, but only about 1.5 million have
been studied and named by scientists. Tropical rainforests, which cover about 7
percent of the Earth’s land, are home to over half of these plant and animal species.
55 If the rainforests disappear, many of these species will become extinct. This means
many species will vanish before we ever discover them.
Is it possible to reverse the devastating effects of deforestation? Many experts
think so, but it will require international laws to protect the remaining forests. It will
also require a campaign to increase awareness of the problem, and a willingness to
60 practice “green” consumerism.

Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 683 words

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R eading Comprehension
A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the
reading.
F Only 80 percent of the world’s forests remain today.
1. ____
T Rainforest soil is actually very poor for farming.
2. ____
T “Slash and burn” farming is an unsustainable method of farming.
3. ____ 
T More carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere by burning fossil
4. ____ 
fuels than by burning trees from the rainforests.

B Choose the best answer according to the reading.

1. Which is NOT a reason mentioned for deforestation?
a. Construction b. Ranching
c. Farming d. Paper production

2. What is a consequence of the removal of rainforest foliage?

a. The rain cycle of the rainforest changes.
b. Atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide rise.
c. Nutrients are released into the atmosphere.
d. Farmers have an easier time cutting down trees.

3. What does the author suggest should be done to slow or stop deforestation?
a. Create laws to protect forests b. Elect pro-environment politicians
c. Promote more consumerism d. Support environmental groups

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the book and write
them on the lines provided.
1. Under what conditions is the “slash-and-burn” method of agriculture
sustainable?
The
 method is sustainable only if the population density does not exceed four
______________________________________________________
people per square kilometer of land.
 ______________________________________________________

2. What are the effects of clearing away the rainforest trees?

It interrupts the rain cycle and evaporation by removing the moist
______________________________________________________

canopy of foliage that trees provide.
______________________________________________________
S ummary
Fill in the blanks with words from the list. Use each word only once.

exceeds reversed harvested sustainable vanished disrupted

The world’s forests are disappearing due to deforestation. While some is

harvested for wood for paper and construction, much is needlessly destroyed.
1 ___________
In fact, 80 percent of the world’s temperate forests and rainforests have
vanished and more are being destroyed every day. The rainforests are being
2 ___________,
cut down to use the land for farming. Usually, farmers use a method called “slash
and burn” to clear land. First they cut down the trees, and then they burn them to
sustainable
release the trees’ nutrients into the soil. This method of farming is 3 ___________
if the population density is very low. If the land is allowed to lie fallow for several
years, the damage can be 4reversed
___________, and the same piece of land can be used
exeeds
later. However, if the population density 5 ___________ four people per square
kilometer, farmers deplete the nutrients in the soil and must cut down more of the
rainforest to grow their crops. Because the foliage that once held the moisture in the
disrupted
rainforest is gone, the cycle of precipitation and evaporation is 6 ___________.
This may lead to desertification of land that was once tropical rainforest.

V ocabulary Extension
Here are six words that are related to the topic but are not in the reading.
Fill in each blank with the best word from the list. Use each word only
once.

desertification terrain ecology

humid conscience policy

ecology
1. The science of ___________ is important to understand global warming.
2. Not enough politicians here think seriously enough about environmental
policy
___________.
desertification
3. Removing foliage from large areas can start that area on a process of ________.
humid
4. Rainforests contain a lot of foliage, which explains why the air is ___________
there.
conscience can help you
5. When you learn where your food comes from, your ___________
decide where and what to eat.
terrain
6. The rough _____________ made the ride into the forest very bumpy and
uncomfortable.

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S upplemental Reading

The High Price of Beef Track 18

R
anching has become the major cause of deforestation in Central and South
America. Since cattle ranching is very inexpensive in Costa Rica--about 50
percent less costly than in the United States, for example--many foreign
companies have purchased large tracts of land there. They keep their cattle in Costa
5 Rica and then export the beef to other countries, mainly to the US. In order to
establish grasslands for grazing, they clear forests away completely. These artificially
manufactured pastures remain productive for six to eight years, after which time they
are abandoned. The forest is lost forever.
In Brazil, where 81 percent of the farmable land is held by just 4.5 percent of
10 the landowners, a large number of poor, rural farmers move into rainforest areas
just to survive. Like farmers in Costa Rica, many of these farmers raise beef that is
sold mainly to fast food hamburger chains. These fast food chains can keep their
prices low because they buy beef cheaply from Latin American cattle ranchers. But
the hidden costs of the beef include the environmental costs: deforestation and
15 rising global temperatures.
Some experts believe that social practices which focus on financial profit at the
expense of environmental balance raise important questions about the values and
belief systems that support them. For example, it has been suggested that belief in
man’s superiority to animals promotes an attitude that may condone the domination
20 of the environment in the service of human comfort and progress.

Discussion
Discuss the following questions.
1. Did any of the statistics in these readings surprise you? If yes, which one(s)?
2. How have your beliefs or values influenced your thinking about nature and
animals?