Deforestation leads to. Deforestation is killing life: public service announcements for the protection of animals and nature. Current situation in the world

The economy of Russia is based on raw materials. One of the main resources that our country supplies abroad is timber. In addition to export, wood is actively used domestically as a building material, fuel, raw material for furniture factories. Mass deforestation in Russia has been going on for several centuries. The growth of new trees does not compensate for the decrease in forest area. All this leads to both environmental and economic problems. We will pay special attention to this when buying boards from larch (larch-plank.rf), or from any other tree, remember - the forest, like all living things, must be protected, and the companies that cut down the forest and sell lumber must be controlled!

How is deforestation

A chainsaw is used to cut down a tree. After the trunk falls to the ground, only the stump remains. Small branches are usually burned. The trunk of the tree is transported by dragging. Small vegetation is destroyed on the path of the tractor. Young trees, which in the future could grow at the cutting site, break down and die off. The areas where felling took place can no longer recover on their own. Human involvement is required in order for a tree to grow here again.

Impact of deforestation on the atmosphere

Trees are able to absorb carbon dioxide, the production of which is growing rapidly due to the development of industry in large cities and the increase in the number of vehicles. According to scientists' forecasts, the content of CO2 in the atmosphere in the next 10 years will exceed the current one by almost 2 times. This is a very serious figure.

The emitted CO2 tends to create a greenhouse effect that can melt glaciers in the future. Coastal regions will be flooded in the next 50 years if the carbon dioxide situation does not change. In addition, the average air temperature rises. In the next decade, it will grow by about 2 degrees. This will seriously affect the health of the country's inhabitants, especially those suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

With growth average temperature air, the range of its fluctuations increases during the day. This leads to daytime heat and frost at night, which also then leads to the death of plants and a deterioration in the well-being of people.

Impact of deforestation on soil conditions

Deforestation has a serious impact on the development of such a process as soil erosion. In places where trees used to grow, the soil was strengthened by their root system. There was a constant exchange of substances between trees and soil. The soil in treeless areas does not receive nutrients, which means it loses its fertile properties.

The development of erosion leads to the following consequences:

• Decrease in yields, which leads to higher food prices and negatively affects the country's economy;
• Silting up of rivers, and hence the extinction of fish;
• Silting up of artificial water reservoirs, which disrupts the operation of hydroelectric power plants.

An increase in the number of infectious and viral diseases

The main carriers of infections are insects, whose habitat is the layer of the forest. After deforestation, trees no longer hold back precipitation, insects begin to descend to the ground in search of moisture in standing puddles.

Desertification spread

Desertification is the process of "withering away" of nature, the absence of the possibility of the existence of living organisms and plants. Dead soil, lack of irrigation, dry air that cannot be breathed - all this global problems which are among the most talked about in the world today.

Residents of many forest regions will be forced to change their place of residence after deforestation, but such places will become less and less. The current state of affairs can lead to a decrease in the population density of the country and even a gradual extinction.

Fighting deforestation

The Russian government, together with environmentalists, is pursuing a policy aimed at reducing the rate of deforestation and limiting the timber trade. The following projects are being developed:

• Refusal from paper in favor of electronic media. Waste paper is collected for the production of paper;
• Development of forestry, the purpose of which is the cultivation and maintenance of trees;
• Increasing the size of fines for deforestation in prohibited areas;
• An increase in the export duty on timber, which will make such a business unattractive.

Deforestation may be invisible to a city dweller, but its consequences are not. Should be protected natural resources... Otherwise, nature will stop caring about people in response.

One of the main topics of our time is the problems of disrupting the natural functioning of the ecological system of our planet and, as a consequence, an ecological disaster that we cannot stop. There are many problems that put humanity on this slippery slope. And one of the main ones is deforestation. In Russia, this phenomenon has acquired alarming proportions in recent decades. After all, the territory has enormous resources. And if before we were worried about losses rainforest then today mass felling forests in Russia brought our country to a leading position in the world.

Why do we need forests

From school, we all remembered that only green plants, thanks to the unique process of photosynthesis, replenish our atmosphere with oxygen. Not many people remember that as a result of this process, plants take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere - a product of our respiration and fuel combustion. It is the presence of an excess of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that we owe to the greenhouse effect and climatic changes on the planet. According to some estimates, it is the deforestation in Russia and throughout the world that we owe to the formation of about 20% of all greenhouse gases in the planet's atmosphere.

Forests are part of our planet's drainage system. As in the human body, disturbances in the work of blood circulation lead to stagnation and various kinds of tissue damage, so in the ecosystem of the planet, forests filter groundwater and provide the hydrological regime of rivers, lakes, seas and oceans. Forests prevent drainage, sand advance, erosion and soil leaching, floods and landslides. Global floods, which used to occur on the planet on average once every 50 years, today in some areas "delight" people every 4 years.

And that is not all

And far from the last argument of the vital necessity of forests is the preservation of biodiversity on our planet. In ecology, the stability of an ecosystem is determined by the number of species of living organisms that live in it. According to some reports, our planet has already entered the era of the fifth global extinction. The red books of the regions are constantly replenished with species that are threatened with extinction from the face of the Earth. The well-known "butterfly effect", when the disappearance of one species of moths over 100 years led to changes in the relief of the Amazon floodplain, is not a fairy tale or a theme for a blockbuster. This is our harsh reality.

The forest is considered a renewable natural resource. This may indicate that, no matter how much we take it, nature will restore its amount. But modern cutting rates do not provide an opportunity forest ecosystems self-healing. And humanity is losing forests, leading the planet into a phase of ecological crisis.

Ecological problem

Deforestation in Russia and in the world leads to such negative consequences for the ecology of the entire planet:

• Disappearance and reduction in the number of representatives of flora and fauna.
• Depletion of species biodiversity.
• The increase in the share of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
• Lithospheric changes - soil erosion, desertification, waterlogging.

This is not a complete, but significant, list of problems that are directly related to the deforestation of our planet.

A global problem

Deforestation in Russia is only part of the planetary process, as a result of which the planet loses up to 200 thousand hectares of forest annually.

The latest data from the World Resources Institute and the Maryland Institute, together with Google, based on the analysis of satellite images, showed that Russia occupies a leading position in deforestation. We are followed by Canada, with which we are responsible for 34% of all forest loss on the planet.

Statistics show the loss of 20 hectares of forest on the planet in 1 minute. At the same time, 13 million hectares of the world's forest annually disappear irrevocably. Estimate the scale.

Why do we cut wood

Of course, the reason is obvious - it is the provision of our life and technical progress.

Wood is a valuable resource in many sectors of the economy, an essential component of progress.

But, the main reason is generally our existence on the planet. Our biological species, which, due to certain evolutionary advantages, turned out to be successful on this planet, as evidenced by the growth in the number of individuals and the general expansion of territories. There is not a single biological species whose habitat is absolutely the entire territory of the planet. Our number has already exceeded 7 billion and continues to grow.

With the advent of Agriculture we have destroyed half of the world's forests. One has only to look at the distribution maps natural areas on our continent and this is becoming evident. Zone coniferous forests there is also in Europe, but where have you seen a forest similar to Siberian? And we continue to expand the area of ​​agricultural land.

In nature, everything is interconnected. Climate changes, which were caused by the deforestation of the planet, among other things, have led to more frequent natural fires. Even without our help, they reduce the area of ​​forests and replenish the atmosphere with carbon dioxide.

And yet we need to cut the forest, it’s another matter how.

The forest is different

Forest in Russia and in the world is cut for the sake of mining, timber, clearing agricultural land. All forests on the planet are divided into three categories:

You can chop in different ways

In this regard, there are several types of felling:

• Final felling (selective, continuous, gradual). Their goal is timber harvesting.
• Cuttings for plant care. This is the thinning of the forest with the destruction of poor quality plants. As a result, wood of technological production is also obtained.
• Integrated reforestation felling. The goal is the reconstruction of forest areas for restoration useful properties the woods.
• Sanitary - these are fellings for creating landscapes and fire strips.

It is clear from what has been said that the problems of deforestation in Russia are associated with final felling, especially clear felling. Here the concepts of "undercut" and "overcut" appear, which are equally bad for a forest. But that's all, if the felling is legal.

Forest certificate - solution to the problem

Since the mid-1990s, the world community has adopted the concept of sustainable development. Part of which was the concept of sustainable forest management. In accordance with it, deforestation must meet certain requirements, which must ensure a reasonable and controlled consumption of this resource - the forest. The introduction of special technologies will create a balance between the need for wood and the ecological functions of the forest. It will also take into account the interests of future generations of people.

Today, legal logging companies receive FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certificates, which are given quotas for deforestation. Our country is the second in the world, after Canada, in terms of the number of certified forests (38 million hectares). Certificates were issued to 189 forest management entities, and there are about 565 thousand forest management entities in our country. And they are the ones who receive state quotas for the volume of deforestation in Russia and are obliged to mark rare woods when exported (for now).

This is how legal logging looks like this. But this is the tip of the iceberg, and the main turnover of the forest is there, under water.

For your information. In the Irkutsk region, which, according to some estimates, accounts for 50% of all illegal logging in Russia, a pilot project Lesregister was launched in the summer of 2017, which provides for the marking of all harvested timber in order to track its turnover.

"Black" lumberjacks

The statistics of illegal deforestation in Russia is striking in its scale. According to The World Fund wildlife (World Wildlife Fund), about 1 billion dollars is lost by the country due to illegal deforestation. In 2017, only in the Arkhangelsk region, 359 illegal logging was recorded, the losses from which amounted to $ 12 million. Facts about deforestation in Russia are recorded in the northwestern part of the country and Far East... This causes concern for ecologists and ordinary residents.

Deforestation statistics in Russia from the Environmental Investigation Agency show that 80% of valuable species (linden, oak, cedar, ash) in the Far East are cut down illegally.

The public is concerned

A wave of indignation swept through the media about the illegal deforestation in Russia by the Chinese. Over the past 20 years, when restrictions on timber harvesting were introduced in China, many loggers from the Middle Kingdom have appeared in the border regions (Lake Baikal and the Far East). International non-governmental organization"Agency for Environmental Investigations", 50-80% of the timber exported from Russia to China was obtained bypassing official quotas by illegal logging on leased land.

The public and environmentalists, foresters and officials are making certain attempts to stop the uncontrolled destruction of forests.

But legal logging sometimes leads to completely opposite results. For example, in Ust-Ilimsk, a criminal case was initiated against the head of the forestry, who under the guise of sanitary felling killed healthy trees on a total area of ​​83 hectares. Damage - 170 million rubles.

Combating deforestation at scale

The solution to the problem of deforestation in Russia should be carried out at all levels: international, state, regional and personal.

The main measures should be:

• Formation of a balanced legal framework for the management of forest resources at the federal and international levels.
• Implementation of a strict system of accounting and control over felling. Improvement of wood marking systems.
• Increased penalties for illegal logging and the use of uncertified timber.
• Measures to increase the area of ​​forested areas and the creation of zones with a special conservation status.
• Improvement of fire-fighting activities.
• Increasing the secondary processing of wood and reducing the use of this resource in the industrial sector.
• Expansion social programs and awareness of the population about the careful attitude to this natural resource. Environmental education and education for all segments of the population, starting with preschoolers.

Certain steps have already been taken at many levels. Recent appeals from the public of the Irkutsk region to the President Russian Federation Vladimir Putin was led to a revision of quotas for deforestation, which include valuable tree species (in particular, cedars). Labeling of timber and its circulation within the country is finding more and more supporters.

And then what?

It is high time for us to think about the state of the ecosystem of our beautiful home. Otherwise, we risk being left without him. And everyone needs to start - from himself. Respect for nature, separate waste collection, economical use natural resources, planting trees, buying products from recycled materials (it is labeled "recycled") - this is a very small list of what everyone can do to preserve the unique forests of Russia.

Do not forget about the spiritual component of the forest. Over the millennia, he has shaped the culture and customs of many ethnic groups. We cannot exist without nature. But on the other hand, civilization is impossible without forest resources.

Ecologists say that for the full restoration of our country's forest, which makes up 20% of the world's forest area, we need 100 years. And this despite the fact that felling will stop. Of course, these are utopian dreams. But there is still something we can do to ensure that our children and grandchildren recognize the smell of coniferous forest not from air fresheners in hygiene rooms.

It is difficult to overestimate. It's not for nothing that the trees. They as a whole make up a single ecosystem that affects life. different types, on soil, atmosphere, water regime. Many people do not even know what kind of disaster deforestation will lead to if it is not stopped.

Deforestation problem

IN this moment the problem of cutting down trees is relevant for all continents of the earth, but this problem is most acute in countries Western Europe, South America, Asia. Intensive deforestation leads to the problem of deforestation. The territory freed from trees turns into a poor landscape, becomes uninhabitable.

To understand how close the disaster is, you should pay attention to a number of facts:

• more than half have already been destroyed, and it will take a hundred years to restore them;
• now only 30% of the land is occupied by forests;
• regular felling of trees leads to an increase in carbon monoxide in the atmosphere by 6-12%;
• every minute the territory of the forest, which is equal in size to several football fields, disappears.

Reasons for deforestation

Common reasons for cutting down trees include:

• wood is of high value as a building material and raw material for paper, cardboard, and the manufacture of household items;
• often they destroy forests to expand new agricultural land;
• for laying communication lines and roads

In addition, a large number of trees suffer as a result, which constantly occurs due to improper handling of fire. They also happen during the dry season.

Illegal deforestation

Quite often, tree felling is illegal. Many countries around the world lack the institutions and people who can control the deforestation process. In turn, entrepreneurs in this area sometimes commit violations, annually increasing the volume of deforestation. It is also believed that timber supplied by poachers who do not have permission to operate is also entering the market. There is an opinion that the introduction of a high duty on timber would significantly reduce the sale of timber abroad, and accordingly would also reduce the number of felled trees.

Deforestation in Russia

Russia is one of the leading timber producers. Together with Canada, these two countries contribute about 34% of the total exported material in the world market. The most active areas where trees are felled are in Siberia and the Far East. As for illegal logging, everything is solved by paying fines. However, this does not contribute to the restoration of the forest ecosystem in any way.

The main result of tree felling is deforestation, which has many consequences:

• climate change;
• environmental pollution;
• ecosystem change;
• destruction of a large number of plants;
• animals are forced to leave their habitats;
• deterioration of the atmosphere;
• deterioration in nature;
• destruction of the soil, which will lead to;
• the emergence of environmental refugees.

Deforestation permit

Companies that are engaged in tree felling must obtain a special permit for this activity. To do this, you need to submit an application, a plan of the area where felling is carried out, a description of the types of trees that will be felled, as well as a number of papers for coordination with various services. In general, it is difficult to obtain such a permit. However, this does not completely exclude the illegality of deforestation. It is recommended that you tighten this procedure while you can still save the planet's forests.

Sample permit for deforestation

What will happen to the planet if all the trees are cut down?

In many regions of Russia, illegal and uncontrolled felling of trees is carried out systematically. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) estimates annually Russia loses about $ 1 billion due to illegal logging... Only in the Arkhangelsk region last year, inspectors recorded 359 cases of illegal logging, losses from which amounted to 410.5 million rubles ($ 12 million). You can find enough detailed information about the changes in forestry that have taken place in recent years.

The highest level of illegal logging is observed in the north-west of Russia and in the Far East. The increase in restrictions on timber harvesting in China has increased the demand for Russian timber. So the Far East forest is sent to China, where sawmills and their western clients are destroying valuable hardwoods, which we have less and less. The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) states that "80% of valuable timber is cut down illegally in the Far East."

Half of all timber imported from Russia to the EU goes to Finland. Sweden, Germany, Great Britain and Italy are also major importers of wood from Russia.

Systematic deforestation inflicts significant damage wildlife, destroys the ecosystem, displaces animals from the original habitats. Intensive logging, according to WWF, threatens the existence of such animals as wood grouse, white-backed woodpecker, Amur tiger and the Far Eastern leopard. Ash, linden, oak and cedar are disappearing. Deforestation is also one of the main reasons for the increase in the greenhouse effect.

Despite the scale of the problem, lack of human resources, low wages of foresters, lack of control directly in forests and gaps in legislation make it difficult to prevent such criminal activities. Companies, under the guise of cutting diseased trees, harvest healthy valuable timber. Some lessees of plots transfer the right to felling to other companies, which harvest more than the permitted volumes, and the lessees then buy the timber from them along with the surplus. Poachers need to be caught by the hand so that law enforcement agencies can bring them to justice. When the trees are taken away from the place where they were felled, it is no longer possible to present something to the poachers. Sale of timber has become the main source of income for unscrupulous foresters and officials. In addition, many people go to deforestation because of poverty and unemployment in order to feed their families.

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Growth rate of trees. Growth table and recent research Is there global warming and is it caused by human activities? Soil erosion. Invisible and destructive

The problem of deforestation did not appear yesterday or even a hundred years ago. Since the era of colonization, people have been destroying trees without looking. They liberate the territory for new settlements and economic needs. At the same time, many do not even think that the uncontrolled destruction of green spaces leads to the depletion of important ecosystems and the loss of biological diversity.

Russia ranks first in the world in terms of the volume of forest resources cut down.

The importance of forests for the environment

• Oxygen production and purification. Everyone from childhood knows that the forest is the lungs of the planet, but not everyone understands how much this statement corresponds to reality. One adult tree produces oxygen, which is enough for three people.
• Reduced dust levels. Taking into account the number of polluting factors that a person has surrounded himself with, the significance of this function for the environment is great. One hectare of forest can stop up to 100 tons of dust.
• Regulation and cleaning of the water balance of the planet. In the spring, during a period of abundance of melt water, forest floor accumulates water. Subsequently, this stock helps to maintain full-flowing rivers and lakes.
• Noise isolation. Trees help reduce road noise by 11 decibels.
• Protection of soil from landslides and mudflows. Root system forms a fairly dense weave of roots, compacting the soil.

Forest is an ecosystem with unique flora and fauna. Rampant deforestation is slowly but surely leading to a real environmental disaster for the entire planet.

The main reasons for felling

The man began to cut down the green areas because of the desire to warm up and cook his own food. It's the 21st century, but this reason is still relevant.

Millions of cubic meters of felled trees are used to build houses. This is one of the main reasons for the destruction of plantations.

Agriculture has always played a leading role in human life. For the sake of new fields, pastures, thousands of age-old trees were cut down. This problem acquired new dimensions two hundred years ago, when technology came to the aid of man.

The development of industry has given a new round to the problem of deforestation. For the construction of factories, mines, open-pit mines, hectares of plantations are cut down.

Current situation in the world

Compared to other countries, Russia does not look the most biased way in the issue of cutting down the forest fund.

As a result of a decrease in the share of plantations on the planet, hundreds of thousands of representatives of the animal and flora are on the verge of extinction. The statistics are inexorable, every minute about 20 hectares of forest fund are destroyed. Deforestation has reached global proportions. All progressive humanity regards it as nothing more than an ecological problem, a disaster that must be dealt with.

Deforestation in Siberia (bright fields - cut down hectares of forest)

Russia's attitude to its own forest reserves cannot be called prudent. In our state, a huge number of trees die at the will of man. Valuable species of coniferous trees are being destroyed, because of the cutting down of trees in Siberia, the area began to swamp.As a result of a decrease in the forest fund in the Caucasus, rivers began to overflow more and more, causing damage to fields and settlements. On Sakhalin, the yields of salmon fish have decreased several times, since due to the massive felling of trees in the river basin, their bottom becomes unsuitable for fish spawning.

Now, in order for Russia to recover all the damage from the felling of trees, it takes 100 years, but on condition that during this time not a single tree will be felled.

Why is the forest being cut down in Russia?

The main reason for deforestation is to obtain timber. It is extremely rare that felling is carried out for the sake of obtaining new fields or sites for production facilities.

• Exports - most of the Russian timber goes to other countries that do not want to destroy their own forests.
• Manufacture of paper and other wood-based materials.
• Building material for buildings.
• Application as fuel.
• In the chemical industry, wood is obtained chemical substances, for example oils.
• Making musical instruments, toys, interior items and more.

Forest groups by their value

According to their environmental and functional importance, forest plantations in Russia are divided into three groups, taking into account their social significance.

• Protective - forests that perform water conservation and protective functions. Forest plantations growing on the banks of rivers, on the territory of protected areas, here also include natural monuments. This category of forests in Russia includes 17% of all forest plantations.
• Reserve - about 7% of forests belong to plantations in areas of high population density. It is possible to use such plantations for timber production, but it is limited.
• The exploitation group is the largest, with 75% of the stands (the main source of timber).

Felling classification by purpose

Deforestation is causing tremendous harm. But in some cases, this process bears much more benefit than harm. There are four types of felling. They all have their own goals and objectives. A prerequisite is planting new trees.

• Main use;
• Plant care;
• Sanitary;
• Complex.

Main use

In this case, the felling can be done either in a continuous massif or in a selective or gradual way. In the first case, everything goes under the felling, except for the young. With the selective method, the emphasis is on old overgrown, diseased trees, dead wood. With gradual felling, the process proceeds in several stages. First, diseased overgrown trees are removed, which interfere with the development of young growth. After 6-9 years, the process is repeated. The cut down timber is used in production.

Plant care

The purpose of such a felling of forests is to remove young growth that interferes with the growth of valuable tree species, limiting their access to nutrients.

Integrated felling

In this case, the person is faced with the task of cutting down every tree that comes along the way. This method is used when it is necessary to free the territory from all vegetation. For example, when laying power lines, autobahns, organizing farmland, etc.

Sanitary cutting

This type of felling is aimed at improving the health of forests. In this case, old, sick, fire-damaged trees are removed.

What is and how to get a felling permit

Before proceeding with the felling of a forest, it is necessary to obtain a permit, such a document is called - “ Cutting ticket". To obtain such paper, you will need to provide a number of documents.

• A statement that clearly states the rationale for the reason for felling;
• Plan of the area where the deforestation is planned;
• Taxation description of the site where the work is planned.

It is not easy to get the "Cutting ticket". You will need to coordinate your actions with regulatory organizations. The cost of the ticket is commensurate with the amount of compensation for the natural resource received as a result of the work.

Illegal felling and liability for it

The complexity of teaching official permission and the strictness of the legislation does not protect against poachers. What does illegal logging lead to? For such a violation, liability is provided, both administrative and criminal. The latter is provided for in the event of damage over 5,000 rubles. Otherwise, you can get off administrative fine. Individual will pay the state 3000-5000 rubles. The official will contribute 20-30 thousand rubles from the state treasury.

Potential consequences of deforestation

• The problem of global warming is increasingly hanging over humanity. Scientists argue a lot about the reasons. Undoubtedly, uncontrolled deforestation is one of the main causes of this environmental problem.
• The water cycle in nature is also threatened. Trees in this process are the most active performer.
• As a result of deforestation, considerable damage is done to the land. The likelihood of erosion of soil layers increases, as a result of which fertile layers turn into a desert unsuitable for further use.

What happens if you cut down all the forests on the planet

Uncontrolled destruction of forests on the planet - leads to global environmental issue... If all the trees on the planet disappear, the first thing that a person will feel, the noise level will increase significantly, because trees are a sound filter.

Many will answer that a person will suffocate very soon, but this is a delusion. Trees produce only a third of the planet's oxygen. The bulk of oxygen production comes from marine organisms, algae and phytoplankton. But the likelihood of floods, on the contrary, will increase significantly. The planet's supplies of clean water will also plummet. - the inevitable result.

A harsh climate with unstable moisture levels and a scarce ecosystem is the inevitability of unaccountable deforestation, leading to the fact that life on the planet will become a difficult test.

The main ways to solve the problem

One way is to plant new trees. The existing forest fund also needs to be maintained in a viable state.

• Creation of protected forest areas;
• Carry out measures to reduce fire hazard;
• Apply tougher penalties against illegal logging;
• Informing people about the dangers of total tree felling is one of the most effective measures.

The problem of illegal felling of trees is acute, and if the attitude of mankind to this issue is not changed in the near future, a world-class tragedy is inevitable.

Extensive forest conservation practice

Destruction of green spaces is a problem not only for Russia. This is the trouble of all mankind. Therefore, the solution to the issue of the numerical reduction of the forest fund should be global.

Trying to come to a consensus, the leaders of all countries and public organizations hold joint meetings, summits on deforestation and deforestation. The main task is to convey to the minds of people the scale of the impending problem.