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When left undisturbed, Borneo’s natural forests are not usually prone to fires. But as forests are opened up by humans, they dry out and are increasingly susceptible to fires, which among other problems cause dangerous atmospheric haze.

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Japan Deforestation Rates & Statistics | GFW. In 2010, the world had 26.3Mha of tree cover, extending over 71% of its land area. In 2019, it lost 51.4kha of tree cover. From 2001 to 2019, {location} lost 714kha of tree cover, equivalent to a 2.7% decrease in tree cover since 2000, and 232Mt of CO₂ emissions.

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The forests of Borneo are among the most biologically diverse habitats on Earth, home to a diverse population of species such as orang-utans, clouded leopards and pygmy elephants. But as in many tropical areas around the world, these treasured rainforests are being cut and degraded for timber, palm oil, pulp, rubber and minerals, endangering the existence of valuable species. The high demand of timber also contributes in the clearing of forest.

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These effects include biodiversity loss, greenhouse gas emissions, disruption of water cycles, increasing soil erosion and disruption of livelihoods. Deforestation rate is more serious in tropical countries where human population growth is high with extreme poverty.

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Deforestation is happening in the congo basin for the hunt of natural resources and that the demand for resources since the famine that happened long ago increased

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Tuvalu is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It is low-lying.
•Increase in temperatures can cause ice caps to melt

•sea level will rise and flooding of low-lying coastal areas

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The government said it would protect the 6,463-acre Magombera Nature Reserve at the foot of the Udzwunga Mountains after researchers showed the forest was at risk of being wiped out from poaching and logging. Described as “globally unique,” Magombera hosts several diverse and threatened tree and animal species, including monkeys and galagos.The area is also considered an important wildlife corridor for African elephants and hippopotamuses. In recent years, the reserve has had to fend off efforts to convert it into a sugar plantation or to settle squatters from adjacent agricultural land. By Ryan :)

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desertification, water resource degradation, biodiversity erosion and habitat loss, and soil loss.
-kerrine
The Great Red Island in Madagascar has lost so much soil to erosion (400 tonnes for every 0.01 km2) that its rivers are blood-red, affecting even the surrounding Indian Ocean

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Satellites studies show that some 56% of protected lowland tropical rainforests in Kalimantan were cut down between 1985 and 2001 to supply global timber demand- that’s more than 29000km square, almost the size of Belgium

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- Brazil’s Amazon is a home to more uncontacted tribes (indigenous people of South America) than anywhere in the world.
- There are thought to be at least 100 isolated groups in the rainforest.
The Guarani community is living in makeshift camps by roadsides in Brazil because parts of the forest were cleared for sugarcane plantations.

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The effets of deforestion in Tanzania include biodiversity loss, greenhouse gas emissions, distruption of water cycle, increasing soil erosion and distruption of livelihoods. Deforestation rate is more serious in tropical countries where human population growth is high with extreme poverty.
~¡skandar.
It will reduce half of water catchment area by 2020 and cost of water will rise by 4 times.

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As threats to biodiversity mount, the international community is increasingly focusing on conserving diversity. Deforestation is a major cause of loss of biodiversity, and habitat conservation is vital for stemming this loss. Conservation efforts have focused on protecting areas of high biodiversity. On a global average, more than one-third of all forest is primary forest, i.e. forest of native species where there are no clearly visible indications of human activities and the ecological processes have not been significantly disturbed. Primary forests, in particular tropical moist forests, include the most species-rich, diverse terrestrial ecosystems. The decrease of forest area, .11 percent over a ten-year period, is largely due to reclassification of primary forest to "other naturally regenerated forest" because of selective logging and other human interventions. Destruction of rainforests remains a significant environmental problem Much of what remains of the world's rainforests is in the Amazon basin, where the Amazon Rainforest covers approximately 4 million square kilometers. The regions with the highest tropical deforestation rate are in Central America and tropical Asia. FAO estimates that the decrease of primary forest area, 0.4 percent over a ten-year period, is largely due to reclassification of primary forest to "other naturally regenerated forest" because of selective logging and other human interventions. Large-scale planting of trees is significantly reducing the net loss of forest area globally, and afforestation and natural expansion of forests in some countries and regions have reduced the net loss of forest area significantly at the global level. Forests cover about 31 percent of total land area of the world; the world's total forest area is just over 4 billion hectares. On a global average, more than one-third of all forest is primary forest, i.e. forest of native species where there are no clearly visible indications of human activities and the ecological processes have not been significantly disturbed. Primary forests, in particular tropical moist forests, include the most species-rich, diverse terrestrial ecosystems. National parks, game reserves, wilderness areas and other legally established protected areas cover more than 10 percent of the total forest area in most countries and regions. FAO estimates that around 10 million people are employed in forest management and conservation - but many more are directly dependent on forests for their livelihoods. Close to 1.2 billion hectares of forest are managed primarily for the production of wood and non-wood forest products. An additional 25 percent of forest area is designated for multiple uses - in most cases including the production of wood and non-wood forest products. The area designated primarily for productive purposes has decreased by more than 50 million hectares since 1990 as forests have been designated for other purposes.

Limitations and Exceptions: FAO has been collecting and analyzing data on forest area since 1946. This is done at intervals of 5-10 years as part of the Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA). FAO reports data for 229 countries and territories; for the remaining 56 small island states and territories where no information is provided, a report is prepared by FAO using existing information and a literature search. The data are aggregated at sub-regional, regional and global levels by the FRA team at FAO, and estimates are produced by straight summation. The lag between the reference year and the actual production of data series as well as the frequency of data production varies between countries. Deforested areas do not include areas logged but intended for regeneration or areas degraded by fuelwood gathering, acid precipitation, or forest fires. Negative numbers indicate an increase in forest area. Data includes areas with bamboo and palms; forest roads, firebreaks and other small open areas; forest in national parks, nature reserves and other protected areas such as those of specific scientific, historical, cultural or spiritual interest; windbreaks, shelterbelts and corridors of trees with an area of more than 0.5 hectares and width of more than 20 meters; plantations primarily used for forestry or protective purposes, such as rubber-wood plantations and cork oak stands. Data excludes tree stands in agricultural production systems, such as fruit plantations and agroforestry systems. Forest area also excludes trees in urban parks and gardens. The proportion of forest area to total land area is calculated and changes in the proportion are computed to identify trends.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: Forest is determined both by the presence of trees and the absence of other predominant land uses. The trees should reach a minimum height of 5 meters in situ. Areas under reforestation that have not yet reached but are expected to reach a canopy cover of 10 percent and a tree height of 5 meters are included, as are temporarily unstocked areas, resulting from human intervention or natural causes, which are expected to regenerate. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) provides detail information on forest cover, and adjusted estimates of forest cover. The survey uses a uniform definition of forest. Although FAO provides a breakdown of forest cover between natural forest and plantation for developing countries, forest data used to derive this indictor data does not reflect that breakdown. Total land area does not include inland water bodies such as major rivers and lakes. Variations from year to year may be due to updated or revised data rather than to change in area. The indictor is derived by dividing total area under forest of a country by country's total land area, and multiplying by 100.

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When areas undergo deforestation a lot of the soil organic carbon is exposed and vulnerable to degradation. This results in a loss of nutrients in deforested areas. ... It was also noted that there was less soil carbon found in plantations that had undergone soil scarification prior to being planted.

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One of the biggest drivers of deforestation in the HoB and Kalimantan is the growth of oil palm plantations in response to global demand for palm oil, the most important tropical vegetable oil in the global oils and fats industry. Oil palm development contributes to deforestation

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In 2000 years has lost 90% of forest
People there are highly dependent on forests, on the one hand for wood (energy, construction, fibres), and also for non-wood forest products (game, fruit and nuts, honey, medicinal plants, etc) that are used for medical or food purposes, notably during the hunger season between two harvests

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The loss of forest cover in the Amazon has a significant impact on the local climate in Brazil, according to a new study.

The UN Environment Programme has said warned that the Amazon wildfires threaten ." ..this precious natural resource..." and that the forest helps mitigate the effects of climate change.

Insight into the effects of deforestation in the Amazon -- and the way it can intensify climate change, particularly at a local level -- has been published open access in the journal Frontiers.

Using satellite data, Jess Baker and Professor Dominick Spracklen from the University of Leeds, evaluated the climatic consequences of deforestation in the Amazon between 2001 and 2013.

They found that deforestation causes the local climate to warm -- and that warming intensified as the severity of deforestation increased.

Intact forests in the region, with less than 5% canopy loss, had the most climate stability over the ten years, showing only small increases in temperature.

Areas that had tree cover reduced to below 70% warmed 0.44°C more than neighbouring intact forests during the study period.

The differences between intact and disturbed forests were most pronounced during the driest part of the year, when temperature increases of up to 1.5°C were observed in areas affected by severe deforestation. This increase is additional to global temperature rises driven by climate change.

Study co-author Jess Baker from the School of Earth and Environment at Leeds said: "The Amazon wildfires have reminded us all of the important role that forests play in our global systems. But it cannot be overlooked that intact Amazon forests are also crucially important for Brazil's own local climate.

"A healthy intact Amazon forest helps regulate the local climate and can even act as a buffer to the warming effects of climate change, compared with disturbed forests."

Study co-author Dominick Spracklen, Professor of Biopshere-Atmosphere Interactions at Leeds said: "Deforestation decreases the amount of water emitted to the atmosphere from the forest through a process called evapotranspiration.

"Evapotranspiration can be thought of as the forest 'sweating'; when the moisture emitted by the forests evaporates it cools the local climate. Deforestation reduces evapotranspiration, taking away this cooling function and causing local temperatures to rise.

"As temperatures rise this increases drought stress and makes forests more susceptible to burning."

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nature; ecology research; endangered plants; endangered animals; climate; forest; global warming; environmental awareness

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Amazon deforestation has a significant impact on the local climate in Brazil

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The loss of forest cover in the Amazon has a significant impact on the local climate in Brazil, according to a new study. The UN Environment Programme has said warned that the Amazon wildfires threaten ." ..this precious natural resource..." and that the forest helps mitigate the effects of climate change.

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Rapid deforestation will result in the depletion of the natural resources e.g. timber trade where timber is used to make furniture. As trees are cut down at a faster rate, younger ones cannot grow as quickly in its place.

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Deforestation of Kalimantan rainforest - in pictures

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Huge swaths of pristine forest of Indonesia, home to the endangered orangutan and red-nose monkey, is threatened by the expansion of palm oil concessions

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A century ago, most of Borneo was covered in forest. But the region has lost over half of its forests, and a third of these have disappeared in just the last three decades. The increase in these activities is being matched by a growth in illegal wildlife trade, as cleared forests provide easy access to more remote areas.

Only half of Borneo's forest cover remains today, down from 75 per cent in the mid 1980s. With a current deforestation rate of 1.3 million hectares per year, only peat and montane forests would survive in the coming years. A 2012 study by WWF projected that if current deforestation rates continue, 21.5 million hectares will be lost between 2007 and 2020, reducing the remaining forest cover to 24 per cent. If this is the case, then Borneo - the world's third largest island - could lose most of its lowland rainforests outside of protected areas by 2020.

The threat

Palm oil plantations, pulp plantations, illegal logging and forest fires are the key drivers of deforestation in Borneo.

Palm oil plantations, the most important tropical vegetable oil in the global oils and fats industry, is the main driver of deforestation in Borneo. In Indonesia alone, palm oil production expanded from 600,000 hectares in 1985 to over 6 million hectares by 2007.

Palm oil development contributes to deforestation both directly and indirectly. About half of all presently productive plantations (over 6 million hectares) were established in secondary forest and bush areas in Malaysia and Indonesia. Habitat conversion from natural forests to palm oil plantations has been shown to have a devastating impact on tropical forests, along with plants and animals that depend on them.

The other main driver of deforestation, illegal logging, has become a way of life for some communities, with timber being taken from wherever it is accessible, sold to collectors and processed in huge sawmills. In the absence of sufficient alternative economic development, this is an irresistible lure for the local communities.

Satellite studies show that some 56% of protected lowland tropical rainforests in Kalimantan were cut down between 1985 and 2001 to supply global timber demand - that's more than 29,000 km², almost the size of Belgium.

Protection laws are in effect throughout Borneo, but are often inadequate or are flagrantly violated, usually without any consequences.

The future

Without the maintenance of very large blocks of inter-connected forest, there is a clear risk that hundreds of species could become extinct. Large mammals such as orang-utans and elephants are particularly affected because of the vast areas they require to survive. For example, the Borneo pygmy elephant has increasingly come into conflict with the expansion of human agriculture activities in its natural habitat.

Other smaller species, especially small mammals, may not be able to re-colonize isolated patches of suitable habitat and thus will become locally extinct. Road construction through protected areas leads to further separation of habitat ranges and provides easy access for poachers to some of the more remote and diverse tracts of remaining virgin forest.

Many of Borneo's major rivers originate in the Heart of Borneo. Maintaining the forests is critical to ensure the island's water supply, moderate the impacts of droughts and fires, and to support ecological and economic stability in the lowlands.

The solution

The current network of protected areas are too fragmented and too vulnerable to illegal logging, illegal wildlife trade and forest fires to ensure the survival of the forests and it has become clear that they will not be enough to save the rainforests of Borneo.

Forest conservation in Borneo requires the maintenance of very large blocks of inter-connected forests. New protected areas will need to be created and, most importantly, the deforestation of currently protected areas needs to cease rather than accelerate as forecast. An approach combining a network of protected areas with well-managed, productive forests will be key to ensuring that forests are protected while providing economic benefits for the communities that depend upon them. In the long term, it will save the island from the ultimate threat of deforestation and increased impacts from droughts and fires.

Through initiatives such as the Heart of Borneo, WWF links technical expertise, stakeholder involvement, national and international policy advocacy and business and industry initiatives to conserve these pristine tropical rainforests.

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A century ago, most of Borneo was covered in forest. But the region has lost over half of its forests, and a third of these have disappeared in just the last three decades. The increase in these activities is being matched by a growth in illegal wildlife trade, as cleared forests provide easy access to more remote areas.

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Since famine ravaged Ethiopia in the 1980s, the country has consistently received humanitarian aid from foreign governments and NGOs. Now, it's the world's fastest-growing economy, attracting international investors and developers keen on boosting the country's GDP. But those interested in Ethiopia's future prosperity should also be looking further afield: to the Congo Basin rainforest.

Stretching across Central Africa, the Congo Basin is home to 80 million people who depend on it for everything from food to charcoal to medicinal plants. But they aren't the only ones; the world's second-largest rainforest also plays a role in regulating rainfall patterns across other parts of the continent. Its continued disappearance could exacerbate insecurity of freshwater and food supplies for some of Africa's most vulnerable populations.

What Happens in the Congo Basin Doesn't Stay in the Congo Basin

Deforestation rates in the Congo Basin - historically lower than in the Amazon and southeast Asia - are on the rise, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The DRC lost the second-largest area of tropical primary forest of any country on Earth (after Brazil) in 2018, according to data on Global Forest Watch. This loss is significant considering that its main direct driver is relatively small-scale: slash-and-burn farming that is usually done with axes, not machinery. In a recent paper, University of Maryland researchers suggested that at the current rate of tree cover loss, the DRC's primary forests could be completely razed by 2100.

This isn't just a problem for the trees. Studies show that tropical rainforests worldwide help regulate rainfall patterns by recycling moisture through the atmosphere and keeping surface temperatures lower than in non-forested areas. The Congo Basin is a major source of rainfall in the Sahel region; research indicates that air produces twice as much rain after passing over land covered with extensive tropical vegetation.

Meanwhile, nearby areas such as the Horn of Africa are becoming increasingly dry. Recent droughts in Ethiopia and Somalia have led millions to depend on emergency food and water rations. While there are numerous factors believed to have intensified these extreme weather conditions - including El Niño and climate change - deforestation within and adjacent to these countries is an important one.

Continued deforestation could spur more crises. Research summarized in a recent WRI working paper shows that large-scale deforestation in any of the planet's three major tropical forest zones (the Amazon, the Congo Basin and southeast Asia) would leave the climate on their respective continents warmer and drier.

We Need More Research to Understand the Congo Basin Forests' Importance

While current research has provided a glimpse at the role of Africa's rainforests on the global hydrological cycle, most research focuses on the Amazon. For example, a recent study suggests that deforestation of 20-25% of the Amazon's existing forests would be the tipping point beyond which the forest would cease to be a functioning rainforest ecosystem. We need further exploration of the Congo Basin forest's impact on weather and climate throughout Africa. Studies have projected how climate change will impact the Horn of Africa under different temperature rise scenarios, but similar modelling must be conducted in the Congo Basin to determine if increased deforestation would result in a similar tipping point there.

As precipitation becomes more infrequent and unpredictable across the continent, farmers and herders have already been forced to migrate within their home countries or even across borders in search of more secure livelihoods. These stressed conditions have been linked to conflicts in places such as Chad, Nigeria and Mali. More research is needed, however, on how climate change will impact the Congo Basin forest and its hydrological cycle - and vice versa.

Protecting Congo Basin Rainforest

As Central African countries attempt to meet growing global demand for wood, palm oil, rubber and other materials through industrial logging and large-scale agriculture, threats to these forests will only intensify. We now have an opportunity to stop the destruction of one of the world's biggest tropical rainforests before it becomes an urgent situation. The more we understand these forests' value, the better case we can make for their protection. The alternative is to learn more about these links the hard way - when much of this forest has been destroyed, and there is no choice but to live with the consequences.

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Congo Basin Deforestation Threatens Food and Water Supplies Throughout Africa

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Deforestation rates in the Congo Basin - historically lower than in the Amazon and southeast Asia - are on the rise. It's not just a problem for the 80 million people who rely on the forests for food and livelihoods; research shows the world's second-largest rainforest regulates weather patterns across Africa.

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Deforestation and wildlife trade combined may cause 50 to 90 SEA bird species to go extinct by 2100: Study

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SINGAPORE - The combined impact of deforestation and illegal wildlife trade on tropical biodiversity is severely underestimated, and could lead to the extinction of some South-east Asian bird species by the end of this century, a study has found.

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Due to sea level rise, low-lying islands (Kiribati and Vanuatu in the Pacific Ocean) may be submerged and disappear into the sea

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