What is afforestation and deforestation?

What is afforestation and deforestation?

Afforestation is the planting of trees in a previously barren environment. Deforestation is the destruction of trees and forests for human habitation and use. Afforestation has a beneficial effect on the environment.

What is the importance of afforestation and deforestation?

The increased demand for tree products has put pressure on forests resulting in deforestation. Afforestation is helping alleviate the pressure on natural forests by providing an alternative source of tree products.

What is called deforestation?

Deforestation is the purposeful clearing of forested land. Throughout history and into modern times, forests have been razed to make space for agriculture and animal grazing, and to obtain wood for fuel, manufacturing, and construction. Deforestation has greatly altered landscapes around the world.

Why is afforestation is important?

It provides a supply of timber, fruit, and fodder for cattle apart from crop production. It prevents soil erosion and thus conserves soil. It enables better retention of water. It shields crops from excessive wind and sun damage.

What are advantages and disadvantages of afforestation and deforestation?

Reasons include deforestation, drought etc. Afforestation helps in removing it. Apart from the advantages mentioned above, afforestation also helps in decreasing the desertification, decreasing pollution, helps in bringing rain on time, reduces the effects of Global Warming, controls acid rain etc.

What afforestation means?

Definition of afforestation : the act or process of establishing a forest especially on land not previously forested.

How is afforestation done?

Afforestation can be done through tree planting and seeding, naturally or artificially. Similarly, reforestation can be considered a form of afforestation. Reforestation is the alteration of a non-forested area to a forested area through tree planting and seeding.

What are advantages of afforestation?

More advantages of afforestation are: It helps to improve the quality of air. Afforestation helps to deal with global warming. Trees help to maintain a proper balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Trees help to maintain the temperature of the planet.

What are the effects of afforestation?

In general, afforestation increases canopy interception and transpiration loss of water, and hence reduces river and stream runoff and water yield [14–15]. A global analysis of 504 annual catchment observations showed that afforestation dramatically decreased stream flow within a few years of forest planting [16].

Is afforestation the solution to deforestation?

From rising sea levels to global warming, and even a hypothetical apocalyptic situation such as the runaway greenhouse effect, deforestation has had an adverse impact on our planet. One of the best solutions to deforestation is afforestation.

Where does the data on afforestation come from?

Data on afforestation specifically is shown in the next section. Data on net forest change, afforestation and deforestation is sourced from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Forest Resources Assessment. Since year-to-year changes in forest cover can be volatile, the UN FAO provide this annual data averaged over five-year periods.

What is re-reforestation?

Reforestation is done in an area where a forest was destroyed. Here, only one sapling is needed to plant for a single tree. Here, two saplings are planted to eliminate each chopped down tree. It is done to increase forest areas and to eliminate the effects of deforestation. It is done to eradicate the negative impacts of Jhum cultivation.

What are the effects of deforestation?

A land where deforestation takes place is reestablished and termed as reforestation. The major effects of deforestation include climate change, global warming, soil erosion, greenhouse gas emissions, fluctuation in the ecosystem, and several natural disasters like floods and droughts.