OUGD505 - Studio Brief 02 - Research Presentation

Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where afterwards the land is converted to a non-forest use, such as for farms of urban use.

So why is this an important issue?
About 30% of the Earth's land surface is covered by forests.
Annually, we're losing about 18.7 million acres of forests, which is equivalent to 27 football fields every minute.

So what's causing this?
Illegal logging:
- taking wood from protected areas, harvesting more than is allowed or harvesting protected plant species.
Fuelwood harvesting:
- mainly in the form of timber and charcoal.
Clearance of land for use as pastures for livestock and plantations.
Rainforest fires.

So what are the impacts of this?
Increased greenhouse gas emissions:
- tropical forests hold more than 210 gigatons of carbon, and when these are cut this is then released into the atmosphere contributing to climate change.
- it is estimated that 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions are caused by deforestation.
Disruption of water cycles:
- tropical rainforests produce about 30% of our planets fresh water.
- when deforestation occurs, it can throw off the balance of water on land and in the atmosphere, and cause changes in precipitation and river flow.
Increased soil erosion:
- trees help to anchor fertile soil, without them the land and other plants are lost to rivers.
- it is estimated that a third of the Earth's arable land has been lost through erosion.
Reduced biodiversity:
- when habitats are destroyed, species find it harder to survive and are more accessible to hunters, meaning they are more prone to extinction.
- 80% of the world's documented species live in the rainforest.
Disrupted livelihoods:
- more than 1.6 million people rely on rainforests for all or part of their livelihoods, for things such as medicine and materials such as rubber.
By the year 2030, it is estimated that only 10% of rainforests will be left, and in the next 100 years, none could exist at all.

So what changes can we make?
Sustainable forest management:
- such as restoration efforts, a balance has to be kept between ecological, economic and socio-cultural elements.
Offsetting carbon emissions:
- working to reduce emissions.
Create protected areas:
- securing ecosystems through parks and nature reserves for the preservation of animals and valuable plants, such as Mountain Gorillas.
Stop illegal logging:
- through policies and trade agreements.
Promoting sustainable bioenergy:
- producing energy through scrap wood, oils, sugar and starch, crops and algae.

Moving forward?
Potentially produce an issue-led campaign using only sustainable and renewable materials, for example recycled or plantable paper.
Conduct primary research in addition to this secondary research, for example a survey on people's awareness of the issues of deforestation, etc.
Produce a plantable publication, using seeded paper.