Page 332 - Environment: The Science Behind the Stories

FIGURE 12.7 Tropical forests are being
lost most quickly today. Many are burned
to farm soybeans or to create grazing land
for cattle, as shown here (a) in Brazil. Most
of the soybeans and beef are exported
to consumers in wealthier nations. Africa
and Latin America are losing forests at
rapid rates (b), whereas Europe and North
America are slowly gaining secondary for-
est. In Asia, tree plantations are increasing
cover, but natural primary forests are still
being lost. Data from Food and Agriculture Organi-
zation of the United States, Global forest resources
assessment 2010. By permission.

(a) Cattle on burned and cleared land

1.6%
gain
0.5%
gain Forest is Europe
regrowing
in Europe
North
America 2.8%
gain
Asia
24.2%
loss Monocultural plantations
Central America in China account for gain
Africa of “forest,” but primary
forest is still being lost
Scale across Asia
South 10.0%
America loss
Oceania
10 million hectares
8.7% 3.7%
loss loss
Net Loss Net Gain
Forest loss is
1990–2000 highest in Africa 1990–2000
2000–2010 and Latin America 2000–2010

(b) Change in forest area by region CHAPTER 12 • FOREST S, FOREST MAN A GEMENT, AND PR O TECTED AREAS

longer have the forest and the ecosystem services it provided. The palm oil boom represents a conundrum for environ-
As a result, most economic benefits are short term, reaped not mental advocates. Many people eager to fight climate change
by local residents but by the foreign corporation. Moreover, had urged the development of biofuels (pp. 587–591) to replace
much of the wood extracted in developing nations is exported fossil fuels. Yet grown at the large scale that our society is
to Europe and North America. In this way, our consumption of demanding, monocultural plantations of biofuel crops such as
high-end furniture and other wood products in industrialized oil palms are causing severe environmental impacts by displac-
nations can drive forest destruction in poorer nations. ing natural forests.
Throughout Southeast Asia and Indonesia today, vast
swaths of tropical rainforest are being cut to establish planta- WEIGHING THE ISSUES
tions of oil palms (FIGURE 12.8). Oil palm fruit produces palm
oil, which we use in snack foods, soaps, and cosmetics, and LOGGING HERE OR THERE Suppose you are an activist pro-
now as a biofuel. In Indonesia, the world’s largest palm oil testing the logging of old-growth trees near your hometown.
producer, oil palm plantations have displaced over 6 million ha Now let’s say you know that if the protest is successful, the
(15 million acres) of rainforest. Clearing for plantations company will move to a developing country and cut its pri-
encourages further development and eases access for people mary forest instead. Would you still protest the logging in your
to enter the forest and conduct logging illegally. hometown? Would you pursue any other approaches? 331

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