The History Of Deforestation And The Impact It Brought To The Modern World

March 28, 2009 | 917 views
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It is a common mistaken belief that deforestation is only a contemporary incidence. Some say that annihilation of the vast green world has dated back only to the 50’s, but all these were proven to be wrong. The history of deforestation takes us back into the corridors of time when humans primarily occupied the earth.

Fire was used deliberately and was started to be the first cause of bald forests since half a million years ago. Ever since the era of the ancient domain has processed, the ways to barren our lands have evolved and thereby discovered recent man made ideations to deplete our forests of its natural glow. The turn of the twentieth century has further paved way for more advanced knowledge on deforestation techniques that the number of destroyed forests has not stopped counting ever since.

Although it is a sad fact, deforestation has been used as a method of means to earn a living. From small to bigger profits, deforestation has been used by humans in all class types and races. For whichever ways it served them, there is truly no excuse of destroying the forest and harming the nature that brings a heap of better and bigger possibilities for the world. Our forests offer a permanent life source, and it shouldn’t be exchanged for the temporary joys of human gain and profit.

Pre Historical Deforestation

Some 4000 years ago, evidences of man made plant and animal extinction actions have been seen. Fire was one of the popular methods of balding a forest to be turned into an agricultural area. Grazing animals also became a lead to major deforestation in area locales. The aborigines transferred form one location to another whenever the land becomes barren and of no further use to them.

Perhaps the only reason why there were no significant effects at that time is because of the population issue. If the present population has been born in the past, then extreme deforestation actions could have happened. The world could not have tolerated the effects some million years ago if this were the case. Luckily, the population now isn’t the same in number than the people who used to inhabit the earth. If it so happened that the aborigines were wide in number, then the earth now could have been one of the dreadful places to live in.

The Industrial Times Of Deforestation

Since the advent of industrialization began, deforestation processes still continued and even rose to bigger numbers. None at that time was able to see the probable effects that we are experiencing right now. During those times, timber was in great popularity among shipbuilders; thus, the business of logging grew in astounding counts.

Also, woods were used in constructions and pottery; and whenever forests were depleted of these essential businesses, men flew from place to place in search of a new and fresh source of timber. On and on the process continued until visible barren land areas came to view. Since then, it became difficult to put a stop to deforestation, and men only grew with greed for their sole profits.

Present Deforestation Trends

Marginal soils are being used in a slash and burn method for creating short term goals. Over 200 million people are using this technique all over the world; and perhaps it is the main reason why gigantic land areas have been totally exhausted and eroded. Such lands are of no use for any form of cultivation at the present time. Beyond doubt, the demand of growing businesses have endangered the forests ever since.

If people try to go over the history of deforestation then and now, it can virtually be seen that our untouched land areas are slowly disappearing. The means of reversing could still be probable; but it needs great deal of human effort to finally bring a change into our world.

No matter how unreachable goals may seem, there can still be ways to achieve it if followed with utmost sincerity and unconditional love for nature.