Deforestation

Biology

1. Fundamental Concepts

Definition: Deforestation is the large-scale removal of a forest, resulting in a significant loss of trees and biodiversity.
Causes: Human activities such as logging, agriculture, urbanization, and mining are primary causes.
Impacts: Deforestation leads to habitat destruction, soil erosion, climate change, and loss of carbon sinks.

2. Key Concepts

Carbon Sink: $${\text{{Forests}}} \cdot {\text{{store}}} \cdot {\text{{carbon}}}$$

Biodiversity Loss: $${\text{{Species}}}_{{\text{{diversity}}}} = f({\text{{habitat}}})$$

Erosion Control: $${\text{{Soil}}} \cdot {\text{{erosion}}} \propto {1 \over {\text{{Forest}}} \cdot {\text{{cover}}}}$$

3. Examples

Example 1 (Basic)

Problem: Calculate the percentage of deforestation if an area of 500 hectares was cleared from a total forested area of 2000 hectares.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Calculate the fraction of land cleared: $${\text{{Fraction}}} = {{500} \over {2000}} = 0.25$$
Convert the fraction to a percentage: $$0.25 \times 100 = 25\%$$

Validation: Original: 500/2000 = 0.25; Simplified: 0.25 * 100 = 25% ✓

Example 2 (Intermediate)

Problem: If a forest loses 10% of its tree cover each year due to deforestation, what fraction of the original forest will remain after 5 years?

Step-by-Step Solution:

Calculate the annual survival rate: $$1 - 0.10 = 0.90$$
Calculate the remaining fraction after 5 years: $$0.90^5 = 0.59049$$

Validation: Original: 0.90^5 = 0.59049; Simplified: 59.049% of the forest remains ✓

4. Problem-Solving Techniques

Visual Strategy: Use diagrams to represent forest areas before and after deforestation.
Error-Proofing: Double-check calculations by converting percentages back to fractions.
Concept Reinforcement: Relate deforestation impacts to broader ecological concepts like the carbon cycle and biodiversity.