why should people conserve the forest?

Question

My gf is writing an article on forest preservation.. but we're finding it very difficult to find really strong points on why anyone should care at all.
The article is supposed to shock people into caring.. but it seems nobody really cares, so long as they can still go about their everyday business. What would shock people into caring?

Answer 1

trees are not in danger.

Answer 2

My grandpa did a book on our descendants and discovered that 4 of the oak trees on his property had been there since the 1800's. There are now only 3 of them living one was killed by a tornado in the early 90's although the trunk still stands today. It's in his will that these trees be protected because they are the only ones of that age and size in the area.

I grew up in that area watching the logging company cut down a whole forest including the old growth oak trees and "promote conservation" by planting the area with pine trees. Pines grow faster than hardwoods and can be harvested faster but are not as good for the wildlife. A forest of pine in that area smothers the ground with needles and blocks out the light, where a hardwood will not grow that close together and allows smaller plants and grass to grow.

Just watching this as I grew up got me to care about the forest. I'm also really attached to those oaks and don't know what I'd do if something happened to them. They are so big that I'm not sure three people could touch hands around them. I know two people can't. Just think of all the things that those oaks have seen like the civil war and they grow a couple hundred yards from the Natchez trace so they saw the original trail of tears.

P.S. The cows love the dead oak. It has a hole in the trunk that the adults like to scratch their necks on and the top half that lays next to the trunk is a playground for the calves.

By the way insane_mad_maniak is talking about Easter island. The people turned cannibal because of the loss of resources.

Answer 3

I don't have hard facts...but you should look at rain forests. When people destroy them certain speices become in dangered. Theres many animals and bugs in these types of forests that have never been discovered and they become extinct before we even have the chance. You never know there might be an animal that could help cure some disease, but if these forests are destroyed we would never get the chance to find out. To me just the fact that harmless animals taht can't defend themselves against this are being killed and forced out of their homes is shock enough.

Answer 4

An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in number, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. An endangered species is usually a taxonomic species, but may be another evolutionary significant unit. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has calculated the percentage of endangered species as 40 percent of all organisms based on the sample of species that have been evaluated through 2006.[2] (Note: the IUCN groups all threatened species for their summary purposes.) Many nations have laws offering protection to these species: for example, forbidding hunting, restricting land development or creating preserves. Only a few of the many species at risk of extinction actually make it to the lists and obtain legal protection. Many more species become extinct, or potentially will become extinct, without gaining public notice.

The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that endangered species not living. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation status of a species; not simply the number remaining, but the overall increase or decrease in the population over time, breeding success rates, known threats, and so on. The IUCN Red List is the best known conservation status listing.

Internationally, 189 countries have signed an accord agreeing to create Biodiversity Action Plans to protect endangered and other threatened species. In the U.S. this plan is usually called a species Recovery Plan
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species uses the term endangered species as a specific category of imperilment, rather than as a general term. Under the IUCN Categories and Criteria, endangered species is between critically endangered and vulnerable. Also critically endangered species may also be counted as endangered species and fill all the criteria

The more general term used by the IUCN for species at risk of extinction is threatened species, which also includes the less-at-risk category of vulnerable species together with endangered and critically endangered.

IUCN categories include:

Extinct: the last remaining member of the species had died, or is presumed beyond reasonable doubt to have died. Examples: Thylacine, Dodo, Passenger Pigeon
Extinct in the wild: captive individuals survive, but there is no free-living, natural population. Examples: Alagoas Curassow
Critically endangered: faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future. Examples: Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Arakan Forest Turtle, Javan Rhino
Endangered: faces a very high risk of extinction in the near future. Examples: Cheetah, Blue Whale, Snow Leopard, African Wild Dog
Vulnerable: faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term. Examples: Gaur, Lion
Least Concern: no immediate threat to the survival of the species. Examples: Norway Rat, Nootka Cypress Hawaiian Hawk

Answer 5

This is a common question to anybody.
Many did some essential steps to conserve our forest.
Because of that, the have a lot of reasons why doing it.
For me, PEOPLE should conserve the forest because it is our DUTY...this is a God-gift...a lovely creation...and we are the STEWARDS of his creation.

Environmentally, we should conserve it because it's a part of our surroundings. Whether we like it or not, we need to. our FOREST..our DUTY

Answer 6

forests are habitats of many species, when that habitat is destroyed these species become extinct.
Forest is a great way to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, by that slowing some of the effects of global warming.
forests have an impact on climate, areas where forests were removed became drier, desertification of the sub Sahara zones is caused in great part by reduction in forested areas, as well as over grazing by goats.
we should increase the areas covered by forests, plant trees wherever it is possible, even in cities and on rooftops.
that is what green earth is about.

Answer 7

Many do right now. Paper and Pulp corporations conserve forest so they always have the resources they need to continually make a profit.

Maybe more of our forest should be sold to major corporations like this.

Answer 8

coz forests really help people a lot. they provide wood for people to create shelter and other furnitures. they provide medicine. they help in the carbon dioxide-oxygene cycle. they help prevent floods. they give food. they give habitat for animals. they make our surroundings green. trees are everything! thats why people conserve the forest coz without the help of the forest, we wont be able to experience what we are experiencing now! we wont be using the chairs and tables. a lot of people will suffer from diseases. and we wont be staying in a comfortable and peaceful house.

Answer 9

The Forests are the lungs of the planet ,they produce most of the rain that falls on the land.

Absorb heat in the day and release it at night ,so they are also instrumental in regulating the climates,

And excess water released by the roots keep rivers flowing all year round .

Take away the forests and the rivers dry up.
and so will the whole planet if ALL are gone and we will look like Mars.A DEAD DESERT PLANET.

Trees absorb carbon and leave us oxygen to breathe so they also give us good air.

Apart from all that most of the fauna is in the forests and most of our medicines come from there and much is yet to be discovered.

CAN DEFORESTATION BE STOPPED
Almost impossible

SLASH AND BURN
the Indians or local people would cut everything down and burn the Forrest to replace it with harm full short term farming, killing the soil in no time .

Expanding farming ,that has to keep pace with the expanding populations are very strong forces that encroach upon the rainforest's
clearing them for farming and settlement areas .

That and the giant networks of roads that have exchanged forests for asphalt all over the planet
------------------------------...
In Mexico is a famous jungle that the Media has been trying to save for years
the Naturalists ,and the government ,keep watch. .laws are made for protecting the wild and to forbid logging.
TV put out a series of documentaries
there are campaigns in the News papers
and all of this has not made the slightest difference
------------------------------...
Rainforest's always are in third world countries and always in third world countries corruption and the need for money s highest

The jungles gets smaller by the day
more and more farmers move in .and burn the trees.

It is an impossible situation,as long as there is poverty and an increasing birth rate in these regions the destruction will continue

Locals are too easily tempted to sell of exotic animals to the unscrupulous people who buy them.for the market that exists in the first world countries.

We must look for ways to improve economic situations for the local people who threaten the forest's´s,

But what can we do about those who come from far away to exploit these resources????????

One of the only ways to preserve the Forrest is to develop Eco tourism under strict control that has limited access ,and use the local people in the concept as guides ,hotel staff and get them to start home industries of artifacts .

Eco tourism is one of the only concepts that profits by a healthy back ground with out harming it ,and so ensures the Forrest's safety

Shade grown coffee and Aggro forestry is the next least harmful type of agriculture

But now the quest for Ethanol looms on the horizon killing almost all hopes of saving the Forrest's
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AqF2878gPxVagzOSg.5IYHjsy6IX?qid=20070618163201AAyuI69


PERMACULTURE
Permaculture is a way of living hand in hand with the Environment ,on the edge of Nature
Its a sustainable way of human existence that needs far less of the Natural resources or incorporates it as part of the concept .
Farming Natural animals or plant in conjunction with trees.
Building soil instead of depleting it
Harvesting water instead of diminishing it
And not contaminating anything

This is definitely the best philosophy to project ,
Instead of the harmful mono culture farming of today

Ancient civilizations were far more advanced about the concept of sustainability,and some of their isolated descendants still practice remnants of that today.

Generally speaking the so called educated farmers tend to be the most harmful and unfortunately this negative education has spread wiping out the sense of the past
We must try to preserve this knowledge ,
which is what Permaculture is all about

THE ONLY WAY i CAN THINK OF TO PRESERVE FORESTS IN RICH COUNTRIES IS BY EDUCATION STARTING IN KINDER GARDEN

To try and create love and respect as well as to demonstrate the necessity of these resources ,brainwash the kids at an early age
and to turn the woods into utility parks .with animals

This is already happening in rich countries ,but all are different depending on their sizes.
In the Netherlands the deer walk amongst the people on ¨de Veluwe¨the country is no bigger than Mexico city so they don't have a choice.

How ever the biggest enemy is Attitudes,Modern materialistic society ,largely prompted by their religions,which have alienated them from their Environment.
,egoistically have come to regard Humanity far more important than Nature,thinking Nature must give way to progress ,failing to realize that both have to be interrelated.

Answer 10

there are alot of endangered animals in forests, like wolves. they need to preserve forests from being nocked down so animals and plants can stay alive.

Answer 11

without trees live would not exist they create oxygen and provide homes for animals also they help to create rain. the house you live in is created by wood products, trees also recycle carbon dioxide back into the soil instead of into the atmosphere