Every year, millions of acres of forests vanish, according to ourworldindata.org, raising concerns about the planet’s health. Some believe deforestation is primarily driven by logging, poverty, and wildfires. While these elements play significant roles, the reality of deforestation is more complex and involves multiple interconnected causes.
“Our local deforestation now is more from converting forests to tree plantations, or overharvesting, so that the trees don’t have enough time to grow back,” said science teacher Gareth Engler.
Deforestation in the local area is a growing concern with significant environmental and climate impacts. As forests are replaced by tree plantations or suffer from overharvesting, the ecosystem balance is disrupted. This leads to a reduction in biodiversity and affects the forest’s ability to recover.
“[Long-term effects] of deforestation [is] climate change. Trees store carbon.” City Forester and Natural Resource Specialist Jay Sharpe said. “We’d rather have it in a tree than in the atmosphere, [which] is what exacerbates climate change.”
Beyond climate implications, preserving forests is also vital for maintaining biodiversity, which can lead to important medical discoveries.
“Preserving biodiversity keeps unique biochemistry around, some of which might be helpful to us,” said Engler. “Such as the taxol found in yew trees that we now use to treat ovarian cancer.”
The city prioritizes safety, focusing on preventing potential damage from falling trees and increasing sunlight. However, obtaining permits is required to remove certain trees, showing a necessary balance between safety and environmental considerations.
“Privately owned trees require a permit, [but] that tree’s got to have a health problem that might create a hazard,” Sharpe said. “If we think [the tree] might fail, fall on a house, or drop limbs on a person below it. Safety is always our first priority here at the city, so we issue permits for that, or trees that are damaging.”
Deforestation happens when forests are turned into plantations or trees are overharvested, harming ecosystems and climate by reducing biodiversity and carbon storage. It’s important to protect forests for ecological health and medical discoveries. While permits ensure safe tree removal, environmental protection must also be a priority.
