Deforestation - Review of the article "Loss of our World Forests," edited in National Geographic Society Magazine and written by Jesse Richardson Hildebrand in 1937

Essay by adkinsleyUniversity, Bachelor'sA-, April 2006

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Deforestation can be defined as the permanent destruction or removal of woodland and forest. The article Loss of our World Forests, edited in National Geographic Society Magazine and written by Jesse Richardson Hildebrand in 1937 talks about every aspect of deforestation. The author explains in detail how deforestation affects some of the world's forests. It was a major problem occurring even as early as 1937 and to date it still continues to be a major threat to the remaining world forests.

In the beginning of Jesse Hildebrand's article, he starts by asking himself "What are the major reasons that force human beings to cause deforestation?" There are several reasons why deforestation occurs but the author only deals with the main few that lead man to practice deforestation. Most of these reasons are evidently related to the migration or movement of man. People relocate themselves due to various reasons and go to live close to where there is existence of forests.

As a result he is forced to clear the land by cutting down trees to provide room for different activities that will be useful to him.

One of these activities is the development of cattle ranches. Even in those early years, man was forced to clear the land to provide room for him to rear beef cattle as his mode of living or for his livelihood. Another reason that forced the people to cause deforestation was due to shifting agriculture. Shifting agriculture is when man shifts to a new area where there are favorably richer soil nutrients required for farming. Hence the forest vegetation has to be cut down or in some cases burned to provide room for farming.

The author goes on to explain that development of roads is another major cause of deforestation whereby man clears forests to...