We constantly hear that the Amazon jungle is being cut down for livestock and timber, and the Equatorial and tropical forests of Indonesia are being destroyed for oil palm plantations. But things are no better in Africa. The population of the tropical part of Africa is growing rapidly, and with it the anthropogenic impact on the region's ecosystems is increasing. The Equatorial and tropical forests of Africa have significantly reduced their area in the twenty-first century. But what are the consequences?
The forests that grow in the vast Congo river basin and adjacent areas of Africa are the second largest rainforest on the planet after the Amazon rainforest. Unfortunately, he suffered a similar fate - these forests began to interfere with people. The vast array of forests in Central Africa is home to many wild animals and millions of people who inhabit this region.
People need to build their homes, grow food for themselves and livestock, harvest wood for profit, and cut trees for the production of charcoal. All this is important and necessary, without it it is impossible for people to exist in the modern world. But perhaps deforestation isn't so bad after all? Wild animals can live in protected areas, and people need free land to expand agriculture, and these needs must be met annually. But the disruption of wildlife habitat and the reduction in their numbers is just the visible effect of logging, the tip of the iceberg. This is not the most dangerous thing.
Scientists dealing with the problems of deforestation and climate change, suggests that the replacement of natural forests to plantation crops contributes to a significant change. The fact is that forests near the equator and the tropics are one of the climate-forming factors. Forests regulate the temperature of the air, as well as affect the humidity of adjacent air flows and are an important link in the formation of rain clouds that bring moisture.
According to research conducted by experts from the University of Leeds (great Britain), in the tropical regions of Africa, where a significant area of natural forests was destroyed, there was a decrease in the amount of precipitation. The decrease in moisture will not only affect the remaining forests, but also the well-being of agriculture and the entire existence of people in this region, because in conditions of rising temperatures, the availability of the necessary amount of precipitation is crucial. Unfortunately, people look too clearly at the solution of their problems and are often unable to foresee the consequences of many of their actions. What is seen as a necessity and optimization of the natural environment for the sake of human well-being can end up being a disaster for their descendants.