Steps For Controlling Deforestation

1. Farming

New methods are being developed to farm more intensively, such as high-yield hybrid crops, greenhouse, autonomous building gardens, and hydroponics. These methods are often dependent on massive chemical inputs to maintain necessary yields. In cyclic agriculture, cattle are grazed on farmland that is resting and rejuvenating. Cyclic agriculture actually increases the fertility of the soil. Intensive farming can also decrease soil nutrients by consuming at an accelerated rate the trace minerals needed for crop growth.

2. Forest Management

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Efforts to stop or slow deforestation have been attempted for many centuries because it has long been known that deforestation can cause environmental damage sufficient in some cases to cause societies to collapse.

Various initiatives are being taken to tackle such complex issues by several international programmes like Tropical Forestry Action Plan (TFAP), International Timber Trade Organisation (ITTO), The World Bank Forest Policy, UNCED initiated Forest Principles and Agenda 21.

The Government of India has also implemented the social forestry programme as an integrated sustainable forestry management scheme. The National Forestry Policy Resolution of 1988 emphasises the need for creating a massive people’s movement with the involvement of women, rural poor, tribals and NGOs to ensure environmental stability and sustainable development.

3. Reforestation

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In western countries, increasing consumer demand for wood products that have been produced and harvested in a sustainable manner are causing forest landowners and forest industries to become increasingly accountable for their forest management and timber harvesting practices.

Organizations such as Community Forestry International, The Nature Conservancy, and World Wide Fund for Nature, Conservation International, African Conservation Foundation and Greenpeace also focus on preserving forest habitats.

4. Forest plantations

To meet the world’s demand for wood forestry writers Botkins and Sedjo said that high- yielding forest plantations are suitable has suggested it. It has been calculated that plantations yielding 10 cubic meters per hectare annually could supply all the timber required for international trade on 5 percent of the world’s existing forestland.

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By contrast natural forests produce about 1-2 cubic meters per hectare, therefore 5 to 10 times more forestland would be required to meet demand. Forester Chad Oliver has suggested a forest mosaic with high-yield forestlands interspersed with conservation land.