5 FACT ABOUT the Causes of deforestation

1 Agriculture Forested areas are being cleared to make way for crops, such as palm oil, and to create space for livestock as global demand increases.

2 Forest fires Although they can occur naturally, forest fires at the wrong place or time destroy forests. ‘Controlled burns’ are intentional fires that are often used as a swift method to clear ground.

3 Mining Rainforest areas contain high levels of valuable mineral deposits such as gold. Mining these materials is highly destructive as it requires the clearance of nearby trees.

4 Infrastructure To conduct mining or logging operations, large forest areas are cleared to make way for roads.

5 Logging Legal and illegal operations hugely impact the forests as timber is cut down and exported.