Deforestation is a growing global problem with consequences for the environment and the economy, including some that may not be fully understood until it is too late to prevent them. But what is deforestation, and why it’s such a serious problem?

Deforestation refers to the loss or destruction of forest occurs naturally, primarily due to human activities such as logging, cutting down trees for fuel, slash-and-burn agriculture, clearing land for cattle grazing, mining operations, oil extraction, dam construction, and urban sprawl or other types of development and population expansion.

Logging itself, many are illegal, account for the loss of more than 32 million hectares of natural forests of our planet each year, according to The Nature Conservancy.

Not all intentional deforestation. Deforestation Some may be driven by a combination of natural processes and human interests. Forest fires burn large sections of forest every year, for example, and although the fire is a natural part of forest life cycle, subsequent grazing by livestock or wildlife after fire may prevent the growth of young trees.

How fast Deforestation occurs?
Forests still cover about 30 percent of the earth’s surface, but every year about 13 million hectares (78,000 square miles)-an area roughly equivalent to the state of Nebraska, or four times the size of Costa Rica, who converted to agricultural land or cleared for other purposes. » Read more: What Does Deforestation?