CORE UNIT: PATTERNS AND PROCESSES IN THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
This article highlights the problems of deforestation in underdeveloped regions of the world. Timber is an important source of income and logging companies recruit villagers to fell trees. Poor people see this as a great opportunity to raise their standard of living. The forests seem endless and huge areas are indiscriminately cut.
Today, over two million hectares of forest are felled every year. Unprotected forest areas are almost completely cleared. Forests are cut to supply the plywood, pulp and paper industries.
After the trees are gone the soil is left unprotected and the frequency of mass movement increases.
EXERCISE
Name the countries marked 1–5.
Nias Island Sumatra Fig. 20 East Asia and Russia
3 2 5 4 1 China
Fig. 21 The link between deforestation and mass movement