Reforestation refers to planting trees and restoring the natural habitat of animal species that have been destroyed by deforestation. This move improves the quality of human and animal life. It curbs pollution as the trees and shrubs absorb the excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In return, they give people fresh oxygen to breathe and help in the prevention of global warming and its detrimental effects on the planet.
Rebuilding the ecosystem with reforestation efforts
With reforestation efforts, you can save the planet and its animal species from dying. Many species are threatened and endangered. With reforestation projects, natural habitats and watersheds can be restored. This not only helps the endangered animal species but humans too who are victims of deforestation.
How does deforestation affect humans?
Deforestation adversely affects the quality of soil and its fertility. This means it becomes unfit for cultivation of crops that, in turn, contributes to world hunger. With reforestation, the soil gradually gets back its natural form to produce.
For instance, in the USA, especially in the temperate zones located in the Eastern regions, you will find the process of reforestation takes place naturally. The hardwood forests there are resilient so that they can re-grow on their own at any given time.
However, this process does not naturally take place in urban areas once deforestation takes place. So, agriculture too cannot take place, and the land becomes barren. Forest reduction takes place, and logging activities become poor or nil. The quality of the soil gets damaged due to erosion. It is not suitable enough for the cultivation of crops. Since there is no scope of natural reforestation, the community or the government needs to resort to artificial reforestation.
Reforestation in other regions
In regions that are sensitive, tropical, or arid, forests cannot grow on their own. This is due to many environmental reasons. If the forest area is destroyed in an arid region or zone, the moisture in the area dries out fast. This condition makes it impossible for natural trees to grow again. Other factors affect the land. Some of them are overgrazing of livestock like goats or the over-harvesting of native people residing in the region or by an external business.
In some tropical areas, the removal of forests might result in a condition called duripan or duricrust. This condition stops water from penetrating the soil. Root growth is adversely affected in such a situation. Again, there are some regions where it is practically impossible for reforestation as space is inhabited and used by people.
Reforestation efforts in these areas can take place in the form of tree- planting and tree seedlings. Again, there are some areas where it becomes necessary to break the duricrust or duripan. Here, continuous and careful watering becomes essential. Special protection with fencing becomes essential too. Artificial reforestation is possible, but there is an issue of debate here, they do not give the planet the same bio-diversity as natural reforestation projects.