Deforestation in malayisa
© Katie Noble
One area that has been detrimentally affected by deforestation, losing an incredibly high 1.9 million hectares (8.6%) of rainforest in just 20 years, is Malaysia (Reuters) Consisting of the main island of Borneo and many other smaller islands, Malaysia produces close to 70% of the World’s palm oil, one of the main reasons for deforestation as areas of rainforest are constantly being converted into palm oil plantations. Experts have predicted that in just 50 years the entire Malaysian rainforest could be destroyed. It has been proved by Reuters that the rate of rainforest destruction in Malaysia is three times the rate of the rest of Asia, and increasing every year.
There are other smaller reasons for rainforest destruction such as harvesting timber which is generally used in the making of furniture in the Western World. Other reasons include; mining, which destroy the support of the rainforest causing it to collapse in on itself, forest fires, which cause simultaneous destruction of rainforests, and tourism is another, relatively large cause of deforestation, as large areas of land have been destroyed simply to build luxury resorts and relaxing beaches.
There are other smaller reasons for rainforest destruction such as harvesting timber which is generally used in the making of furniture in the Western World. Other reasons include; mining, which destroy the support of the rainforest causing it to collapse in on itself, forest fires, which cause simultaneous destruction of rainforests, and tourism is another, relatively large cause of deforestation, as large areas of land have been destroyed simply to build luxury resorts and relaxing beaches.
environmental effects
© Katie Noble
There are a great deal of environmental effects in Malaysia as a result of deforestation, one of these possibly and possibly the most unpredictable is landslides. In Bukit Antaranagsa, landslides have been occurring more and more often over the last 10 years and this has been proved to be a direct result of deforestation. This is due to the soil being suddenly exposed to the elements and the rain especially results in the soil structure weakening and landslides occuring. This is also severely threatening to natives, as increased unpredictable landslides has also meant that the death rate as a result of deforestation has increased.
Another element of the terrain being destroyed, is the soil becoming infertile as a result of exposure to the elements. Increased amount of rain, Sun and heat means that the nutrients in the soil sink down so far that plants cannot reach them, or they simply wash away. This means that the soil is useless to any farmers that would want to use the land once it has had the trees and other plants removed, that is, if the area is not being converted into a palm oil plantation.
More effects include the increased number of endangered animals, Malaysia has 2,199 endemic species, 18% of these are listed as endangered, one of the most threatened animals is the pygmy elephant. Picture on the right is a baby pygmy elephant, an extreme rarity for most Malaysian zoos, but this elephant was a result of a protection program that took in the animals when they were captured. The reason that there is concern over the endangerment of the pygmy elephant is that one single elephant can produce up to 220 pounds of dung every day over 125 square miles. This can spread and germinate up to 1,000 seeds every day, increasing the biodiversity of the rainforest. However, if the elephant becomes extinct, then this spreading and germination would not be possible, leading to potential social effects.
Another element of the terrain being destroyed, is the soil becoming infertile as a result of exposure to the elements. Increased amount of rain, Sun and heat means that the nutrients in the soil sink down so far that plants cannot reach them, or they simply wash away. This means that the soil is useless to any farmers that would want to use the land once it has had the trees and other plants removed, that is, if the area is not being converted into a palm oil plantation.
More effects include the increased number of endangered animals, Malaysia has 2,199 endemic species, 18% of these are listed as endangered, one of the most threatened animals is the pygmy elephant. Picture on the right is a baby pygmy elephant, an extreme rarity for most Malaysian zoos, but this elephant was a result of a protection program that took in the animals when they were captured. The reason that there is concern over the endangerment of the pygmy elephant is that one single elephant can produce up to 220 pounds of dung every day over 125 square miles. This can spread and germinate up to 1,000 seeds every day, increasing the biodiversity of the rainforest. However, if the elephant becomes extinct, then this spreading and germination would not be possible, leading to potential social effects.
Social effects
© Katie Noble
Deforestation in Malaysia creates many environmental effects, and most of these lead to social effects. For example, as a direct result of animals becoming extinct, the decreased amount of plant germination easily means that there is a decreased amount of food available for human consumption. This is also true with the medical profession, if rare plants aren't being germinated and teh biodiversity of an area decreasing, then they may too become extinct and this could result in a smaller chance of medical development.
Social effects for the Malaysians include the removal of livelihood such as work, shelter, medical facilities, food, and fire. Another impact for Malaysia as a whole, is the impact of tourism. Although tourism is partly to blame for the deforestation in Borneo and other parts of Malaysia including Langkawi and Penang, it bring in a huge £16.5 billion every year to the rainforests and the general economy. This could also leave Malaysia if there is no longer a tourist attraction of the rainforests and their natural biodiversity to visit.
One huge social impact for both the Western World and the natives, is the impact of animals, if deforestation is occurring in Malaysia, the chance of encountering a wild animals that could be potentially harmful, is greatly increased. The tiger pictured on the left was captured instead of being killed in the Borneo rainforest and is kept in one of the island zoos as a reminder of the threat imposed by deforestation.
Social effects for the Malaysians include the removal of livelihood such as work, shelter, medical facilities, food, and fire. Another impact for Malaysia as a whole, is the impact of tourism. Although tourism is partly to blame for the deforestation in Borneo and other parts of Malaysia including Langkawi and Penang, it bring in a huge £16.5 billion every year to the rainforests and the general economy. This could also leave Malaysia if there is no longer a tourist attraction of the rainforests and their natural biodiversity to visit.
One huge social impact for both the Western World and the natives, is the impact of animals, if deforestation is occurring in Malaysia, the chance of encountering a wild animals that could be potentially harmful, is greatly increased. The tiger pictured on the left was captured instead of being killed in the Borneo rainforest and is kept in one of the island zoos as a reminder of the threat imposed by deforestation.