Deforestation means the clearing of trees and woodlands, and in Africa this is leading to a loss of the rainforests (Branson, 2003). The main African rainforests are located from Senegal to the eastern part of Somalia, with about 80 percent of the forests located in the central region of Africa, especially in Zaire. The rainforests in Western Africa contain many species and around the Congo Basin the tropical rainforest area is the second largest in the world. In West Africa, the clearing of rainforests is increasing, and they are being cleared at the rate of two percent per year, and over five percent in the areas of Cote dÆIvorie.
The deforestation taking place in the African rainforests has many causes, including logging, which is responsible for from 20 to 25 percent of the deforestation, cattle ranching, cash crops, construction, population growth, economic development, clearing for cultivation, and by government policy (Branson, 2003). About 60 percent of deforestation in Africa is due to conversions of commercial and subsistence agricultural lands. In Africa, 90 percent of the population uses wood for fuel. Wood is used in Africa for 52 percent of all energy sources. Settlements for agriculture develop around the roads built for the transportation of timber, and in some places, deforestation is part of an effort to control the tse tse fly, and for refugee camps.
There are many adverse side effects to deforestation (Branson, 2003). Dozens of species are lost to extinction every day as the forests are cut down. The climate becomes destabilized, causing degradation of AfricaÆs ecosystems, and creates a major food base problem. The deforestation in Africa is a major contributor to global warming, erosion, and annual flooding in Africa. There is an increased loss of resources: foods such as nuts, oils and meat, and medicinal compounds and construction materials are lost to the local people. Another major probl...