Urbanization, Global Trade Drive Deforestation, Study Says
Monday, February 15, 2010 - 12:42
in Earth & Climate
A new study of most of the world's tropical land area indicates that urbanization and globalized agricultural trade have become the primary drivers of tropical deforestation, in stark contrast to the assumptions of some scientists that fast-growing urbanization and the efficiencies of global trade might eventually slow or reverse tropical deforestation. The new study appeared recently in Nature Geoscience. Deforestation has been a rising concern in recent decades, especially with the recognition that it may exacerbate climate change. Studies in the late 20th century generally matched it with growing rural populations, as new roads were built into forests and land was cleared for subsistence agriculture. read more