Translation 1

Translation 1: Middle School Science Class

Deforestation does more harm than you may think…

What is deforestation? 

An article from National Geographic says that deforestation is the removal of trees and other plants on purpose. This is common in today’s society as more and more land and other resources are needed. Some sources say that modern deforestation in the Amazon rainforest – the biggest rainforest in the world – has been going on for over a hundred years (Pedlowski et al., 1997). 

What are the obvious effects? 

The loss of land from deforestation can have a lot of impacts on the surrounding environment. First is the loss of biodiversity, or the level of different species in an area. Cutting down or burning forests takes away the habitats of all kinds of animals, and could harm those organisms in the process. The loss of forests and habitats can also lead to land fragmentation, in which once put-together pieces of land become separated. 

Also, trees are an important carbon sink, meaning they collect and store carbon from the atmosphere. Without trees, there would be much more carbon being released into the atmosphere which can have negative effects on the environment. Think of it like this: too much carbon dioxide is bad for the environment, but trees absorb it for us. But as more and more trees disappear and we don’t have that safety net for us, then there will be more carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere. The action of deforestation also has its own, more direct negative effects. Going along with this idea of a “carbon sink,” the trees being burned already have lots of carbon stored in them. When they are burned, that process releases the stored carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which adds to the growing problem of greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gasses, as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency, build up and lock heat in our atmosphere. This contributes to global climate change.  

What are some not-so-obvious effects? 

A new research study done in 2020 (Nawaz & Henze, 2020) showed that emission from deforestation (from burning) can have serious impacts on public health of people in surrounding areas. 

How do these emissions affect the health of people living nearby? 

Large-scale burning through deforestation can release something called fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, which are very, very small particles. Think about this: the diameter of a human hair is 70 micrometers, and PM2.5 is 2.5 micrometers. That means that these particles are 28 times smaller than the width of a human hair! These invisible particles can be inhaled by people living nearby, and cause some serious health issues. 

What are some possible long-term effects? 

This study was able to estimate that over 4,000 deaths per year are due to the emissions from deforestation by burning. These deaths were premature, meaning they were not deaths from natural causes. The study looked at many different causes of these deaths from the PM2.5, but the most common was a disease that affects the heart, called ischemic heart disease (IHD). This disease limits the amount of blood flow into the heart and can lead to death. 

How did they conduct this research? 

The study focused on the Amazon rainforest located in Brazil, South America. The scientists used data from two large databases to gather information about the fires occurring during several months between 2016 and 2019. To look at how this related to public health, fancy formulas were used to figure out which deaths were “premature” and how close those deaths were to strong emission areas. Together, they could look at the data about the fires and the deaths of people in the area to see if there was any relation. 

To put it simply, what does all this mean? 

Well, studies like this show that issues relating to climate change can be a lot more complicated than people think. Effects of deforestation that are talked about the most – like the emission of greenhouse gasses, loss of biodiversity and loss of carbon sinks – are serious issues. But, it’s also important to consider all of the impacts on public health. While more studies are necessary to understand the full scope of this issue (such as observing more than one forest), some important conclusions can be taken away from this study. The emissions from deforestation are impacting humans and can lead to premature deaths, at least from the release of particles such as PM2.5. If people don’t start caring more about issues like this, there could be more negative impacts in the future. The long-term health effects seen here from deforestation could become an issue all around the world, if it isn’t already. More work needs to be done in the future to help respond to these issues and try to prevent them. Without change, more habitats will be lost, and the impact on public health may become more harmful. 

Works Cited

Environmental Protection Agency. (2022). Particulate Matter (PM) Basics . EPA. Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/particulate-matter-pm-basics

National Geographic. (2022). Deforestation. Education. Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/deforestation/

Nawaz, M. O. & Henze, D. K. (2020). Premature deaths in Brazil associated with long‐term exposure to PM2.5 from Amazon fires between 2016 and 2019. GeoHealth, 4(8). https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gh000268

Pedlowski, M.A., Dale V.H., Matricardi E.A.T., Silva Filho E.P. (1997). Patterns and impacts of deforestation in Rondonia, Brazil. Landscape and Urban Planning, 38(1997),  149-157.