What is that noise?

This is Larry. Larry likes to go for hikes and be outside.

On one of his hikes, he heard what sounded like crying coming from deep in the forest. So he went to investigate.

He came to a big oak tree and found that it was the tree who was crying!

Larry asked, "Whats wrong Mr. Oak?"

Mr. Oak replied, "I am crying because my friends are disappearing."

"Well, where are they going?", asked Larry, "I see many of your friends around here."

Mr. Oak still sad, said, "My friends all around the world are being cut down, especially in the rainforests. The forests that they are a part of are being destroyed."

"Really? Why?", replied Larry.

"Well, let me show you and tell you", said Mr. Oak

My friends are disappearing, Larry.

"People have been cutting trees down for years. They use trees for all kinds of things; lumber, tools, firewood, food, and many other uses", Mr. Oak explained. "Its called deforestation

"But sometimes they got carried away. Have you ever heard of Easter Island?"

"Nope", Larry said.

This is Easter Island, there used to be many trees and forests here.

"Easter Island is in the Pacific ocean. When people first got there, it was covered in beautiful forest. But they got carried away.

The Easter Island people cut down all of the trees, to use for firewood and tools. Because of this, they barely survived until other people came to save them." [5]

"Thats crazy!", exclaimed Larry.

This is what slash and burn agriculture looks like.

"You want to know something else? Nearly 58 million square miles of forests are cut down every year!", said Mr. Oak "Thats 48 football fields a minute!"[1][4]

"Why are people doing that? That does not seem nice!", Larry said.

"Its not, but sometimes people do it in order to live. People cut down forests and burn them to make the ground grow more food. This way, they can eat the food or sell it to make money", stated Mr. Oak, "its called slash and burn agriculture."

Is this firewood?

"When crop prices go up, more trees are cut down to make room for more fields. This way the farmers make more money."[12]

"Sometimes, people cut down trees and take them illegally, to sell or use as firewood. But they are sneaky and do not get caught."[4] continued Mr. Oak.

Larry asked, "If people need it to live, is it really that bad? What harm can it do?"

A sumatran pygmy elephant! My favorite!

"There are many problems that come with deforestation. What is your favorite animal, Larry?", asked Mr. Oak.

"Well it is the sumatran pygmy elephant, of course!", he replied.

"Is that so? Imagine if there is no where for them to live, they too will disappear, along with many other animals that call forests their home"[4], Mr. Oak exclaimed.

My friends and I help keep the water cycle going!

"Not to mention, forests hold lots of carbon dioxide, a gas that is heating up the planet in a bad way. We call them carbon sinks", continued Mr. Oak.

"Trees that are lost in forests all over the world can no longer hold that carbon dioxide, which is not good."[2][3][9]

"Trees provide other services to people too! They help keep the water cycle regular, they clean water, and they keep soil in place and healthy."

Soil erosion is not good.

"When trees are taken from the forest, all of these things change. If a heavy rain falls and there are no roots to hold the soil in place, the good soil can be washed away"[7] Mr. Oak said,

"When this happens, plants do not grow as well."

"Wow, I had no idea", said Larry, "Who knew forests were so helpful?"

"But I'm not done", Mr. Oak said sadly, "slash and burn agriculture can increase forest fires in deforested areas, which not only destroy more forest, but are also very dangerous."[8]