What is happening to the forests in Indonesia?
Deforestation In Indonesia Has Had A Massive Environmental Impact On The Country. Indonesia Is One Of The Most Biologically Diverse Forests In The World. In The 1900'S, 84% of Indonesia's total land area was made up of rainforests
Forest Fires Often Destroy High Capacity Carbon Sinks, Including Old-Growth Forests And Peat-Lands. In May 2010, Indonesia Declared A Moratorium On New Logging Contracts To Help Combat This problem. Another Major Source Of Deforestation Is The Logging Industry, Driven By Demand From China And Japan. Agricultural Development And Transmigration Programs Have Been Moving Large Populations Into Forest Areas, Further Increasing Deforestation Rates. Logging And The Burning Of Forests To Clear Land For Cultivation Has Made Indonesia The World's Third Largest Emitter Of Greenhouse Gases, Behind China And The United States.
During The 1970's, man has been the greatest cause of deforestation. Man Has Cut Down At Least 72 Million Hectares During The Time Period Between The 1970'S and the End Of The 20th Century. Multi-National Pulp Companies Have Been Clearing Native Forests To Replace Them With Plantations. Those Plantations, As Well As Farmers, Have also Been Burning Down The Forests.