1. Deforestation and Agriculture
Lesson 73

2. Practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops and the rearing of animals.
Agriculture

3. Farms In 2012, the United States had 2.1 million farms
915 million acres

4. Popular crops
Around the world, forests are giving way to plantations for oil palm, soy, coffee, tea, and rice among many other crops.

5. What is causing forest conversion?
1. Rising demand
2. Cheap land, labor, and government subsidies
3. Poorly implemented environmental regulations
4. Global trade arrangements and trade barriers

6. Deforestation Consequences
loss of biodiversity
increases greenhouse gas emissions
disrupts the water cycle
increases soil erosion
decreases the natural beauty of an area.