Deforestation
Deforestation and the development of once wild lands is definitely one of the most destructive causes of the global decrease in bird populations. The reasons for deforestation vary from place to place. In certain areas deforestation is caused by real estate. For example, there is currently a battle between real estate developers in Texas and birdwatchers over the breeding habitat of the Golden-Cheeked Warbler. The real estate developers claim that the species is not endangered and is in fact quite common, despite that there is very little evidence for their position. There are other causes of deforestation such as logging, both legal and illegal. A common but lesser cause of deforestation is cattle farming. It is widespread in Brazil, where ranchers burn down sections of forest to create new pastureland for their cows. They are widely believed to be the cause of the forest fires in the Amazon during the summer of 2019. Another source of deforestation in the Amazon is coffee. There are two types of coffee, shade grown and sun grown. Many farmers prefer sun grown and so they destroy large portions of forest to grow coffee. Shade grown coffee is the eco-friendly alternative which involves growing the coffee underneath trees.
One of the many ways that you can help stop deforestation is by buying shade grown coffee, using less paper, donating to groups that help fight deforestation, eating less beef from certain nations such as Brazil, and talking with your local representatives about how they can stop deforestation in your area.
