reasons for deforestation in the rainforest
The main causes of deforestation of the Amazon rainforest are human settlement and development of the land. In the nine years from 1991 to 2000, the area of Amazon rainforest cleared rose from 415,000 to 587,000 km 2 (160,000 to 227,000 sq mi), comparable to the total land area of Spain, Madagascar or Manitoba.n the nine years from 1991 to 2000, the area of Amazon rainforest cleared rose from 415,000 to 587,000 km 2 (160,000 to 227,000 sq mi), comparable to the total land area of Spain, Madagascar or Manitoba.
In the Amazon, industrial-scale cattle ranching and soybean production for world markets are increasingly important causes of deforestation, and in Indonesia, the conversion of tropical forest to commercial palm tree plantations to produce bio-fuels for export is a major cause of deforestation on Borneo and Sumatra.he single biggest direct cause of tropical deforestation is conversion to cropland and pasture, mostly for subsistence, which is growing crops or raising livestock to meet daily needs. The conversion to agricultural land usually results from multiple direct factors.