Band 6+: The chart below shows the main reasons for deforestation in three different regions of the world during two separate decades. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

The chart illustrates the major causes for deforestation in three different parts of the worlds, namely, South America, Southeast Asia and Central Africa in two distinguished decades.

Overall, cattle ranching was reported as the primary cause of deforestation in South America, while in Southeast Asia and Central Africa, the main reasons were commercial agriculture and subsistence farming, respectively.

In South America, almost 70% of degradation was caused by cattle ranching, whereas commercial agriculture contributed about 15%, and 10% by other causes. However, logging and subsistence farming played a marginal role in deforestation.

In Southeast Asia, commercial agriculture mostly affected the forest degradation, while only about 5% of forest area got degraded by cattle ranching. Almost 20% of the contribution was from logging, 15% frrom subsistence farming and approximately 10% from other activites.

Although, in Central Africa, subsistence farming played a major role in deforestation with about 40%, followed by cattle ranching at 30%, logging at 14%, and commercial agriculture at 10%. At the same time, other reasons also contributed marginally.