What happens to the environment as a result of these unsustainable logging practices?

Forests are critical protectors of biodiversity and of climate stability by virtue of the habitat they provide and the carbon they store. Logging companies typically fragment forests or destroy them altogether, often making use of devastating clear-cutting practices. These practices degrade the ecosystems which sustain diverse plants and animals, and are responsible for the release of millions of tons of stored carbon. In many less urbanized nations, forest destruction also displaces traditional peoples, whose lives and cultures are intertwined with local forest environments.