I have a question on AGW and deforestation. But first I need answers to these two. What happens to the ...?

Question

What happens to the timber that is cut down when a forrest is cleared? Does it have a use, is it stored, is it burned, is it left to decay?

If more than one, can anyone put any percentages on the different things that happen?

Also, why are the forrests cleared? is it for residential land, food crops, bio-fuel crops?

Again, percentages would be useful. Thank you.

Answer 1

You have answered your own question except for the percentages.

Answer 2

The answer depends on location.  In third world countries, forests are torn down and burned to make way for farmland.  It's not that there's a shortage of farmland.  It's just that these countries have bad farming practices.  In the US, forests are slowly thinned out to make way for urban sprawl.  In the US, these trees are used for wood or mulch.

Answer 3

The last I red we have more trees today than we did 30 years ago.

The rain forest is doing fine and as hard as man straggles the forest is still win.

Answer 4

You're right deforestation to grow crops not to feed or house people but to fuel cars (when we already have so many other ways to run cars) is very wasteful, bad for the environment, and is plain wrong!