Why is it so often when I read about trees, we're losing 'em?

The Moroccan cedar tree, principal conifer in the country's main mountain range and source of water, is also a prized material for high-end furniture.

















Thus, cutting it down and selling it is profitable. Thus, people are doing too much of that illegally.

'Cedar Mafia' threatens Morocco's cherished wood

"In the Ajdir forest, in the heart of the Middle Atlas mountain range, these imposing trees once covered every slope. Now their numbers are in rapid decline, to the bitter dismay of the local Berber-speaking population."

The map shows where the Atlas Mountains are. Presumably the Middle Atlas mountains are in the middle of the range.