Deforestation is the loss of forest areas to urbanisation, agriculture and mining activities. According to the University of Michigan, more than 25 percent of the land on Earth is covered by forests, but millions of hectares of this ecosystem are destroyed every year. The problem of deforestation is global as it has a far reaching effect on the planet.
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Deforestation has the following consequences on the environment:
Carbon Dioxide Emission
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Forests act as carbon dioxide sink, removing it from the atmosphere and helping to lessen the greenhouse effect. So when trees are cut down, the carbon dioxide they previously absorbed and stored is released back into the atmosphere. 17 percent of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is due to deforestation and the decay of trees and other biomass, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Soil Erosion
Forests help to break the forces of the agents of erosion, which are rain, running water and wind. The roots of plants binds soil to the ground. When deforestation occurs, topsoil erosion increases because there are no roots to hold the soil in place, and no vegetation to break the force of falling rain. According to the World Wildlife Fund, half of the world’s topsoil has eroded away within the past 150 years.
Erosion has an adverse effect on the environment, washing soil into nearby waterways, where the increased sedimentation and pollution damages marine habitats and affects local populations that fish or drink from the water source. Also, erosion of topsoil depletes soil fertility.
Habitat Destruction
Forests serve as natural dwelling place for wildlife. Animal populations suffer dramatic losses when their natural habitat (dwelling place) is altered. In tropical rainforests, where species diversity is highest, habitat fragmentation and loss caused by deforestation have a significant effects on animal populations. For example, deforestation threatens the habitats of the howler monkey in the Amazon rainforest and the northern spotted owl in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
Loss of Biological Diversity
Deforestation has led to mass extinction of flora and fauna. As the clean cutting of forest areas goes on, a massive number of plants are endangered and driven into extinction. Animals are exposed, endangered and subsequently driven into extinction. Deforestation is causing the loss of biodiversity at an alarming rate.
