8.12 - Deforestation

Deforestation

• Deforestation is the large-scale cutting down of forests.
• It's happening fast in tropical regions, where rainforests grow.

Why forests are cleared

• Farming - Clearing land to raise cattle or grow crops such as rice.
• Biofuels - Growing crops for plant-based fuels burned in place of fossil fuels.
• Logging - Harvesting the wood itself for building or for fuel.

The harm deforestation causes

• More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere - Trees that are cut down can no longer photosynthesise and take in carbon dioxide, so more CO₂ stays in the air. Clearing forests by burning also releases the carbon stored in the trees as CO₂.
• Soil erosion and leaching - Removing tree cover exposes the soil, which is washed away by rain and has its minerals leached out.
• Disturbed water cycle - In some forests, losing the trees reduces evapotranspiration, disturbing the water cycle.
• Flooding - Loss of soil and tree cover can lead to flooding.
• Reduced biodiversity - Destroying a rainforest destroys a habitat that held a great variety of species, sharply reducing biodiversity and driving some species towards extinction.