The Risks Of Deforestation
- The Mary Word
- May 31
- 2 min read
By Madeleine Candy and Daisy Meyyappan
For decades, humans have been chopping down 15 million trees each year. This practice is called deforestation, the action which is killing the earth's trees one by one. Brazil is the world's most affected country by deforestation. Brazil loses approximately 30.7 billion square metres of trees each year. The loss of trees can lead to climate change, soil erosion, flooding and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions - not to mention the impact it has on First Nations People. Imagine people cutting down the trees in your backyard. When deforestation occurs, it destroys habits for the world native flora and fauna.
Deforestation has largely modified terrain around America. About half of the forests in the eastern part of the continent were cut down from the 1600s to the 1870s for wood and farming. Much of the planet's farmland was once just forests. Today, the biggest amount of deforestation is occurring in tropical rainforests such as the Amazon Rainforest, due to road construction extending into regions that were once out of reach, making them more accessible for tourists. Tropical forests can also be cleared to make way for logging, cattle ranching and palm oil farms.
Deforestation can result in less oxygen which impacts us as humans. This is because trees take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for photosynthesis, and carbon is locked in their wood. When trees are burned or cut down, this carbon returns to the world as carbon dioxide. With fewer trees around to take in the carbon dioxide, this greenhouse gas collects in the atmosphere and makes global warming increase its pace.
Deforestation can also threaten the world’s biodiversity. Tropical forests are home to great numbers of flora and fauna species. When forests are cut down or burned, it can drive many of those species into extinction. Some scientists say we are already in a time of mass-extinction.
The loss of trees from a forest can make soil more subject to erosion. This causes the remaining plants to become more exposed to fire as the forest changes from being a closed, wet environment to an open, dry one.
Deforestation is contributing to the destruction of our planet. This loss of trees can lead to soil erosion, biodiversity threats, less oxygen and so much more.
Thanks for reading our tree-mendous article!
Bibliography
https://pachamama.org/effects-of-deforestation#:~:text=The%20loss%20of%20trees%20and,for%20a%20number%20of%20 reasons.
This is so good guys!!!! 💗💗
MADY and DASIEY are amazing 😜