{"id":2038,"date":"2022-04-08T14:41:44","date_gmt":"2022-04-08T14:41:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatetransform.com\/?p=2038"},"modified":"2022-06-15T10:08:58","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T10:08:58","slug":"the-environmental-effects-of-deforestation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatetransform.com\/the-environmental-effects-of-deforestation\/","title":{"rendered":"The environmental effects of deforestation"},"content":{"rendered":"
The environmental effects of deforestation are as extensive as they are devastating. Cutting down trees is one of the worst things we can do for our planet. In fact, over 1.6 billion people and innumerable plants and animals depend on forests.<\/span>1<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> Yet, we continue to raze 10 million hectares of woodland every year.<\/span>2<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We have now destroyed one-third of global forests. Alarmingly, that is an area twice the size of the United States.<\/span>3<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> Forests now cover just 31 per cent of the global land area.<\/span>4<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> So, what are the environmental effects of this loss?<\/span><\/p>\n The negative environmental effects of deforestation affect our entire planet. Trees are an essential part of the fight against global warming. Avoiding \u201ccatastrophic climate change\u201d requires rapid decarbonisation and improved ecosystem stewardship.<\/span>5<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> The latter means protecting and enhancing<\/a> the world\u2019s existing forests.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Forests act as carbon sinks. Trees absorb and store large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2). In doing so, they pull it directly from the air and can sequester it for centuries.<\/span>6<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> CO2 in the atmosphere is the most important long-lived contributor to global warming.<\/span>7<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> By keeping the greenhouse gas locked away, trees reduce global warming.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The act of deforestation prevents forests from absorbing CO2. Furthermore, it also produces CO2 emissions. Cutting trees down, burning them, or leaving them to decompose releases the carbon they have stored.<\/span>8<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> Deforestation is subsequently responsible for 10 per cent of annual emissions.<\/span>9<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> We cannot hope to prevent climate change whilst we continue to ravage our remaining forests.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deforestation is also damaging the Earth\u2019s soil. Topsoil is crucial for all life, including humanity. 95 per cent of the world\u2019s food<\/a> grows in the uppermost layer of soil.<\/span>10<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> It is where the nutrients needed to regenerate plant life are found.<\/span>11<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> Without it, an area becomes arid and can even turn to desert.<\/span>12<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> Cutting down trees is a direct cause of topsoil erosion. Consequently, half of the world\u2019s topsoil has been lost since the Industrial Revolution.<\/span>13<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Trees protect topsoil by preventing loose soil from being blown away by the wind. Also, their foliage protects it from heavy rainfall. Water that reaches the soil around a tree drains more easily thanks to the tree\u2019s roots. These same roots hold the soil in place.<\/span>14<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> Chopping trees down removes this protection. Heavy trucks used by logging companies also compact the remaining soil, inhibiting future plant growth.<\/span>15<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The current annual cost of topsoil erosion to global GDP is about USD $8 billion.<\/span>16<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> But, if we continue to clear vegetation and expose the precious soil, this figure is likely to increase. The damage it causes to the natural world is hard to quantify. It could threaten all land-based life on Earth.<\/span><\/p>\nDeforestation and climate change<\/h2>\n
Environmental effects of deforestation on CO2<\/h2>\n
Deforestation and the soil<\/h2>\n
Conclusion: Environmental effects of deforestation<\/h2>\n