{"id":2682,"date":"2022-04-22T12:33:44","date_gmt":"2022-04-22T12:33:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatetransform.com\/?p=2682"},"modified":"2022-06-20T19:02:33","modified_gmt":"2022-06-20T19:02:33","slug":"deforestation-environmental-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatetransform.com\/deforestation-environmental-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"Deforestation Environmental Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Where there used to be vibrant forest, images of orangutans in charred ground have become commonplace<\/span>1<\/sup><\/a><\/span>.<\/span> The lungs of the world are burning, but what are the actual environmental issues surrounding deforestation<\/a>?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Firstly, the emotive phrase ‘lungs of the world’ is technically incorrect<\/span>2<\/sup><\/a><\/span>.<\/span> In fact, tropical forests do not contribute significant oxygen to the atmosphere. Rather, the issue lies in the release of carbon dioxide when trees are burnt<\/span>3<\/sup><\/a><\/span>.<\/span> In this article, we will explore the effects of deforestation on four areas of life on Earth which trees help to regulate: the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and soil.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Introducing the deforestation environmental issues within the Biosphere<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The biosphere includes all plants and animals on a global scale<\/span>4<\/sup><\/a><\/span>, while on a smaller scale microclimates operate and are regulated by trees. Removing trees, or burning land, kills the surrounding plants and subsequently causes habitat loss. This destruction is significant because rainforests house around 80% of the Earth\u2019s biodiversity<\/span><\/span>5<\/sup><\/a><\/span>! Biodiversity means variety of living things, and the loss of many species has consequently been called the \u201cSixth Mass Extinction\u201d<\/span><\/span>6<\/sup><\/a><\/span>. However, the link between habitat loss and extinction has been disputed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In the 1990\u2019s, data from Indonesia showed widespread deforestation for farming had not led to the predicted number of endangered species<\/span>7<\/sup><\/a><\/span>.<\/span> In contrast, the consensus nowadays is that deforestation does lead to the loss of species and consequential loss of biodiversity<\/span>8<\/sup><\/a><\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Atmosphere<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Burning forests to use as fuel or to clear land releases carbon held in the trees into the atmosphere, consequently increasing global warming<\/a><\/span>9<\/sup><\/a><\/span>.<\/span> Tropical forests are considered to be carbon neutral<\/a>. However, when they are cleared they not only initially release carbon, but the remaining land is also more likely to release more carbon. For example, deforested peat bogs in Indonesia are highly flammable, especially in periods of drought<\/span>10<\/sup><\/a><\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0This will become more common and widespread as the climate changes due to the greenhouse effect. As a result, deforestation leads to more carbon in the atmosphere, which traps radiation from the Sun making the Earth generally hotter.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Hydrosphere<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The hydrosphere is simply the Earth\u2019s water and it is affected in a range of ways by deforestation. For instance, trees absorb water from underground<\/a> and transport it to the leaves where it evaporates. Tree roots also create cavities that allow water to enter the soil, rather than run over it<\/span>11<\/sup><\/a><\/span>. After deforestation there is higher risk of flooding because forests slow surface runoff. Meaning trunks and leaves on the floor trap water when there is excess rainfall. Therefore, trees regulate the water cycle on a regional (and potentially global) scale<\/span><\/span>12<\/sup><\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Soil: an important part of deforestation environmental issues<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Slash and burn deforestation (commonly used for cattle farming) means the nutrient store of plants is lost. This results in poor soil nutrient, thus making the soil more prone to flooding and erosion. Therefore, soil becomes compacted and is often unsuitable for growing crops<\/span>13<\/sup><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

To conclude, the four areas of the environment examined here show that the issues of deforestation is a global problem because of forests\u2019 vital role in the interconnected biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and soil. Trees help stabilise soil and regulate water, as well as being essential for storing carbon and removing it from the atmosphere<\/span>14<\/sup><\/a><\/span>. Whilst decreasing deforestation isn’t the one and only solution to slowing climate change, it is part of the solution when paired with decreasing fossil fuel usage and increasing the use of wind, solar and water energies.<\/p>\r\n

In short, it’s paramount that we protect the environment in order to slow climate change by changing our deforestation habits and energy usage habits, and it’s important that we do it fast.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Where there used to be vibrant forest, images of orangutans in charred ground have become commonplace. The lungs of the world are burning, but what are the actual environmental issues surrounding deforestation? Firstly, the emotive phrase ‘lungs of the world’ is technically incorrect. In fact, tropical forests do not contribute significant oxygen to the atmosphere. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":3234,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,27],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nDeforestation Environmental Issues - Climate Transform<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What are the global environmental issues associated with deforestation? 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