Post on 09-Apr-2018
8/8/2019 Deforestation and Its Effects
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DEFORESTATION AND ITS EFFECTS
What is the meaning of deforestation?
The process of converting forested lands into non -forestsites that are ideal for crop raising, urbanization and
industrialization. Because deforestation is a
serious concept, there are also serious effects to the
surroundings .
Every year, vast areas of forests are cleared to make way
for agriculture and development.
Tropical rainforests have important ecological roles .
a) Rainforests are also called the carbon sink of the earth
because they absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide
during photosynthesis and release oxygen into the
atmosphere.
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8/8/2019 Deforestation and Its Effects
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FLASH FLOODS
a) Deforestation increases the surface run-off from rainfall
b) Without forests, a greater proportion ofrain falls to the
ground.
c) This ,together with depletion of water catchment areas,
causes flash floods during the rainy seasons.
LANDSLIDES
Definition
Landslides are simply defined as the mass movement
of rock, debris or earth down a slope and have come to
include a broad range of motions whereby falling,
sliding and flowing under the influence of gravitydislodges earth material.
When there are are heavy rains for a long period of time,
the top layer of the soil crumbles and this leads to
landslides on steep hillsides.
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DISTRUPTION TO THE CARBON AND NITROGEN
CYCLES
a) The removal of plants in the rainforests distrupts the
natural cycle of nutrients.
b) The level of atmospheric carbon dioxide rises as less
carbon dioxide in the air is removed by plants during
photosynthesis.
c) The level of atmospheric oxygen drops as less oxygen
is released by plants during photosynthesis.
d) The recycling of nitrates and other ions slows down.
e) Tree roots bind soil particles together, and the tree
canopy reduces the force of rain beating down on the
soil. Deforestation, therefore, causes the loss of
nutrients through leaching and run-offs.
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SEVERE CLIMATIC CHANGES
a) Deforestation disrupts the normal weather patterns,
creating hotter, drier weather and causing global climatic
changes.
b) The removal of trees reduces transpiration, rain fall and
the rate at which plants absorbs carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere during photosynthesis.c) This leads to an increase in the carbon dioxide level in
the atmosphere. High level of carbon dioxide prevents heat
from escaping from the atmosphere. This is known as the
greenhouse effect which is believed to lead to global
warming.
c) Forest clearing and burning of wood results in air pollution and released more carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere.
d) Burning of tree in the tropics adds about 25% more
carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
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THE LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
Deforestation has a devastating effect on the biodiversity in the tropical rain forest, causing the
destruction of millions of species in the forest by
human activities, such as :