Deforestation and Its Effects

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.



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.



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.



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.



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 :

Deforestation and Its Effects

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