What Is Deforestation?
Deforestation is the natural or accidental removal, destruction or removal of trees. It can occur where trees and other plants are abundant and is now found mainly in the Amazon rainforest. The loss of forests and other vegetation leads to climate change, desertification, soil erosion, crop failure, floods, greenhouse gas emissions that increase over time, and many other problems facing indigenous peoples.
Deforestation takes many forms. The most prominent is agriculture, where 80% of the forest is destroyed to raise livestock and crops and to develop them for useful purposes. It has been around for thousands of years, and humans may have started to shift from hunting/gathering to agriculture, which required large, unused land for animals, crops, and living. But with the beginning of the modern era, it became an epidemic.
Effects of Deforestation on the Environment:-
1.Loss of Habitat:-
One of the most serious and dangerous consequences of deforestation is the destruction of animals and plants as a result of habitat loss. 70% live in wild nature, forest types. Deforestation affects not only known species but unknown species as well.
Rainforests provide refuge for some species, providing cover for temperature regulation. Deforestation causes drastic changes in temperature from day to night, just like deserts, which can kill large numbers of people.
2.Effects on Climate Change
A scientific approach to deforestation is accelerating climate change at an alarming rate. Global Forest Watch has made it clear that protecting tropical rainforests is essential to meeting the climate goals of the Paris Agreement. It is known that plants absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. The Amazon rainforest is considered one of the most important forests in the world, healthy forests act as important carbon sinks. However, deforestation transforms these aquifers into large net discharges, which can have a significant impact on the rate of climate change and a significant increase in global temperatures. Emissions from deforestation are 25% higher than in the European Union and slightly lower than in the United States. Deforestation increases the risk of wildfires when people burn the forest. This contributes to deforestation, thus increasing the chances of deforestation.
3.Increased Greenhouse Gases
Along with habitat loss, the loss of vegetation in an area increases the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Healthy plants act as vital carbon fixers, having the ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In deforested areas, these opportunities are lost, resulting in higher carbon emissions.
4.Water in the Atmosphere
Trees help in the analysis of water flow, allowing a better understanding of the water surface. The Amazon rainforest is one of the keys to improving our planet’s water cycle. Together, billions of plants release water into the air, creating atmospheric “rivers” that control Earth’s climate. In areas covered with trees, there is less water in the air and it needs to be returned to the soil. This causes the soil to dry out and the crop to grow.
5.Damage to animals and plants
Both indigenous people and animals are the most vulnerable to deforestation. The world’s forests contain more than 80% of all species of land animals, plants and insects. However, deforestation has contributed to an unprecedented loss of biodiversity. Deforestation’s greatest impact on animals and plants is the loss of habitat. Many factors associated with stem contribute to the extinction of species. Drought deprives the soil of nutrients that are important for animals and plants to eat. In addition, many animal species rely heavily on certain plants and their fruits for food. When these resources are depleted, the animals become weaker, more susceptible to disease, and often go hungry. Another important function of plants is to regulate and stabilize the temperature of trees. During deforestation, temperatures change dramatically from day to night, and these extreme changes can be lethal for many species.
6.Soil erosion and flooding
Other problems include deforestation, soil erosion, and coastal flooding. Trees help retain water and topsoil in the soil, providing rich nutrients to help increase life in the forest. Without trees, the soil erodes and shrinks, forcing farmers to relocate and the cycle continues. The barren lands left behind by these temporary agricultural activities are increasingly flooded along the banks.
Deforestation affects indigenous people
Massive deforestation has destroyed fragile land and destroyed habitats for countless species and threatened the indigenous communities that live there and depend on the forests for their livelihoods. Deforestation has a direct and immediate impact on their livelihoods. Many indigenous communities rely on forests to provide food, medicine, building materials and cultural resources
As most of these communities are located in remote areas of dense forests, the loss of these resources poses several health and well-being problems. Deforestation is a human rights violation, especially for many indigenous frontline communities. Frontline communities have little say in how governments and businesses are changing the local environment. At the same time, these communities face more immediate and urgent impacts from environmental disasters and climate change.
Blog By:- ExpertSadar
