Environmental Impacts of Deforestation

The world is experiencing climate change which is becoming a concern to governments in
developed and developing nations. Various climate change mitigation strategies have been
adopted, with the main focus being on the reduction of the level of greenhouse gas emissions.
Deforestation is one of the main factors that has compounded the problem. Forests play an
important role in the carbon cycle. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and, in turn,
release oxygen into the atmosphere. When forests are cleared, the cycle is interfered with, and
the result is an increase in the level of carbon in the atmosphere. Forests also play a role in the
hydrologic cycle. Trees suck water from the ground and release water vapour into the
atmosphere. In so doing, forests play a role in the formation of clouds and the creation of rainfall.
When trees are cut, the cycle is disrupted, and the result is changes in the rainfall patterns. In
addition, deforestation results in the reduction of tree species. Certain tree species could become
extinct in the long run. Deforestation needs to be stopped owing to the effects it has on the
environment.
Tropical forests play a central role in the carbon cycle. Forests help in the storage of
carbon as well as releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. The global carbon balance is built on
having tropical forests. Trees absorb about a quarter of the carbon that is released into the
atmosphere as a result of human activities. In absorbing part of the carbon released into the
environment, forests help in the regulation of the rate at which carbon accumulates in the
atmosphere (Bala et al., 2007). Cutting down trees means that the carbon released into the
atmosphere as a result of human activities will continue to accumulate, and this will result in
climate change. In examining the role forests play, it is important to examine the carbon balance.
The earth’s carbon balance is the carbon emissions minus the carbon that is eliminated from the

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atmosphere. The use of fossil fuels coupled with industrialization has resulted in an increase in
the level of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. Forests are both carbon sources and
carbon sinks (Bala et al., 2007). As trees burn and decay, they act as carbon sources. Trees are
also carbon sinks when they absorb carbon from the atmosphere. It is therefore important to
manage forests well to ensure that they are carbon sinks as opposed to being carbon sources.
Forest fires need to be managed well, and deforestation avoided.
Deforestation has an adverse impact on the hydrologic cycle. Trees in forests suck water
from the ground using the roots. They then release the water through poles located in the leaves.
Billions of trees release a lot of water into the atmosphere and result in the formation of clouds.
Clouds then create rainfall that completes the water cycle (D’Almeida et al., 2007). While water
also evaporates from the oceans, trees and natural vegetation fast track the process. When trees
are cut down, the cycle is interrupted, and this could have effects in the long run and in the short
run. With a decline in forest cover, there is less evapotranspiration. The result is a decline in
rainfall, and this could result in drought. With no forest cover, water is lost from the ground at a
fast rate, and this could result in permanent drying (D’Almeida et al., 2007). The disruption of
the hydrologic cycle could result in permanent drying of an area and an increase in
desertification. Evidence has been documented on the decline in rainfall in certain parts of the
world where deforestation has occurred. The percentage of rainy days in certain areas that have
experienced deforestation have been seen to decline (D’Almeida et al., 2007). Without the
hydrological cycle, some parts of the Amazon could turn into deserts and grasslands. In
addition, water that is released by trees into the atmosphere has a cooling effect. The removal of
trees has the effect of increasing atmospheric temperatures. It is estimated that deforestation
could result in an increase in temperature by up to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2100 (D’Almeida et al.,

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2007). Studies have indicated that areas covered by forests have a lower temperature compared
to areas that are not covered by forests. Evidently, deforestation has an adverse impact on the
water cycle, and this could have various catastrophic effects.
Deforestation poses a threat to tree species. The Amazon rainforest is one of the largest
forest blocks globally. It holds over ten percent of all trees. The forest has diverse species of
trees. Amazonian diversity is threatened by deforestation (Gomes et al., 2019). Certain tree
species are particularly threatened by deforestation. Indigenous trees are being cut down and
replaced with non-indigenous varieties. The impact is huge in Southern and Eastern Amazonia. It
is suggested that most of the tree species in the Amazon rainforest will lose their estimated area
of occupancy (Gomes et al., 2019). Close to fifty per cent of the tree species in the Amazon
rainforest are threatened. Ninety-six per cent of the hypo-dominant species are threatened by the
current levels of deforestation. In future, certain tree species could become extinct. In protected
areas of the Amazon, the impact is minimal, which suggests that the solution is to ensure that
people do not cut down trees (Gomes et al., 2019). There is a need to ensure that zero
deforestation is achieved in order to protect the diversity of tree species. In the outskirts of the
Amazon, the impact is severe, and various species have declined. In addition to deforestation
threatening tree species, it also poses a threat to birds and other animals. It is estimated that
eighty percent of the earth’s land animals and plants are found in the forests. Deforestation is a
threat to these animals and bird species (Gomes et al., 2019). Deforestation removes the canopy
that is formed by trees. The sun ‘s rays thus penetrate the ground, and the result is an increase in
temperature. The temperature swings are harmful to both plants and animals. Certain plants that
form part of forest vegetation could be affected indirectly by deforestation.

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Overall, deforestation has a huge impact on the environment. Deforestation affects both
the carbon cycle and the water cycle. When trees are cut down, the level of carbon in the
atmosphere increases gradually. In addition, the water cycle is disrupted, and this results in a
decline in rainfall. Certain tree and plant species are threatened by deforestation. It is important
to ensure that the level of deforestation is reduced. Illegal logging, as well as forest fires, need to
be curbed and cut down significantly. Every individual has a responsibility to protect the
environment, and this can only be achieved through zero deforestation.

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References

Bala, G., Caldeira, K., Wickett, M., Phillips, T. J., Lobell, D. B., Delire, C., & Mirin, A. (2007).
Combined climate and carbon-cycle effects of large-scale deforestation. Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences, 104(16), 6550-6555.
D’Almeida, C., Vörösmarty, C. J., Hurtt, G. C., Marengo, J. A., Dingman, S. L., & Keim, B. D.
(2007). The effects of deforestation on the hydrological cycle in Amazonia: a review on
scale and resolution. International Journal of Climatology: A Journal of the Royal
Meteorological Society, 27(5), 633-647.
Gomes, V. H., Vieira, I. C., Salomão, R. P., & ter Steege, H. (2019). Amazonian tree species
threatened by deforestation and climate change. Nature Climate Change, 9(7), 547-553.