Theme 2 (climate and ecosystems) Deforestation

How does deforestation affect climate change

With fewer trees there is less Evotranspiration and therefore less water vapour in the air with less moisture in the air the hydrological cycle struggles, there is evidence of reduced rainfall increasing droughts The burning of forests is accelerating global warming by releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide the main greenhouse gas

Effects and impacts of deforestation

28/30000,000 species are found in the rainforest 99% of which are insects destation is destroying their habitats endangering the species some of which are valuable Many medicines can also be found in the rainforest such as periwinkle which has reduced deaths from child leukaemia from 80% to 20% Many rivers that supply villages have also been polluted due to mining operations making the water unsafe to use yet the people still do as they don't have an alternative There has been a huge reduction in the number of our Ameridians from 6,000,000 to 200,000 causing damage to their culture and way of life other tribes are often forced to live in reservations The lack of trees also causes soil erosion and stops roots being able to bind together because there is no canopy to protect the ground from heavy rainfall this leads to nutrients being washed away leaving the soil infertile

Causes of deforestation

As the population so does the demand for land for them to live on and the amount of farmland needed to feed the population More jobs are required in order for the people to earn a living and more resources are needed to improve standards of living so more employed to the deforestation industry national debt means the rainforest being largely undeveloped have the space and resources to help the situation

What is deforestation?

The destruction and cutting down of the world is decreasing number of trees or forests