DEFORESTATION SHOULD BE STOPPED

According to CBBC Newsround, it is estimated that seven and a half million acres of
rainforests are being cut down each year. At this rate deforestation can cause many
problems with no or difficult solutions and put us in danger. This is because almost
everything we need for survival comes from forests food, oxygen, many different
materials and even medicine. Deforestation should be put to an end for the following
reasons.
Firstly, deforestation is the biggest culprit of global warming as it is a major cause of the
greenhouse effect. During photosynthesis, carbon dioxide is taken in and oxygen is given
out. Deforestation removes the carbon sinks, and coupled with the carbon dioxide emitted
within the burning of fossil, the levels of carbon dioxide within the atmosphere increase.
The carbon dioxide forms a layer around the Earth which traps heat from solar radiation.
This results in average temperature of the Earth to rise which will lead to melting of polar
ice caps and eventually flooding.
In addition to the greenhouse effect, deforestation reduces biodiversity. Rainforests contain
around half of the total amount of species of plants and animals on Earth. So if we cut down
the rainforests, these species will lose their habitat and will not be able to survive will
become extinct. Those species will eliminate other species that depend on them for food.
There are lots of species there that have provided us with cures for illnesses, and if the
rainforests are being destroyed; numerous other cures could possibly be lost. So
deforestation will make survival a challenge for animals, plants and as well as human beings.
Moreover, deforestation affects the water cycle. Trees and plants transpire, i.e. they take in
water from the ground and release it into the atmosphere. When part of a forest is
removed, the trees no longer transpire this water, resulting in a much drier climate. Mainly
because the amount of transpiration has been reduced, the formation of clouds and
therefore precipitation is also reduced. This threatens the existence of other plans in the
forest. Deforestation can also lead to flooding. In areas with forests, flood water is absorbed
to the soil and taken up by the tree roots but in deforested areas, the flood water runs
across the area and isn't stopped by vegetation. The top layer of soil is eroded in this
procedure and gets transported into rivers in which makes the level of silt to rise. This rise in
the river level causes floods to come more frequently.
Furthermore, deforestation leads to increase soil erosion. Tree roots bind soil together, and
if the soil is sufficiently shallow they act to keep the soil in place by also binding with
underlying bedrock. Tree removal on steep slopes with shallow soil thus increases the risk
of landslides, which can threaten people living nearby. Tree leaves intercept the rain fall,
and shrubs and leaf litter protects the soil from water dripping off the leaves. With this
protection removed, the rain falls directly onto the bare soil and erodes it.
To conclude, deforestation has to be stopped because it is important for the existence of
humanity. Improving the environment does not save the Earth. The plant is bigger than us, it
will always beat us. So be cutting down trees, we are not putting the planet at stake, it is
putting humanity at stake.