Deforestation: Definition, Causes, and Consequences

Consequences of Deforestation: Deforestation is the removal of trees or plant life on a large scale due to natural, deliberate, or accidental causes. The consequences of deforestation are fatal and include climate change, soil erosion, desertification, flooding, fewer crops and increased greenhouse gases—deforestation results in habitat loss for a wide range of flora and fauna.

Trees play a vital role in the survival of all living organisms and are the primary source of oxygen on Earth. It is impossible to imagine planet Earth without any greenery on it. Therefore, let us try to understand the causes and consequences of deforestation and how to make efforts to decrease deforestation and preserve the life of our planet.

What Is Deforestation?

When asked to define deforestation, students can give the following answer: Deforestation can be described as the decline in the number of forests areas across the world. The implementation of cutting down trees and using the land for purposes other than the planting of trees is called deforestation. In simple words, deforestation is the destroying, clearing, or removal of trees through natural, deliberate or accidental means. We have lost almost \(40\%\) of our forests due to the conversion of forested areas to non-forested areas. In India, at the beginning of the twentieth century, forests covered about \(30\%\); by the end of the century, they shrunk to \(19.4\%.\)

10 Causes of Deforestation

Deforestation has been happening for thousands of years, since man began converting from hunter/gatherer and started establishing agriculturally based societies, and required larger amounts of land to accommodate cattle, crops, and housing. Deforestation is caused due to a number of reasons, including farming, industrial purposes, etc.

Fig: Causes of Deforestation

Let us look at the 10 causes of deforestation below:

1. About \(300\) million people live as shifting cultivators who practise slash and burn agriculture techniques and are supposed to clear more than \(5\) lakh of forests for shifting cultivation annually. In India, we have this practice in the northeast and to some extent in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh which contribute to nearly half of the forest clearing annually.
2. \(80\%\) of deforestation resulted from extensive cattle ranching and logging for materials and development.
3. Mining, increase in population, urbanization, industrialization, construction of dam reservoirs, forest fires, overgrazing are other causes of deforestation. 
4. Wood extraction is another direct cause of deforestation. Wood logging or wood harvest, mostly for domestic fuel or charcoal purposes.
5. Transportation is yet another reason. Developed cities and countries, clear woods to build roadways for overland transportation of goods and services.
6. Global economic factors like foreign debt, expanding global markets for timber and wood.
7. Low domestic costs of land, labour, and fuel.
8. Availability of technology, that allows ‘industrial-scale’ agriculture and results in rapid clearing of forests.
9. Natural forest fires that burns over thousands of hectares of land every year around the globe.
10. Climate change is both a cause and an effect of deforestation. It can cause tropical rainforests to dry out and increase fires in boreal forests.

Consequences of Deforestation

Deforestation has many consequences for the natural ecosystem, and also it causes serious problems to the resilience of the planet. Let’s look at the main consequences/effects of deforestation to better understand why it is bad for the planet.

Loss of Biodiversity

Fig: Loss of Habitat

Forests represent some of the absolute hubs of biodiversity; for mammals, birds, insects, amphibians or plants, the forest is the shelter to many rare and fragile species. (80\%) of the Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests. And one of the most known consequences of deforestation is the threat to this biodiversity. Human activities put entire ecosystems in danger by destroying the forests, creating natural imbalances, and putting life at peril.

Our world is a complicated and interconnected system made of thousands of inter-dependencies among its components. Trees provide shade and balance temperatures for animals and smaller trees or vegetation that may not survive directly. Furthermore, trees also feed animals with their fruits and offer them the shelter they require for their survival. Deforestation leads to a more drastic temperature variation from day to night, much like a desert, proving fatal for many forest inhabitants.

Food Problems

Fig: Food Problems Associated with Deforestation

Recent research based on satellite data has provided insight into how large-scale deforestation can impact global food production by triggering changes in the local climate. Generally, when an area that has undergone deforestation is unsuitable for long-term agricultural uses. If the land is once stripped of its forest cover, the land degrades in quality losing its fertility. The soil of the deforested areas is infertile to hold up crops. In addition, the grassy areas are also not productive either on that account and are not suited for long-term cattle grazing. Around \(52\%\) of all the land used for food production is moderately or severely impacted by soil erosion. In the long term, the lack of healthy, nutritious and fertile soil can lead to low food yields.

Soil Erosion

Fig: Soil Erosion

Forest soils are usually richer in organic matter and more resistant to erosion, lousy weather, and extreme weather. The roots of trees anchor the soil in place, and soil erosion can become a severe issue due to deforestation. Deforestation can weaken and degrade the soil. Soil erosion can lead to disastrous mudslides. Large amounts of soil may wash into local streams and rivers, leading to clogging waterways and causing damage to hydroelectric structures and irrigation infrastructure. Due to deforestation, the soil becomes increasingly fragile, leaving the area more vulnerable to natural disasters such as landslides and floods.

Flooding

Fig: Flooding

Trees play an essential role in absorbing water quantities, keeping the amount of water in watersheds to a manageable level. Deforestation can result in watersheds that can no longer sustain and regulate water flows from rivers to streams. The soil erodes and washes away in the absence of forest, causing tremendous loss to farmers. The barren land left behind in these unsustainable agricultural practices is more susceptible to flooding, particularly coastal regions. Once the forests are gone, too much water can result in downstream flooding, many of which have caused disasters in many parts of the world.

Climate Change

Fig: Climate Change

Extreme climate change is also a dangerous outcome of deforestation. It results in a surge of (\rm{CO}_2) concentration in the atmosphere and contributes to global warming. Trees and plants absorb atmospheric (\rm{CO}_2) during photosynthesis. Since it is a greenhouse gas, it becomes a direct donor to the greenhouse effect. There is an increase not only (\rm{CO}_2) but in all greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere. Approximately (12\%) of (\rm{CO}_2) emissions are caused by deforestation. Deforestation is a major reason behind global warming.

Effect on Water Cycle

Fig: Effect of Deforestation on Water Cycle

Deforestation contributes to serious disturbance since trees play a crucial role in the water cycle. Trees and plants synchronize the moisture content in the atmosphere utilizing transpiration. The water is absorbed through roots, and roots are deep in the soil, and they create macropores; these macropores allow water to perforate deeper into the soil, by which there is an increase in the water-holding capacity of the soil. The dead plant substance falling on the ground yields few soil properties, such as an increase in water-holding capacity. Deforestation reduces humidity due to the absence of transpiring trees. The water quantity in soil and the level of groundwater diminish in a cleared land. Deforestation has also been associated with droughts and desertification.

Displacement of Indigenous Communities

Fig: Displacement of Indigenous Communities

Some native/local people’s lives are in jeopardy due to deforestation. Loss of trees/forests often results in an unsure future for forest workers. As immense quantities of forests are stripped away, exposing the Earth to languish and the habitats of multitudinous species to be destroyed, the indigenous communities residing there are under threat.

Pollution

Fig: Pollution due to Deforestation

The loss of trees has adverse effects on the air. It is estimated that one acre of trees in urban forests can release oxygen required by eight people and remove (188) pounds of carbon dioxide from the air. Due to deforestation, the chances of getting enough oxygen gets reduced. We cannot get pure air to breathe. Deforestation causes a decrease in the amount of oxygen and an increase in carbon dioxide in the air, increasing air pollution.

Summary

One of the most dramatic impacts of deforestation is a loss of habitat for millions of species. Deforestation is also a massive threat to biodiversity. Deforestation is one of the main reasons for the extinction of several plant and animal species. Not just animals lose their homes, but humans dependent on ecology are also affected, predominantly indigenous communities. These communities depend on the forests for their survival and lose their livelihood.

Deforestation causes desertification, droughts and pollution. It also causes drastic temperature swings that are harmful to plants and animals. Due to deforestation, even animal species suffer as they have to defend themselves against predators and diseases. Humans face the threat of global climate change – fewer forests mean more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, thus increasing global warming.

FAQs on Consequences of Deforestation

Q1. What are the 5 consequences of deforestation?
Ans: Loss of biodiversity, climate change, food problems, economic loss, flooding and soil erosion are the consequences of deforestation.

Q2. What are the major causes of deforestation?
Ans: Agricultural expansion, urbanization, industrialization, road building, forest fires etc., are some of the major causes of deforestation.

Q3. Why is deforestation so bad?
Ans: Deforestation affects people and animals. The cutting of trees leads to the accumulation of \(\rm{CO}_2\), resulting in the greenhouse effect. It causes global warming and is also responsible for climate change.

Q4. What are the benefits of stopping deforestation?
Ans: Trees improve the quality of air and oxygen is a must for the survival of living organisms, and the forests play a vital role in providing oxygen. Forests help lower the risk of floods. Trees are climate regulators. Forests help protect biodiversity and maintain a balance of the ecosystem. In order to benefit from trees and forests, one must stop deforestation.

Q5. What happens if deforestation doesn’t stop?
Ans: There’s a chance that more than half of our plant and animal species (discovered or undiscovered) might be extinct. There are higher risks of flooding and soil erosion. It causes desertification. We would’ve fewer crops, and a place for indigenous people might no longer be available. The increasing severity of global warming and drastic climate change are other destructive consequences of deforestation, which makes it more important to stop it.