BY5.8 Deforestation

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Deforestation

  • trees being cut down faster than they can be regenerated naturally
  • forests help to maintain the balance of CO2 and O2 in the atmosphere

reasons for deforestation:

  • world demand for timber as a building material
  • wood is used as a fuel
  • land is cleared for farming
  • new roads are built to provide a transport infra-structure
  • demand for paper and packaging

consequences of deforestation:

climate change

  • rate that CO2 is being removed from the atmosphere by photosynthesis is reduced by deforestation
  • this had led to a globally massive reduction and contributes to global warming

destruction of natural habitats

  • leads to a decrease in biodiversity
  • estimated 50% of world sepeies live in the rianforest
  • destruction of natural habiats may lead ot the less of medicinal properties of some tropical plants that may become extinct before heir clinical properties hvae been investigated

soil erosion

  • digging anf ploughing of top soil assists the process of soil erosion
  • removal of vegetation aggects regional climate by reducing rainfall and accelerating desertification
  • deforestation of watersheds causes lowland flooding
    • removal of vegetation on higher slopes of valleys means that heavy rain sweeps exposed soil to the flood plains
    • on lower slopes plants would act as a sponge and soak up the heavy rainfall and water would be released into the souk
    • due to the absense of plants only evpaoration is occuring
    • this…

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