Environmental Implications of Deforestation, Essay Example

The environment supports the lives of both the human beings to the smallest of parasite species. Thus, environmental issues resulting from the disruption of the Earth’s delicate balance is sure to affect our existence. Trees being the backbone of the environment we live in act as carbon dioxide filters; affect the earth’s climate; and provide shelter to organisms and primates. Therefore, deforestation is sure to have environmental effects such as, disruption of the water cycle; climate change; loss of forest-based societies; soil erosion; flooding and drought.

The water cycle is purely dependent on the existence of trees. Through their roots, trees enable water to enter the ground and return to the atmosphere in for of vapor necessary for the formation of rain. As such, cutting down of trees will disrupt the flow of water in the ecosystem, eventually causing drought in those areas. Similarly, trees act as water reservoirs during heavy rain and regulate the flow of water throughout the season. However, seasonal flood and drought results when the trees are cut down due to surface runoff during rainfall (Repetto 37).

Climatic changes largely associated with global warming, results from large emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. While trees have continuously absorbed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, deforestation has not only released the gases to the atmosphere but also generated carbon through burning and rotting (Repetto 39).

The biological diversity of physical and geographical features is being lost due to deforestation.  According to Sheram, a greater percentage of the entire world species exist in the 6 percent of the tropical forest that covers the Earth’s surface. Increased cases of extinction are threatening the existence of species at a rate of 75 percent of animal species being lost on a daily basis, due to deforestation (4).

Works cited

Repetto, Robert. Deforestation in the Tropics. Scientific American, April l990, pp. 37-39.

Sheram, Katherine. The Environmental Data Book, The World Bank, Washington, DC, l993, p. 4