Impacts of Deforestation

Deforestation on any scale, involves some sort of impact. It affects wildlife and the environment– which means it effects us.

On a global scale, the changes in forests can modify water, energy and carbon balances, which can lead to having effects on climate. While deforestation brings different temperature changes to different geographical locations, it has significantly increased the heat in tropical locations.  The average warming speed currently is 0.28K/decade.  While an effort is being made by many governments to try to reduce emissions to help combat the rapid change of climate, deforestation is a source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.  CO2 is a big-time player in the greenhouse effect*. Not only do plants use CO2 to produce oxygen, they also store carbon. By removing trees in large-scale operations, the stored carbon is being released into the atmosphere, and the CO2 we are producing, isn’t being turned into oxygen.  Instead, both carbon and CO2 are collecting in the atmosphere, enhancing the warming effect that we are trying to reduce.

While deforestation isn’t the only factor contributing to the loss of animal species, it is considered a major factor.  It claims anywhere from 14,000 to 16 million animal species on an annual basis. For example, orangutans are known on a global scale for being intelligent, playful, and curious, which naturally makes them adorable.  Unfortunately, they are just one of many species that are losing their homes in the trees. For more information on orangutans and deforestation, watch the video below:

*The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface through gases collecting in the atmosphere. For a better visual, the process looks something like this: