John Jameson

AC000000

SO245 Social Impact of Technology

Assignment 4

08 June 2023
 How Deforestation Affects Us

Jolanie Johnson

Do you know what deforestation is? It is where people cut down forests or trees, and this

can be a problem for the environment. Many things in our environment are important to our

survival and they are affected by deforestation. One example is the carbon cycle, which describes

how carbon is released and used on our planet. We as humans breathe out carbon dioxide but we

also produce carbon dioxide when we burn things or drive our vehicles. Another example is the

water cycle, which describes how water moves on and above the earth. Water gets into the air

through evaporation from bodies of water, but a huge amount of moisture comes from plants and

trees when it is released through transpiration. It forms clouds that get saturated and release

water (rain) back to the earth. This water collects in bodies of water, seeps into the soil, and is

absorbed by plants to use. A third example is species diversity, which is the number of species of

animals and plants in an area. Animals and plants are suited to live and survive in specific areas

and habitats, as these provided them with their necessities of food, shelter, and water. These

three areas and more are directly affected by the cutting down of trees or forested areas.

When deforestation occurs, the carbon cycle gets interrupted. Trees are made to absorb

carbon dioxide as they use it to make their source of energy and release oxygen as a byproduct in

the process called photosynthesis. This makes the air cleaner for living things that depend on

oxygen to breathe. The removal of too many trees hampers the earth’s ability to balance the

amount of carbon dioxide in the air, which makes breathing difficult. If we keep putting more

and more carbon dioxide into the air and keep removing too many trees from the earth,

eventually the atmosphere will become unbreathable for most living things including human

beings. We need the trees to help keep the air clean.

 Deforestation breaks down our very important water cycle. The water cycle is an intricate

system that keeps our planet’s water in a state of nonstop flow A loss of trees means less

transpiration which would eventually mean less rainfall. Without trees and the other vegetation,

enough moisture wouldn’t make it into the air to form clouds so that rain could fall and continue

the cycle. This would mean that the rivers and lakes would lose water because they depend on

rainwater for replenishment. Crops would wither and die because plants need water to grow and

thrive. Soil erosion would increase because plant roots help greatly in holding the soil together

and prevent it from being washed away. Trees can be a key factor in determining the weather and

climate. Cutting down forested areas will have a huge effect on how the water cycle moves water

between the soil and the atmosphere. This not only affects the local community but can have

ripple effects on the entire globe.

Deforestation can greatly affect the survival of plant and animals. As was said earlier,

trees absorb carbon dioxide, and if we continue to lose trees worldwide, carbon dioxide in the air

will build up. This will eventually lead to global warming. As the earth heats up, the original

habitat of plants and animals change and they now have to quickly adjust to survive. Many

species can only live in a specific area and can easily become extinct due to loss of habitat. We

know that deforestation can speed up soil erosion which causes the topsoil to erode and results in

less nutritious soil where plants cannot grow. Therefore, plant-eating animals would have to go

long distances to find a new and sustainable food source. These animals search for new habitats

to sustain them, but at the same time, they are dangerously invading the human spaces and

developed areas. So, it seems that deforestation means that plants and animals would have to

adapt or become extinct. Deforestation is a hazard to animals and humans.

 Deforestation deprives the planet of essential resources that sustain plant, animal and

human life on earth. Removing vegetation from one area can have a global impact on the

precious resource of fresh water, the much-needed oxygen and clean air, and the animal and

plant life that populate our world. These issues can be fixed not only through restoration but also

through the preservation of our forested areas. We can plant and replant trees where the loss

most devastating, and although trees take a long time to grow, it is a start. We can also preserve

the trees we do have left as they are mature and already doing the job of maintaining balance so

well. Saving our forested areas means saving ourselves.