The Problem of Deforestation Essay Sample

With how much deforestation happens in the world, the environment is being forced to change. Animals are losing their habitats and a lot of species can’t move and relocate. The water cycle also relies on forests to function. Plants suck water up from the ground and put water vapor in the air. The level of greenhouse gases is also increased because trees are able to suck in carbon dioxide. With deforestation contributing to the destruction of the environment, humans need to look into alternative ways to get land and wood.

Forests are an extremely diverse environment, not only for plants but also for animals. Deforestation is taking the shelters, food, and breeding lands away from the wildlife that inhabit them(Slavikova). Once a habitat is lost, it can be difficult for those who live in them to recover(Bennett). Many of these species’ habitats are becoming a small fragment of what they used to be. These fragments are usually too small to provide enough shelter, water, and food to hold a large population. This is causing many species to go extinct because they aren’t able to relocate. Those who can relocate can become invasive species and change the biodiversity in an area(Slavikova).

The water cycle is an important part of how the planet works and provides resources to living creatures. Trees are a big contributor to how this cycle works. Transpiration is the process of plants sucking water up with their roots and collecting the liquid in their leaves. That liquid then is released into the air as water vapor, providing moisture for the soil and animals(deforestation effect). Local crops can have a harder time growing without the moisture and protection the trees provide(Bennett). The environment is also getting hotter the more trees are getting cut down. The leaves absorb the sun’s energy, they use a large amount of the energy to Transpiration. When the trees are cut, the sun’s energy heats the environment. Sucking the moisture out of the air and evaporating the water on the ground. With deforestation, the environment is becoming dryer making it harder for plants to grow and animals to get the resources they need to survive(deforestation effect).

Trees not only produce oxygen but help with absorbing carbon dioxide. These plants help clean the air of the greenhouse gases produced by fossil fuels. Estimated to contribute around twenty-five percent of greenhouse gases, deforestation is a large part of climate change(Bennett). When trees mature they store the carbon dioxide in their leaves, wood, and soil. When the trees and cut or burned down all the carbon dioxide is released. It’s estimated that trees in forests store around 760 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide(Elmendorf).

With deforestation contributing to the destruction of the environment, humans need to look into alternative ways to get land and wood. Without the ability to relocate animals are losing their habitats. Forests also contribute to the water cycle by putting water vapor into the air. With the ability to suck in carbon dioxide, trees help limit climate change. Forests are a big part of the planet and provide a lot of different resources and with deforestation, these resources are disappearing not only of animals but humans as well.