Habit Destruction: Deforestation By: Daraneisha Jackson Biology 1312 University of Houston - Downtown

Where is it involved Deforestation is involve everywhere although tropical rainforests seems to get more targeted. It is cutting down trees or burning them to make room for buildings and land. An estimated 18 million of forest is cut down each year. That is almost like the size of Panama. Thus making deforestation one of the most dangerous problems in the 21rst century. One palm oil plantation can use up an entire rainforest.

Biotic and Abiotic Factors Deforestation is mainly a biotic factor because humans do the damage to it. But one thing that people are seem to forgetting is that there is someone living in those trees. It could be monkeys, bats, possums, and other things. The plants can also be affected once humans start chopping down the trees because of soil erosion. Soil erosion is when soil washed or blow away because tree roots are not anchoring them in place.

Impact As I say in my previous slide, one of the impacts is soil erosion. Soils (and the nutrients in them) will be exposed to the sun’s heat. Soil moisture will dried up, nutrients starts evaporating, and bacteria that help break down organic matter will be affected. Eventually, the rain will washes down the soil surfaces and erosion takes place. Thus, soils will never get their full potential back. We also have to think about what it would do to the water cycle. When forests starts dying then the water cycle ends up changing because trees absorb and retain water in their roots. Most of that water goes to plants while the rest transpire into the atmosphere. Since we break this process then the atmosphere and water bodies begin to dry out. The watershed potential is compromised and less water will run through the rivers. Smaller lakes and streams that take water from these larger water bodies dry up. Then rainforests can end up in droughts.

Amazon Rainforest DROUGHT

Impact continued… The third thing we have to think about is the lost of animals when deforestation happens. More than 80 percent of animals live in rainforests. Then about 50 to 100 species of animals are being lost each day because their homes were destroy. Those animals will eventually die out and be lost to us forever. Deforestation also impact plants. Because of soil erosion, plants do not have the nutrients to grow thus dying out before it even have a chance to reach full potential. There are plants that are native to the rainforest and if they do not get enough nutrients and too much sun then they can also face extinction.

More that will be impacted We also have to look at how the climate will change if there will be no more rainforests. Plants absorbs Carbon Dioxide CO2 (greenhouse gas) and use it to produce food. Example being protein that makes up trees. In return for taking the Carbon Dioxide then plants will end up giving us oxygen. Thus making it harmful for us since oxygen is what we breathe. Deforestation will make Carbon Dioxide stay in the air while the plants that were destroy will release more into the air. It will alter the climate because then cool climates will start to become hotter while hot climates will cool down.

Financial Impact If anything deforestation is actually providing economic impacts. It is because we as humans let it. Companies deforest to make cattle ranches and the ever popular palm oil plantation. Palm oil is use in almost everything we have today from shampoo, cosmetics, processed foods, and even industrial applications. Cattle ranches also helps give us beef that we can purchase from grocery stores and supermarkets.

Cattle Ranches and Palm Oil Plantations

What is being done about it Many people are now planting trees because that is one of the first steps into reforestation. They also want to switch the human population to a plant – based diet to reduce the need for cattle ranches. Global Forest Watch is also reducing deforestation through awareness by using satellite technology, open data, and crowdsourcing to detect and alert others of the dangers. Their online community is also doing the same. Brazil already had made an effort to reduce deforestation in their country by more than two – thirds.

References Boucher, Doug. "Would a Large-scale Reforestation Effort Help Counter the Global Warming Impacts of Deforestation?" Union of Concerned Scientists. N.p., 1 Sept Web. 06 May "Deforestation Facts, Deforestation Information, Effects of Deforestation - National Geographic." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May Szalay, Jessie. "Deforestation: Facts, Causes & Effects." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 06 Mar Web. 04 May 2015.