The Environmental Impacts Of Deforestation

Environmental Impacts of Deforestation Institutional Affiliation Student’s Name Course Name/Number Professor’s name Date Submitted   I. Introduction Deforestation is the clearing of virgin forests, or deliberate removal or destruction of trees and other shrubberies for commercial, housing, firewood, or agricultural use without reforesting (replanting) and without giving time for the forest to restore itself (Richards, 2002). Trees are utilized for shelter, burned for warmth, transformed into paper products, used as energy sources, and a myriad of other things. However, when trees and vegetation are cut down, it distorts the balance of the entire ecosystem – the carbon cycle, the hydro cycle, and a decrease in species variety. As affirmed by the EPA, a predominant cause of man-made global warming is deforestation, particularly, the clearing of tropical forests, second to the burning of fossil fuels. These disrupt the carbon cycle and subsequently, the hydro cycle. Deforestation reduces species diversity because it deprives species of their native habitat, forcing them to resettle or adapt, but the dire outcome is extinction. II. Discussion The Carbon Cycle involves the transaction of Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen between animals and plants (Costa, 2009). Humans excrete Carbon Dioxide through respiration whereas plants produce oxygen during photosynthesis. Conversely, humans require oxygen for survival, whereas plants need Carbon Dioxide for photosynthesis. This cycle is perfect in that; it maintains an equal concentration of Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen in the atmosphere. When deforestation occurs, the number of trees decreases; consequently, the rate of Carbon Dioxide absorption steadily decreases because photosynthesis occurrence also decreases (Costa, 2009). This phenomenon, then causes an increase in the concentration of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere. In sum, forests have high rates of productivity and an immense capacity to imbibe Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere. If these are replaced with less productive ecosystems, then removal of carbon in the atmosphere through photosynthesis will be decreased, thus disrupting the Carbon Cycle. Water Cycle involves the continual movement of water above, below, and on the earth's surface (Bradford, 2015). Maintaining a constant balance in the water cycle is critical for the wellness of the earth and its populace. The distraction of the Water Cycle results in global changes like climate change that interfere with the state of living things. Trees store immense amounts of water, parti...