· -Loss of habitat for animals
· -Climate Change- rainforests are wet humid places. However, when the trees are removed the sun dries out the soil. Trees are also part of the water cycle. Through a process called transpiration, trees draw water up through their roots and return water vapor back into the atmosphere. Without these trees lush forests can become barren deserts.
· -Green House Effect- Trees store a large amount of carbon dioxide. When they burn the gas is released into the air. According to rainforest facts.com, rainforest destruction is responsible for 17% of the worlds CO2 emissions. That is more than the combination of all of the cars, planes, and boats!
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-Temperature Swings- When trees are removed the forest is deprived of its covering. The Canopy has two important uses
1. It blocks the sun’s rays.
2. It holds heat in at night.
With the canopy gone the temperature is unstable. This can be harmful to plants and animals.·
-Altered Rainfall Patterns- Deforestation not only affects those who live in and around the rainforest, it can affect us in the states as well. The destruction of those forests has an interesting result. It alters rainfall patterns in the US, declining precipitation. Deforestation of the Amazon region influences precipitation from Mexico to Texas and the Gulf of Mexico.
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-Decline in food availability-People living in or near the rainforest acquire a significant amount of food from the forest. According to Bennett, Robinson and Eves, people in the Amazon Basin consume 67,000 to 184,000 tons of wild meat per year. The receding forest makes food less available to the people.
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-Other Concerns-Area’s affected by deforestation also have other concerns. The lack of tree roots leaves the forest floor open the mudslides, erosion, and loss of nutrients.
