15 Scary Facts About Deforestation

A photo depicting deforestation. Author; Bernhard. Pixabay

15 Scary Facts About Deforestation

The immediate or gradual process of cutting down/removal of forests, trees, and other types of vegetation from an area is known as deforestation. Deforestation can be for the purposes of converting forest land into ranches, farms, or other urban uses. Across the world, the most common type of deforestation takes place in tropical rainforests.

The earth’s land surface, which is approximately 31% is made of forests, but more forest lands are being cleared. It is claimed that an average of 2,400 trees are cut down every passing minute across the world which has impacted the world negatively. Deforestation can be carried out by clear-cutting, logging, or burning trees and other plants.

In various countries, deforestation happens because of some reasons which range from agricultural to commercial even though this is not encouraged. Commercial purposes for deforestation include logging and making room for growing crops and rearing livestock. Urbanization, the building of roads, buildings, and other structures have also contributed to deforestation.

The impacts of deforestation range from animals losing their natural habitat, climatic changes, environmental changes, and other times impacts on agriculture, and other economic activities. There has been a war against deforestation from governments, NGOs, and individuals across the world. Here are the 15 Scary Facts About Deforestation:

1. Deforestation is the Second-leading Cause of Climate Change

A photo illustrating climate change. Image by Enrique from Pixabay

Forests play a huge role in ensuring that unwanted gases in the atmosphere are cleared. However, when forests and trees are cleared, the atmosphere is left with some dangerous gases that impose the globe to severe negative changes.

When trees and forests are cut down, carbon that was previously filtered from the atmosphere and stored by trees is released back into the atmosphere. The released carbon is converted to carbon dioxide which has largely contributed to climate change.

2. It has led to Massive Soil Erosion that Cause Land Slides

The roots of trees play a huge role in ensuring that soil is held compactly together and not lost during heavy rains. Cutting down of trees had exposed the soil surfaces to some scary impacts that have caused havoc in major parts of the world.

Deforestation has led to soil erosion in areas that were initially not prone to soil erosion. This phenomenon, soil erosion, can in turn lead to massive landslides which kill many people and destroy property.

Read 15 Interesting Facts about Rainforests.

3. Natural Habitats of Animals and Birds are Destroyed by Deforestation

A giraffe in a park. Author; Magda. Pexels

Wild animals and birds’ natural habitats are forests and other locations where there is vegetation. They hugely rely on vegetation and forests for their survival in the ecosystem.

However, deforestation that is being promoted by humans has affected wild animals and birds greatly. Wild animals and birds have lost their natural habitat leaving them exposed to death.

4. Deforestation Leads to the Extinction of Various Species of Plants

Deforestation affects both wild animals, birds, and humans as well as plants are also affected directly. Cutting off trees in forests and preserved locations have led to major losses to the natural ecosystem.

Another scary fact about deforestation is that various species of plants go extinct in the process. Several plant species in various regions across the world have gone extinct while others are on the verge of extinction.

5. It Leads to Desertification

An area turning into a desert. Image by zj900430 from Pixabay

Another impact of deforestation is desertification. Desertification is the process in which land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas is degraded from being productive.

Trees usually provide major nutrients to the soil making them more important to the environment. However, deforestation means that the soil cannot get any nutrients leaving the soil dry and the same as the desert.

6. Indigenous Cultures and Traditions are Lost through Deforestation

Forests and trees have been useful in various ways by indigenous communities across the world. Some indigenous communities use trees and forests for gathering roots and fruits for their survival. Other cultures have long used forests as sacred sites of prayers.

Cutting down trees and clearing forests has led to the loss of some of these cultural activities like gatherings. Deforestation has also led to the loss of these sacred sites which have been preserved for several years.

7. The water Cycle is Disrupted by Deforestation leading to Drought

The hydrological cycle. Author; Toony. Wikimedia

The hydrological cycle heavily depends on trees and forests. Trees are used to absorb water in the atmosphere as they act as water reservoirs by absorbing water from the ground and releasing it into the atmosphere.

This process leads to cloud formation that results in rainfall and the continuation of the cycle. However, deforestation disrupts this whole process leaving the atmosphere with dry air, low humidity, and decreased precipitation. This leads to drought and desert formation.

8. Deforestation Leads to Extinction of Animal and Bird Species

Wild animals and birds are interdependent on trees and forests since the beginning of time. This coexistence of wild animals, birds, and trees has been disrupted a lot by the cutting down of trees.

Deforestation has led to the extinction of some species of wild animals and birds that fully depends on forests and trees. This is a major loss to the environment and the future as the existence of these animals and birds is cut off.

Also, read 30 Mind-Blowing Facts about Deserts.

9. Displacement of People Depending on Forests is Caused by Deforestation

Displaced people. Image by David Mark from Pixabay

Animals and plants are not the only ones that depend on forests and trees, some people also depend on trees too. There are communities that depend on forests directly for their daily livelihoods.

Deforestation has had a major negative impact on these communities that depend on trees. The communities are displaced to other locations where there are no forests and trees, as well as their livelihoods, are destroyed.

10. Weather Patterns that can lead to Severe Drought Caused by Deforestation

Weather patterns are dependent on forests and trees. Global temperatures are regulated by the hydrological cycle but are greatly impacted by deforestation.

Cutting down trees leads to an increase and major changes in the amount as well as the distribution of rainfall. This leads to changes in local and global weather patterns.

11. Deforestation Causes an Increase in the Risk of Wildfires

A forest burnt down. Image by Terri Sharp from Pixabay

Clearing of forests and trees can also lead to some unavoidable disasters that leave huge losses. Deforestation can lead to an increase in the risk of wildfires.

After cutting down trees, the land remains to be dry and badly damaged due to the lack of green vegetation. This leads to the risk of ignition of wildfires which are usually so fatal.

12. Medicinal Plants are Destroyed in the Process of Deforestation

Since the old time, some specific trees have been used for medicinal purposes. In the modern day too, some plants are still being used for medicinal purposes.

Cutting down these trees in the act of deforestation leads to the destruction of medicinal plants. The loss of medicinal plants causes a major consequence on public health.

13. Major Rainforests are Destroyed by Deforestation

Destroyed forest. Image by Picography from Pixabay

Deforestation has been a habit being carried out in several nations across the world. This habit has been deemed a disaster for the environment in various ways.

Rainforests are majorly targeted in the process of cutting down trees and forests. The World Wildlife Fund revealed that approximately 17% of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed. More rainforests are being destroyed on a daily basis.

14. Water Sources are being Destroyed by Cutting Down Trees and Forests

Major water sources usually begin in forests. Forests and trees are major water catchment areas for millions of years. However, these water catchment areas have been destroyed by the cutting down of trees. This has led to the drying up of useful water bodies leaving animals, birds, and people dependent on the water struggling to catch up.

15. Deforestation can Lead to Increase Exposure to Diseases

Destroyed forest for logging. Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Major forest degradation and loss had increasingly led to the disruption of nature’s balance. Deforestation leads to the elimination of a large number of plant and animal species, which frequently leads to an increase in disease and exposes people to zoonotic diseases.

The cutting down of trees can also foster the growth of non-native species, such as certain types of snails, which have been linked to an increase in schistosomiasis cases. This is not what many people might want.

For a better future, we should all join hands and condemn deforestation to avoid causing a catastrophe that can lead to human extinction. Planting trees should be advocated for rather than promoting the clearing of forests.

Read Top 15 Facts About the Amazon Rainforest.