Forests cover 31% of the world’s land surface. They’re home to millions of species of trees, flowers, birds, amphibians, mammals and much more. Millions of people also depend on forests for food, medicine and their livelihoods. While areas like rainforests are called “the lungs of the world,” deforestation threatens the future of forests and every living thing. In this article, we’ll describe the effects of deforestation, where deforestation is happening and how you can take action.
Deforestation is the removal of trees for purposes like agriculture, mining, grazing, construction and fuel. While humans have used trees for thousands of years, tree-clearing is happening too fast and without proper management. Deforestation has many harmful effects, such as carbon release, soil erosion and the acceleration of climate change.
What are the effects of deforestation?
When trees are cleared for purposes like agriculture, mining or urban development, harmful effects ripple through the whole ecosystem. Here are seven of the most significant consequences:
#1. Forests absorb carbon (and deforestation releases it)
When it comes to carbon, forests are nature’s sponges. Through the process of photosynthesis, trees pull carbon dioxide from the air and bind it with sugar. The trees then use this sugar to build their roots, branches, and trunks. While trees release some carbon when they decompose, trees are a natural carbon capture system. According to the US Forest Service, forests in the United States store around 800 million tons of carbon every year. Without these forests, that carbon would remain in the atmosphere. Deforestation also releases the carbon that trees have already captured. According to one paper, tropical deforestation accounts for around 20% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions.
#2. Deforestation makes air pollution worse
Trees don’t only pull carbon from the air, they remove pollutants from the air, too. According to the United States Forest Service, computer simulations revealed that forests and trees took 17.4 million tonnes of air pollution in 2010. That contributed to the avoidance of more than 850 deaths. When too many trees are cleared, air pollution is allowed to thrive. The burning of trees can cause issues, too. In Brazil, fires burned to clear land for grazing, agriculture or land speculation cause severe air pollution. According to Human Rights Watch, children, older people, pregnant people and people with lung or heart diseases are most vulnerable.
#3. Deforestation disrupts the water cycle
Trees pull water through their roots and release water vapor into the atmosphere. This makes forests a vital part of the global water cycle. According to YaleEnvironment360, forests in one part of the world can play a part in rainfall thousands of miles away. When trees are cleared, the water cycle gets disrupted. One study found that tropical forest loss in any of the tropical zones, which includes the Congo basin, southeast Asia and the Amazon Rainforest, could threaten agriculture in the world’s “breadbaskets,” Breadbaskets are especially fertile areas responsible for growing wheat and other grains. Without enough rain, the world’s food security is threatened.
#4. Deforestation hurts the soil
Without soil, there would be no life on earth. This may seem like an overstatement for something as simple as dirt, but soil is a complex material made from minerals, living organisms, water, gas and organic matter. Soil, alongside carbon, nitrogen, water and the other basic building blocks of life, contributes to the cycles that let plant life grow. Plant life – which includes forests – protects soil. When deforestation occurs, soil becomes vulnerable to erosion, which is when dirt gets exposed to winds, rain and flowing water. Erosion damages the quality of soil, which hurts productive farmland and biodiversity. Dangerous floods and mudslides are also harmful.
#5. Deforestation reduces biodiversity
The world’s forests are home to millions of living creatures, including plants and animals. According to the UN’s Environment Programme, forests are home to 80% of amphibian species, 75% of bird species and 68% of mammal species. This type of biodiversity is key to an environment’s health and sustainability. Deforestation threatens all these living things and reduces the world’s biodiversity. According to a study published in Sciences Advances, deforestation, specifically for agriculture and livestock, is “the biggest direct driver” of biodiversity loss.
#6. Deforestation negatively impacts health
Deforestation narrows the boundary between humans and pathogens carried by animals. National Geographic describes one example from 1997. In Indonesia, forest land was cleared for agriculture, driving fruit bats closer to humans. Disease spread first to pigs and then to pig farmers. By 1999, almost 300 people had become ill with the Nipah virus. It was the first example of this disease in humans. Deforestation also destroys plants used in traditional medicines, which is a serious issue considering how many people depend on herbs for medicine. According to the World Health Organization, 70-80% of people in sub-Saharan Africa use herbs as their primary healthcare. Many medical breakthroughs – such as the creation of Aspirin – also come from working with plants, so deforestation threatens future healthcare.
#7. Deforestation contributes to climate change
Deforestation has many consequences, such as releasing carbon, causing soil erosion, hurting biodiversity and disrupting the water cycle. In combination, all these things contribute to climate change. How big is the impact? According to the World Wildlife Fund, deforestation is responsible for about 10% of global warming. Global warming is currently the greatest emergency facing the world. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change could cause about 250,000 extra deaths from heat stress, undernutrition, malaria and diarrhea. If drastic action isn’t taken, the effects of deforestation and climate change will only get worse.
What are examples of deforestation?
Where is deforestation happening? Here are four places where deforestation is the most severe:
#1. The Amazon Rainforest
According to Britannica, the Amazon Rainforest covers about 40% of Brazil’s total area. As the world’s largest rainforest, it’s home to the world’s richest source of biodiversity among trees, plants, and animals. Scientists are frequently discovering new species. Tragically, the rainforest has lost about ⅕ of its forest cover. In 2021, deforestation in the Amazon reached a 15-year high. Factors like ranching and farming are responsible for big chunks of forest clearing.
#2. West Africa
West Africa, which includes countries like Ghana, Mali, Niger and Guinea, is home to many forests. In Guinea, forests are home to more than 9,000 vascular plant species, almost 400 terrestrial species and a diverse selection of freshwater fish. According to the World Economic Forum, agriculture, the international trade of cocoa, displacement and the growth of cities have driven a lot of deforestation. A 30-year satellite study found that deforestation was responsible for an increase in storms, especially near the coast. Heavy rainfall and flash floods can threaten the lives of people in surrounding areas.
#3. Australia
According to the Australian government, the country’s forests make up 17% of Australia’s land area. Their health is threatened by land clearing, urban development, mining, extreme weather, drought, invasive weeds, grazing and more. Eastern Australia is especially at risk. According to the World Wildlife Fund, the area ranks with the Amazon as one of the most vulnerable places. Satelitte analysis found that beef farming in Queensland, Australia, was driving deforestation, despite the passing of laws in 2018 meant to reduce tree-clearing. Many landowners have continued to clear trees, even in areas where threatened species are likely to live.
#4. Russia
Russia is home to the largest area of natural forests. Around 49% of Russia’s total landmass is forest. According to Earth.org, Russia lost 64 million hectares from 2001 to 2019. The state of Russia owns the forests, but the private sector uses them for commercial reasons. Illegal logging is a persistent issue, leading to widespread deforestation. Wildfires have also been a problem. According to a Human Rights Watch report in 2023, almost 4 million hectares burned by late September, while almost half of the forests were “excluded from fire-fighting measures.”
What can individuals and governments do to take action against deforestation?
Forests are vital to the health and safety of countless species, including humans, so what can individuals and governments do to curb deforestation? Here are three examples:
#1. Fight for legal protections
According to a piece on Conversation.org, establishing protected areas like national parks and wilderness preserves is the most effective way to reduce deforestation. Protections are most effective when they protect forests close to cities, roads and other places with a high human population. When protections are only extended to remote forests, where the risk of deforestation is already low, the laws aren’t quite as effective.
#2. Empower Indigenous forest management
Studies show that forests managed by Indigenous groups are healthier and better protected. Fire is one tried-and-true strategy. According to the University of California, fires have always been used in California, and burns by the Karuk and Yurok tribes were vital in preserving forests and biodiversity. Giving land rights and management back to the Indigenous groups that cared for forests for thousands of years can reduce deforestation and its harmful effects.
#3. Change your shopping habits
Individuals affect deforestation through their shopping habits. According to one report from the Environmental Audit Committee, shoppers in the UK were putting “pressure on forests” by buying soy, cocoa, palm oil, leather and beef. This information lines up with earlier findings identifying beef, soy, palm oil and wood products as the biggest commodities behind tropical deforestation. Shoppers can fight against deforestation by adjusting their habits and demanding corporations make more socially responsible, sustainable choices.
