Deforestation contributes to climate change by reducing the ability of trees to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the main greenhouse gas, which leads to an increase in the concentration of this gas and therefore to global warming.
Forests act like true carbon sponges, absorbing a significant portion of the CO2 that we release into the atmosphere through photosynthesis. When we massively cut down these trees, we eliminate these natural "sponges" and their ability to sustainably capture that carbon. The fewer trees there are, the less effective this absorption becomes; as a result, more carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect. Deforestation directly disrupts this process, limiting our planet's ability to self-regulate its climate.
When you cut down or burn trees, you release all the carbon they had patiently accumulated during their growth. It's simple: trees are a bit like huge reservoirs of CO2. By disappearing, they suddenly emit all that carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, significantly increasing its concentration. And as you might guess, the more CO2 there is, the stronger the greenhouse effect becomes, causing global temperatures to rise. It's as if you were suddenly emptying greenhouse gas stocks that had been stored for years directly into the air we breathe. Not a great idea!
When trees disappear, it changes the way water circulates in the region. A forest acts like a giant sponge: it absorbs water from the soil and releases it into the air through leaf transpiration. Without trees, much less water returns to the atmosphere, severely disrupting the usual rainfall patterns. As a result, some areas become dry (prolonged droughts), while others experience sudden and violent rains (increased flooding). These disturbances directly impact agriculture, the availability of drinking water, and make the management of water resources more difficult for the inhabitants of these regions.
Trees play an essential role: their presence creates very specific conditions around them, forming local microclimates. When forests are removed, ground temperatures can rise significantly due to direct sunlight hitting the ground, without protective vegetation cover. As a result, there is a rapid drying of soils and a more intense evaporation of water. With less local humidity in the air, changes in daily temperatures are observed, which can make certain regions noticeably warmer and drier than before. These seemingly minimal modifications at first can trigger small cascading effects that disrupt regional climates sustainably, leading to more frequent and severe heatwaves or droughts, for example.
Biodiversity is somewhat like the life insurance of the climate. Each species plays a specific role; some plants are more resistant to drought, and some animals facilitate the regeneration of a forest after a disaster. When you reduce this diversity, you lose natural solutions capable of more easily addressing climate upheavals. The less biodiversity there is, the less flexible ecosystems are in adapting to events like droughts, storms, or heatwaves. Ultimately, an environment poor in species is a vulnerable environment, which translates into increased damage when the consequences of climate warming knock at the door.
A single mature forest can significantly influence the local climate by reducing the average temperature by up to 2 to 4 degrees Celsius compared to a deforested area.
Every year, about 10 million hectares of forests disappear worldwide, which is the equivalent of a football field every two seconds!
Tropical forests store about 25% of Earth's carbon, and their disappearance releases significant amounts of CO₂ into the atmosphere, thereby accelerating climate change.
Deforestation disrupts the "flying river" of the Amazon: gigantic currents of humid air produced by the forest itself, which are essential for agriculture and the climatic balance of the American continent.
Reforestation effectively helps absorb atmospheric carbon, restore biodiversity, and regulate hydrological cycles. However, it takes a lot of time and does not immediately compensate for all the climate damage associated with previous forest losses.
Deforestation directly affects indigenous and local populations by disrupting their livelihoods, limiting their access to vital natural resources (food, water, medicine), and increasing their vulnerability to natural disasters such as floods and landslides.
Some simple measures include responsible consumption (favoring products from sustainable sources, avoiding unsustainable palm oil), supporting protective forestry policies, reducing paper waste, and promoting awareness in one's own community.
The main causes of deforestation include intensive agriculture, illegal or excessive logging, the expansion of urban areas, extensive livestock farming, and the construction of road infrastructure.
Forests host a significant portion of the world's terrestrial biodiversity. Deforestation destroys natural habitats and exposes thousands of animal and plant species to extinction, thereby weakening the entire ecosystem and its ability to adapt to climate change.
No one has answered this quiz yet, be the first!' :-)
Question 1/5
