Deforestation refers to the clearing, removal, or destruction of forests. It involves the permanent conversion of forested areas into non-forest land for various purposes such as agriculture, urbanization, or logging.
Imagine a beautiful and vibrant garden filled with diverse plants and animals. Now picture someone coming in and ripping out all the plants, leaving behind only barren soil. That's what deforestation does to our forests - it destroys their natural beauty and disrupts the delicate balance of ecosystems.
Biodiversity: Biodiversity refers to the variety of living organisms in a particular habitat or on Earth as a whole. Deforestation can lead to a loss of biodiversity as many species rely on forests for their survival.
Carbon Sequestration: Carbon sequestration is the process by which carbon dioxide (CO2) is captured from the atmosphere and stored long-term in vegetation, soils, or other reservoirs. Deforestation reduces carbon sequestration capacity since trees absorb CO2 during photosynthesis.
Desertification: Desertification is the process by which fertile land becomes desert-like due to factors like deforestation, climate change, or unsustainable agricultural practices. Deforestation can contribute to desertification by removing protective tree cover that helps retain moisture in soil.
AP Environmental Science - 5.2 Clearcutting
AP Environmental Science - 5.10 Impacts of Urbanization
AP Environmental Science - 5.11 Ecological Footprints
AP Environmental Science - 6.7 Energy from Biomass
AP Environmental Science - 9.3 The Greenhouse Effect
AP Environmental Science - 9.4 Increases in the Greenhouse Gases
AP Environmental Science - 9.7 Ocean Acidification
Study guides for the entire semester
200k practice questions
Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.