What impact would deforestation have on humans?

Question

Impact of deforestation on humans???

Answer 1

Decrease of supply of oxygen, lower more costly output of vegetation, disruption to the food chain (killing animal's habitats), etc.

Answer 2

Just as with everything, we are a part of an ecosystem, any change in ecosystem effects everyone. Deforestation poses many threats upon the environment. Forests are responsible for extracting carbon dioxide and pollutants from the atmosphere during photosynthesis, creating biosphere stability and reducing the effects of global warming. The absence of trees, in conjunction with fossil fuel gases released during the process of deforestation, tremendously enhances the greenhouse effect. Due to the lack of reforestation, the atmosphere is continually increasing its greenhouse gas levels. Wildlife is heavily impacted by deforestation. When wildlife is faced with a new environmental stress, in this case loss of habitats, they have three options, adapt, migrate, or go extinct . Adaptation, can take hundreds of years, therefore is a rare occurrence. Migration will only lead to a place where another environmental stress is present. Extinction, is generally the best option, and usually occurs before the species has the chance to try another. Deforestation reduces biodiversity and can cause extinction of vital species. Trees affect the hydrologic cycle in many ways, for example, canopy interception. The canopy (the top level of the forest characterized by lush foliage) is responsible for intercepting some of the precipitation and allowing it to evaporate back into the atmosphere, which results in decreasing surface runoff on the forest floor. Also, on the forest floor, leaf litter, trunks and roots slow down surface runoff. Trees also reduce soil moisture during a process called transpiration (a part of photosynthesis). The absence of trees caused by deforestation creates increased surface runoff which causes another environmental issue, soil erosion. Soil erosion is the displacement of soil due to increased surface runoff. Soil Erosion is detrimental to the environment because it limits the soil’s ability to support plant growth and can cause various tectonic effects (changes in the earths crust and/or mantle.). Perhaps one of the most hazardous effects of human deforestation, are landslides. Tree roots bind soil together, and help keep it in its place. When trees are removed, the soil becomes shallow and landslides may occur. Landslides are not only an environmental hazard, but they are a human health hazard as well.

Answer 3

It would make hunting easier.
Seriously, although, as another answer correctly says, most of the world's oxygen does not come from trees, it comes from plankton. But removing trees would affect the climate of an area, by interrupting the cloud formation cycles, which relies, in part, on ground temperature and moisture etc. If there are no trees and, importantly, associated undergrowth, the ground tends to dry out quicker, leading to regional droughts etc. probably having a more immediate impact than slowly rising CO2.

Answer 4

deforestation results to global warming.it means increase of carbon dioxide which disturbs the atmospheric balance and raises temperature. This in turn effects human beings. it leads to skin cancer, eye diseases etc. well... why only global warming? deforestation means clearing of forests which means cutting of plants. plants provide us with food. so when plants are cut, we do not get proper and healthy food this effects us adversly. so, deforestation has really bad impact on humans.

Answer 5

How much deforestation? If significant numbers of trees are removed then more carbon dioxide will build up and possibly increase Earth's temperature. I suppose more erosion would occur which removes valuable topsoil neded for farming.

Answer 6

Impact on humans
1) food source (unbalance the eco-system)
2) Soil erosion
3) Flooding (Soil particles would be washed into the rivers, raising the riverbed height, causing an increase of the water height)

Answer 7

The correct answer but perhaps not the most popular, is 'not much', as long as the trees are not burnt that is.

Trees are carbon neutral. Most of the oxygen in the atmosphere is not created by trees but by algae in the oceans - they ar far more critical.

The best thing we can do is cut trees down and plant more, trapping the carbon and grabbing more from the atmosphere.

Answer 8

An increase in Carbon Dioxide, leading to warmer temperatures. It would also become warmer because more solar radiation would be absorbed by the earth. Timber prices would increase.