Deforestation

Deforestation is the large-scale removal or cutting of forests across the globe. It is an evil to the environment that has the power to reshape the climate of Earth, leading to a global crisis that threatens biodiversity, disrupts ecosystems, and accelerates climate change. Humans often make use of forest land for agricultural purposes, urban development, etc. It can also occur due to natural hazards like forest fires or storms, etc. 

1.0Causes of Deforestation

1. Agriculture: One of the leading causes of deforestation is land clearing for crops and livestock farming. Large-scale monoculture farming for palm oil, soy, or coffee results in the loss of vast areas of forest.
2. Logging: The commercial logging industry harvests trees for timber, paper products, and other materials, accounting for a significant portion of deforestation.
3. Urbanisation: As population increases, it expands cities and infrastructure into forests, which leads to forest clearing.
4. Mining: Extracting minerals and resources from the land often involves clearing forests to access the deposits.
5. Fires: Natural and man-made forest fires result in considerable loss of forest cover.

2.0Impact of Deforestation 

• Loss of Biodiversity: Forests are the home of many species of plants and animals. Deforestation takes the homes of these species, thus causing a loss of biodiversity. 
• Climatic Change: Trees are a fundamental component in the carbon cycle as during photosynthesis, they absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂). When these forests are removed, this carbon is released into the atmosphere again, which leads to global warming and climate change.
• Disruption of the Water Cycle: Trees influence the rain-generating patterns and the distribution of water in an ecosystem. Local and regional weather patterns would be altered through disruption of this cycle when deforestation occurs, resulting in droughts and floods.
• Soil Erosion: Trees act as natural barriers that prevent soil erosion. Without trees, the soil becomes loose, leading to landslides, sedimentation in rivers, and the degradation of fertile land.

3.0Relation Between Deforestation and Climate Change

Deforestation and climatic changes are two faces of the same coin. Deforestation brings many harmful effects to the climate like global warming, soil erosion, etc. But the question is how does it happen? There are many chemical reactions that happen with Deforestation that lead to drastic chemical changes. The science behind climate change includes the following pointers:

1. Carbon Emissions: Carbon dioxide is a Greenhouse gas meaning it can absorb heat produced from the sun. Trees use this carbon dioxide to make their food glucose and produce oxygen in exchange, which is essential for the survival of all animals. With continuous cutting of trees, this carbon cycle will be disturbed, leading to increases in the temperature of the planet, also known as the greenhouse effect or global warming. 
2. Combustion: Combustion is a process in which substances react with oxygen (O₂), releasing energy in the form of heat and light. Forest fires, when burning trees and plants, react with organic materials present in them in the lack of oxygen, leading to incomplete combustion and producing harmful substances like methane, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide. 

• Combustion Reaction (Complete):  $C+O_2\to C{O}_2+Energy$
• Incomplete Combustion: $2C+O_2\to 2CO(CarbonMonoxide)$