Deforestatio

n And Its
Group Members:Kimberly Moh

Effects Yeow Joo Ann

Click to edit Master
Bithiah subtitle
Zhu Yi Dan
style
Class:4 Beta
Teacher: Miss Voo.
Subject:Biology
 Definition Of
Deforestation
• Deforestation is the clearance of
naturally occurring forests by the
processes of logging and/or burning
of trees in a forested area.
 Introduction
• Deforestation is the permanent
destruction of indigenous forests
and woodlands. The term does not
include the removal of industrial
forests such as plantations. It has
resulted in the reduction of
indigenous forests to 4/5 of their
pre-agricultural area.
•
• Deforestation is a problem that is
caused largely by greed and want for
property, money and possibly status. In
many parts of the world the forest is
taken for granted as a replenishable
resource, which it is. The problem is
that the trees
cannot be regrown and replanted at the
rate at which they are being cut down.
For this reason the forests are declining
at an incredible rate and there is no
forseeable future for places like the
Amazon which remained untouched for
20 000 years and now could be
destroyed in less than a human's life
time.
• Deforestation is a problem with far
reaching consequences ranging
from a barren landscape to a
higher Carbon Dioxide levels in
the air. The underlying point is
that we have to pull together to
stop the destruction of the
world's woodlands and forests.
Important Elogical
Roles of Tropical
Rainforesets They contain many unique
Rainforests are the
species which provide food,
oldest ecosystems medicine and other biological
on Earth and house products.Plants fromthe
almost half of the tropical rainforests provide
flora and fauna of about one quarter of
the world. pharmaceutical products
available today.
According to the National
Cancer Institute, 70% of the
plants useful in treatment of
cancer can only be found in
the tropical rainforests.
• Rainforests regulate climate by
influencing wind, rainfall, humidity
and temperature patterns.
• Rainforests are also called the ‘carbon
sink’ of the Earth because they
absorb vast amounts of carbon
dioxide during photosynthesis and at
the same time release oxygen into
the atmosphere
•
• They also server as water
catchment areas.

Despite their importance, it has

been estimated that more than
50 million acres of rainforests are
destroyed or seriously degraded
every year. In general,
deforestation results in
•
• Soil erosion
• Flash floods
• Landslides
• Disruption to the carbon
and nitrogen cycles
• Severe climatic changes
• The loss of biodiversity
Deforestation causes soil
erosion, landslides and
flashflood
. Without proper development
1

and planning, a land stripped

of its vegetation
Click is subject
to edit Master subtitle to
styleerosion is the
soil erosion. Soil
removal and thinning of the
soil layer due to physical and
• climatic processes, such as high
rainfalls.
•
• 2. The absence of plant root system
makes the soil structure unstable.
•
• 3. When there are heavy rains for a
long periods of time, the top layer
of soil crumbles and this leads to
landslides on the steep hill slides.
•
• 4. The eroded soil is then
carried by moving water and
deposited at the bottom of
rivers.
•
• 5. This, together with depletion
of water catchment areas,
causes flash floods during the
rainy seasons.
•
•
•
• 6. Soil erosion causes the land
to be depleted of minerals and
natural resources, making the
land infertile.
What are
these ???????
Soil Erosion
Landslid
es
(Living
on the
EDGE)
Flash
floods
Deforestatio
n results in
the loss of
biodiversity
Deforestation has a
devastating effect on the
biodiversity in tropical
rainforests . The destruction
of millions of hectares of
forests by human activities
means :

(a)the removal of the bases

of numerous food webs
(b) the loss of habitats of
many species of flora fauna

(c) the extinction of countless

species and varieties of plants
and animals. The extinction of
flora and fauna species reduces
the biodiversity . Biodiversity
can be a rich source of food
and priceless medicines to
mankind.
 Deforestation
causes climatic
Deforestation disrupts the
normal weather patterns,
changes-
creating hotter, drier
weather and causing global
climatic changes.

The removal of trees

reduces transpiration,
rainfall and the rate at
which plants absorb carbon
dioxide from the
atmosphere during
photosynthesis.
This lead to an increase in the
carbon dioxide level in the
atmosphere. High level of
carbon dioxide prevent heat
from escaping from the
atmosphere. This is known as
the greenhouseeffect which is
believed to lead to global
warming.
Forest clearing Burning of trees
and burning of in the tropics
wood result in adds about
air pollution 25% more
and release carbon dioxide
more carbon to the
dioxide into the atmosphere.
atmosphere.
 Deforestatio
.
n disrupts
the carbon
and nitrogen
 1.The removal of 2.The level of
plant in the atmospheric carbon
rainforests disrupts dioxide rises as less
the natural cycle of carbon dioxide in the
nutrients . air is removed by
plants during
photosynthesis
 5.Tree roots bind
soil particles
3.The level of together ,and
atmospheric 4.The the tree canopy
oxygen drops as recycling of cushions the
less oxygen is nitrates and force of rain
released by other ions beating down on
plants during slows down. the soil .
photosynthesis. Deforestation
,therefore ,causes
the loss of
nutrients through
leaching and run
offs.
Deforestat
Click to edit Master subtitle

ion style

disrupts
 1.The removal of plant in
the rainforests disrupts the
natural cycle of nutrients .

2.The level of atmospheric

carbon dioxide rises as less
carbon dioxide in the air is
removed by plants during
photosynthesis .

3.The level of atmospheric

oxygen drops as less
oxygen is released by
plants during
photosynthesis.
 4.The recycling of
nitrates and other
ions slows down.

5.Tree roots bind soil

particles together
,and the tree canopy
cushions the force of
rain beating down on
the soil .
Deforestation
,therefore ,causes the
loss of nutrients
through leaching and
Solving to the
Problem
To prevent deforestation
is a personal
undertaking, where you
do your best to conserve
the wood you use. You
can also get involved at
your school and try to
get some money
together and use it to
 write to your municipality to ask
them to hold back on the cutting
down of trees. You must tell
everyone that you know about the
effects of deforestation and explain
how they can help. If you need
guidance as to how to go about
preserving nature, ask an adult or
teacher. Always try to limit the
wood etc, that you use. Do not by
 excessive
amounts of
wooden items
as this only
encourages the
people who
own
timbermills and
logging
companies.
 THE END
• Thank you.
• Resources:
Biology text book form 4
(pg292-294)
http://library.thinkquest.org/C
0127068/deforestation.html