– Barren forest is one of the valuable natural resources for all living things. But according to WWF , about 15 billion trees are cut down every year worldwide and cause a lot of damage. Then, what is the impact of bare forests on the environment and society?
The impact of deforested forests on the environment and society The following are some of the impacts if the forest is deforested for the environment and society, namely: Disrupt the water cycle Forests play an important role in the water cycle of an area. Reporting from Mongabay , forests add local humidity through transpiration (the process of releasing water from plant bodies) which can increase local rainfall. If the forest is deforested, then no transpiration occurs. This reduces the rainfall. Decreased rainfall can cause droughts that are fatal to plants, animals, and humans. The disturbed water cycle makes it rain less and less. As a result, the volume of river flow will also decrease. So that farmers and ranchers will find it difficult to get water for plants and livestock. So drought affects not only animals and plants, but also human food supply. Also read: How to prevent Barren Forests from happening Forest fires Drought caused by the disruption of the water cycle will make the forest area arid and dry. The sun will be very hot, and the forest will be vulnerable to fires. In these dry and hot conditions, fires can be very large, very destructive, and also difficult to stop. The death of flora and fauna Barren forest means that a lot of flora and fauna have lost their habitat. In fact, the majority of animals and plants live in the forest. So that the bare forest will cause a lot of flora and fauna to die. Fauna that survives from deforested forests still have to face drought conditions and also loss of forest as a source of food. This will end in starvation and the death of fauna. Reduced water supply Earth only has about 2.5 percent fresh water of all water on the planet. Forests play a key role in the supply of such fresh water. Plant roots help rainwater seep underground as a clean water supply. Barren forest, making the water just flow into the river and end up in the sea. This means a reduced supply of clean water for humans. Without the forest, the mountain water will slowly recede, causing drought. Also read: Causes of Barren Forests Global warming Plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. Deforested forests that can eliminate the ability to absorb carbon dioxide. Allowing the amount of carbon dioxide to continue to increase is tantamount to allowing more greenhouse gases. The increase in greenhouse gases causes global warming which brings serious problems to the earth. Low air quality Barren forests lose their productivity in producing oxygen. This degrades air quality, making the air hotter and stale. Loss of livelihood Quoted from National Geographic , about 250 million people live in forest and savanna areas, and make these places a source of livelihood and income for the community. So that the deforested forest can cause the community to lose their livelihood. Also read: Urban Forests: Definition, Benefits, and Forms Loss of natural resources Deforested forests can also cause the loss of natural resources such as wood, wild fruit, herbal plants, as well as various kinds of wild animals that are a source of human food.