What is the impact of deforestation on biodiversity?
Deforestation is the clearance of forests or trees usually by natural or human-made
causes. The rate of human activities has led to an increase in global deforestation
from natural causes, such as wildfires, to man-made causes such as agriculture,
mining, and logging activities. The impact of deforestation on biodiversity is
significant as the removal of forests and trees leads to loss of habitat for various
species, which can result in the decline in species diversity and even extinction of
some species.
Deforestation decreases the number of habitats available to various species leading
to loss of biodiversity. The forest serves as a home to various plant and animal
species, removal of this habitat threatens the stability of the ecosystem. The loss of
habitat can lead to a decline in food resources leading to the starvation of affected
species. Deforestation also leads to a decline in genetic diversity, which can lead to
the loss of valuable resources necessary for discovering new medicine or developing
crops required for plant breeding.
Additionally, deforestation also contributes to climate change by releasing carbon in
the atmosphere leading to global warming. Forests play a vital role in the regulation
of the carbon cycle, its removal reduces the carbon holding level leading to an
increase in global carbon being released into the atmosphere leading to an increase
in global warming.
In conclusion, deforestation contributes significantly to the reduction of biodiversity. It
is essential to control the rate of deforestation and secure the remaining forests to
protect biodiversity.
References:
Foley, J. A., Defries, R., Asner, G. P., Barford, C., Bonan, G., Carpenter, S. R., & … Snyder,
P. K. (2005). Global consequences of land use. Science, 309(5734), 570–574.
Gibson, L., Lee, T. M., Koh, L. P., Brook, B. W., Gardner, T. A., Barlow, J., & Peres, C. A.
(2011). Primary forests are irreplaceable for sustaining tropical biodiversity. Nature,
478(7369), 378–381.
Kumar, A., & Queiroz, C. (2018). Impact of deforestation on structural and functional aspects
of microbial communities in soil: A review. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 125, 10-21.