Name ______________________________
Chapter 1 Investigation Worksheet
To complete this worksheet, see the instructions in the textbook (Chapter 1 Investigation).
Table 1. What Might Happen If This Location Is Deforested?
This perspective view shows an area with a variety of terrains and climate.

Observe the scene and make observations about the landscape. Write your most
important observations in the spaces provided below.
 Think about how different features of aspects could be affected by deforestation (cutting
down of all the trees). In the space provided, write down your most important questions
that arise from your considerations.
 List any types of information you would like to know to answer your questions or
further clarify the problem.
Continent
B
Continent
A

Topography, including slopes:

Local climate:

Types of rocks, sediment, and soil:

Farmlands:

Water supplies:

How much sunlight reaches the bare ground:

Cities and towns:

Coastal environments:

Birds and other animals on land, fish and other creatures in water:
Chapter 1 Investigation Worksheet; page 2
Table 2. Observations and Questions
Enter your observations and questions about the area, under the subheadings listed below. Save
your interpretations about the impacts of deforestation for the next table.
Environmental feature
Topography, including slopes
Key observations and general interpretations
(a) mountainous; (b) flat; (c) mountainous and flat
Local climate
Moisture: (a) dry desert; (b) abundant moisture
Temperature: (a) hot; (b) below freezing everywhere;
(c) cool but moderate
Types of rocks, sediment, and soil
(a) rocky mountains; (b) soft materials on flats; (c)
both of these
Areas most suitable for farmlands
(a) highest peaks; (b) steep mountain slopes; (c)
relatively flat areas at low elevations
Water supplies
(a) very limited; (b) somewhat limited; (c) abundant
How much sunlight reaches the bare
ground
(a) very little; (b) a high percentage; (c) a high
percentage in some places and a lower percentage in
others
Cities and towns
(a) people concentrated in city; (b) likely pressure on
city to expand; (c) tendency for people to build out
into forests; (d) need for additional farms to feed city;
(e) all of these
Coastal environments
(a) land next to ocean is relatively low in elevation;
(b) ocean currents transport water and material along
coast; (3) ocean increases amount of moisture in air;
(d) all of these
Birds and other animals on land, fish
and other creatures in water
(a) diverse environments likely result in diverse types
of animals; (b) all areas contain abundant and diverse
creatures; (c) highest peaks will likely contain most
animals
Chapter 1 Investigation Worksheet; page 3
Table 3. Impacts of Deforestation
List some possible impacts of deforestation for each aspect listed below. There is no single right
answer, but some answers are better than others. Be concise.
Environmental feature
Topography, including slopes
Key Impacts of deforestation
(a) destabilize slopes; (b) stabilize slopes;
Rationale:
Local climate
(a) warming; (b) cooling; (c) more humidity
Rationale:
Types of rocks, sediment, and soil
(a) extra rock/sediment/soil in stream; (b) less
rock/sediment/soil in stream; (c) no change in
rock/sediment/soil in stream
Rationale:
Farmlands
(a) more fertile; (b) less fertile; (c) no change
in fertility
Rationale:
Water supplies (from streams and lakes in
area of deforestation)
(a) improvements in water quality; (b) poorer
water quality; (c) no change in water quality
Rationale:
How much sunlight reaches the bare ground
(a) increased; (b) increased; (c) no change
Rationale:
Cities and towns
(a) economic changes; (b) climatic changes;
(c) enabling the city to expand to previously
forested areas; (d) all of these
Rationale:
Coastal environments
(a) changes to coastal ecosystems (b) no
significant changes to ecosystems
Rationale:
Birds and other animals on land, fish and
other creatures in water
(a) changes to coastal ecosystems (b) no
significant changes to ecosystems
Rationale:
Chapter 1 Investigation Worksheet; page 4
Table 4. Information You Would Like to Know
If you do not have enough information about any aspect, identify the type of information you
would like to know.