Deforestation In The Amazon Rainforest

Due to human activity the lungs of the earth are slowly dying. 20% of the earths’ oxygen is provided by the Amazon Rainforest (“25+ Spectacular Facts”). This statistic does not include smaller forests such as temperate forests, boreal forests, and coniferous forests. These forests make a small impact on overall oxygen levels, but their contribution will be noticed if they disappear. A forest can be described as a large tract of land covered with trees and underbrush (“Forest”). The disappearance of these forests can happen in several ways, some of which, cause even more damage. Deforestation must be stopped because it is harmful to the health of the earth.
Deforestation is commonly due to rapid expansion of humans searching for livable spaces. This …show more content…
It is estimated that if forests keep declining at the current rate of 75,625 km2 area they will be completely extinct in 100 years (N., Faiza). The average annual vegetation has decreased from 71% to 79% in the 1990s to 37% in 2001 (Zemanova). Without protection from sun, provided by the tree cover, the moist soils in the forests quickly dry out. At the same time, trees help perpetuate the water cycle by returning water back into the atmosphere in the form of vapors. Many forest lands can quickly become barren deserts without trees to fill these roles. The removal of trees also prevents the forest from holding in heat at night. This disorder leads to more extreme temperatures which can be harmful to animals and plants (N., Faiza). Certain species of vegetation can only survive in the rainforest environment and struggle to adapt. The dry season is getting longer each year and plants are failing to adapt causing the vegetation critical to animal survival to decline or become extinct. This observation has only been available in small forest areas, but it is predicted to have a global impact on larger forests