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The following article is copyright © African Technology Forum. All rights reserved. This article appeared in Volume 8, Number 1 of ATF. Select this link to see the table of contents for this issue. Select this link to order this issue of ATF.

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Consequences of Deforestation

While some may consider deforestation a local or regional problem, its consequences can be global. Locally, deforestation makes soil less fertile, primarily through erosion. When trees are removed, topsoil is lost to the wind and rain, and surface evaporation increases, reducing the moisture content of the soil. These in turn may lead to changes in water tables which increase stress on remaining trees. The nutrient content of the soil is also decreased and species which perform recycling of nutrients are removed. Ironically, burning animal dung as a substitute for scarce fuelwood and charcoal eliminates its alternate use as a natural fertilizer. Combined, these local effects form components of the generalized problem of land degradation. This leads to increased probability of floods and droughts, which may become an international problem.

Deforestation is a major factor in other environmental issues of global concern. It is the primary cause of loss of biodiversity, as natural habitats for several species are lost. Depletion of tree stocks reduces the replenishment of atmospheric oxygen, and furthermore, the burning of forests contributes to greater atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases (estimated at 10-30 percent of global release of carbon dioxide).

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