Deforestation In The Amazon Essay

With deforestation at such a large scale, as it is in the Amazon, it is bound to have harsh and negative effects. When deforestation occurs, the dead or burnt trees release gases into the air. Gas molecules that absorb thermal infrared radiation are called greenhouse gases. If greenhouse gases are in large enough quantity, they can force climate change. When trees die, have fallen, or are burned down, they release the carbon that has been stored in them. According to the 2010 Global Forest Resources Assessment, deforestation releases close to a billion tons of carbon each year into the earth's atmosphere. Currently, deforestation is the second largest human caused source of releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, ranging between 6 percent and 17 percent

In the Amazon trees also play a huge role to anchor soil down and prevent soil erosion. Without the rainforest, the soil is free to wash or blow away, which can lead to vegetation growth problems. The trees in the Amazon are meant to keep the soil bound together. When the soil is firm and in place from the help of the roots, it is easier for the soil to hold nutrients and grow more vegetation. When a piece of land has been deforested and new or foreign crops are planted, their roots cannot hold the soil together resulting in even more erosion (Bradford). As large amounts of forests are cleared away, allowing exposed earth to whither and erode and the habitats of innumerable species to be destroyed, the indigenous tribes who depend on them to sustain their way of life are also damaged. The loss of forests has an immediate and direct effect on their lifestyle. The governments of nations with rainforests in their borders also attempt to evict indigenous tribes, and often succeed, before the actual deforestation