Consequences of indiscriminate cutting down of trees

The importance of trees to the environment cannot be overemphasized .Apart from adding to the aesthetic value of the landscape ,trees does a legion of work which include shielding the environment from agents of erosion and other factors. When they are cut down indiscriminately ,without adequate plans for reforestation, it could portend a lot of long-term dangers in the environment

The dangers of indiscriminate Cutting Down of Trees

Trees are so important to the environment more than some of us know about . It not only add to the aesthetic value of a landscape ,it also does the work of breathing for mankind. It would not be wrong to say trees are the lungs of the earth. Greater percentage of the carbon-dioxide released in the atmosphere as a result of the activities of man are absorbed by trees and other green plants .In the process, they release oxygen. As if this was not enough ,trees also protect the environment from the devastating effects caused by the agent of erosion like run-off-water and wind. Be it as it might ,cutting the trees without any plans for reforestation which is the act of planting new ones, could have a dangerous effects on the environment .Some of the dangers include

Green house effect

This is caused by excess carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere which ends up depleting the ozone layer , which is our blanket against the ultraviolet rays of the sun.This is one of the major causes of climate change which has became so pronounced that even a young person could understand the change.In the same way , cutting down of trees could reduce the oxygen constituents of the earth because green plants and trees contribute their own quota to the oxygen constituent of the atmosphere.

Desert encroachment

Trees shield the soil from the agents of erosion and denudation .When they have been cut down ,winds and rain drops are allowed a free assault on the soil, leading to the carrying away of the top soil layer by both wind and run-off-water. After many years of free rein, the soil will become arid and cannot no- longer support the growth of plants.This leads to desertification and desert encroachment

Erosion

As this transport of the top soil continues unabated it will create gullies on the soil ,which continues to widen with time .As the gullies grow, they could join up with others to form bigger gullies in the soil

Landslides

As this process continues for sometime ,it weakens the soil structure and could lead to landslides.

Poor soils

The soils in this area are deprived of nutrients because the top soils are washed away and deposited somewhere else .If this is left unchecked, the soil in the area will become completely useless

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