3) Deforestation not only eliminates vegetation that helps to absorb carbon dioxide from the air, but it also emits greenhouse gases. Deforestation is the second-leading contributor to global warming.
Direct causes of deforestation are agricultural expansion, wood extraction (e.g., logging or wood harvest for domestic fuel or charcoal), and infrastructure expansion such as road building and urbanization.
The loss of trees and other vegetation can cause climate change, desertification, soil erosion, fewer crops, flooding, increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and a host of problems for indigenous people.
Deforestation and the destruction of forest habitat is the leading cause of extinction on the planet. On top of that, the capacity of forests to pull greenhouse gases from the atmosphere is lost as forests are cut. Forest loss contributes about 15-20% of all annual greenhouse gas emissions
