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Ben,Allie,Paul,Kaitlin

This is the Earth Klimate Analysis Mission or EarthKAM report. The following information about some human activities that affect the climate of an area is included in this report. How is the climate of an area affected by deforestation and the resulting agricultural or urban land use? How is the global ecosystem affected by deforestation and the resulting agricultural or urban land use? What can you do to reduce the impact of deforestation?

Deforestation is one of the most dangerous acts that mankind does to the earth because it causes desiccation of previously moist forest soil. The soil becomes exposed to the sun and it bakes the soil and it becomes very dry. This causes changes in the climate. There is no recycling of water when deforestation happens. For example, in Africa when you cut down a lot of trees less moisture and less rain are created. When it rains the trees absorb the moisture and new rain clouds are formed which lets it rain again (creates its own water cycle).This cycle doesn’t happen when large areas of forest are cut down. Without the trees the rain washes away the topsoil which is needed to grow crops. This causes soil erosion.

The global ecosystem is affected by deforestation in tropical rainforests. Rainforests help regulate the weather on the earth using the water cycle. When large areas of trees are cut down there is a loss of rain that means that less heat is absorbed. Rainforests absorb more heat from gasses in the atmosphere than dry baked soil. There is also less exchange of gasses in the atmosphere when deforestation occurs. Trees in the rainforest absorb carbon dioxide and let out oxygen. When large areas of trees are cut down carbon dioxide builds up in the atmosphere which can lead to an increase in temperature and eventually may change the climate and weather of the world. Fewer trees can change wind and ocean current patterns and how rainfall is distributed around the earth. Deforestation is also shrinking the tropical rain forest animal population. Animals which depend on the habitat of the rainforest to survive are declining in number and some are extinct.

There are several things that can be done to impact deforestation. You can tell others about deforestation and the changes it can cause to the climate. You can plant trees to help absorb carbon dioxide. Another good idea is to recycle cans, bottles and newspapers and magazines. Recycling helps save natural resources. Another way to help is to buy products that use less energy.

Bibliography: A Place Out of Time: Tropical Rainforest and the Perils They Face. [|http://raingorests.mongabay.com.htm.] (January 2006).