On Environment

• The lack of trees leads to a greater amount of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. Healthy forests absorb CO₂from the atmosphere, acting as valuable carbon sinks.
• The trees help in regulating the water cycle. In deforested areas, there’s less water within the air to be returned to the soil. This then causes dryer soil and the inability to grow crops.
• Trees also help in temperature regulation. Loss of trees leads to drastic temperature variation.
• It also causes soil erosion and coastal flooding as trees help in retaining water and topsoil, which has various rich nutrients.

On Forests

• Deforestation leads to barren lands where it gets really difficult to grow thousands of trees again.
• It leads to the low overall productivity of forests and the various needs of humans are also not fulfilled.

On Biodiversity

• The largest impact of deforestation is on the flora and fauna of that particular area which has to lose its habitat. Cutting trees does not necessarily affect the trees but also harms all the micro to macro-level organisms that are dependent on them.

On Tribal Population

• Deforestation is a threat to the tribal mode of livelihood.
• The necessities of tribal people are met by forests like fuelwood for cooking and keeping warm in winter; collection of materials like bamboo, wood, thatch, etc. for the construction of houses; medicinal plants, fruits, etc. All of this is hampered by deforestation.
• Even many social and cultural functions are performed by them and so have a close attachment with the forest environment.
• Deforestation leads to the depletion of forest resources which displaces these people also causing population pressure.
• Traditions, cultural beliefs, and vast knowledge is also lost in all this.