Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of forests for farming, logging or building, and it harms biodiversity and increases carbon dioxide.
▶ Interact
Play with the controls to see the idea in action.
📘 Learn
Deforestation is the removal of forests for farming, logging or building, and it harms biodiversity and increases carbon dioxide.
- Causes include cattle ranching and logging
- Soil erosion follows tree loss
- Reforestation restores forests
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Deforestation?
Within Geography, which covers maps, landforms, weather, climate, population and settlements: understand how our planet and people connect, this topic explains Deforestation. Geography explains how places, people and natural processes connect, so each topic here combines a clear definition with a visual model.
Check that you can explain Deforestation in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Deforestation helps you explain patterns on maps and in the news, and make reasoned decisions about places and environments.
Deforestation in detail
Deforestation is the removal of forests, mainly for farming (cattle ranching and crops such as soya and palm oil), logging, mining, roads and settlement. The Amazon rainforest has lost large areas.
Effects include habitat and biodiversity loss, soil erosion and floods, lower rainfall, release of carbon dioxide and loss of homes for indigenous people. Benefits include jobs and income, but they are short-term. Solutions include sustainable logging, replanting, protected areas, certification, reducing demand for products linked to forest clearance and international agreements.
How the interactive helps you understand Deforestation
Watch the bar chart in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the bar chart responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Deforestation.
Real-life uses and examples
- Interpret a graph or map that shows Deforestation and say what it suggests.
- Describe a real place where Deforestation can be seen, using a map or photograph.
- Explain how Deforestation affects people, jobs and land use in a region.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mixing up cause, effect and consequence when you explain Deforestation.
- Writing general statements without a named place or example.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Deforestation
What is Deforestation?
Deforestation is the removal of forests for farming, logging or building, and it harms biodiversity and increases carbon dioxide.
What are the most important points about Deforestation?
The main points are: Causes include cattle ranching and logging; Soil erosion follows tree loss; Reforestation restores forests.
Why is Deforestation useful?
Understanding Deforestation helps you explain patterns on maps and in the news, and make reasoned decisions about places and environments.
How can I practise Deforestation?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Deforestation?
Related topics in Geography include Seasons and Earth's Tilt, Countries and Capitals, Europe: Physical and Human Geography.