The Impact of Deforestation on Global Biodiversity

The world is in peril. We are all keenly aware of this, even if we choose to ignore it most of the time. They say that ignorance is bliss and honestly, they are right. We at True Investigator understand how hard it is to be in possession of certain knowledge. Unfortunately, those burdened with such knowledge must do whatever we can to disseminate it. It is only by informing people about the serious environmental dangers threatening our world that we can ensure that humanity does everything it can to fix those problems.

Forests are often referred to as the lungs of our planet. These essential ecosystems are found all over the world, they provide oxygen, store carbon, and serve as habitat to countless species the world over. But these vital ecosystems are almost continually under threat in the modern age. Every year, millions of hectares of forest are cleared for agriculture, urban development, and logging. This rampant deforestation has caused devastating consequences for global biodiversity and it’s only going to get worse unless we do something to stop it.

In this article, we will explores the profound impact that deforestation has had on the world’s species, ecosystems, and even our own human communities. It won’t all be gloom and doom, though, we will also discuss what can be done to stop it and go over some ways that conservation efforts have already begun to fight back against this worldwide disaster in the making.

What Is Deforestation?

Deforestation refers to the large-scale removal of forests. More often than not. modern concepts of deforestation almost always refer to the destruction caused by human activities like farming, mining, and urban expansion. And certainly, natural events like wildfires can contribute to deforestation, but even those events are being caused by temperature extremes and droughts that result from climate change. Like it or not, human-driven deforestation is by far the largest cause of this problem; which is why it falls upon us to find a solution.

Forests, especially tropical rainforests like the Amazon, Congo, and Southeast Asia’s forests, are not simply home to an incredible diversity of species, they are essential tools in the fight against climate change; a fight that we are currently losing. Moreover, these ecosystems have evolved over millions of years, creating intricate webs of life that depend on trees for food, shelter, and survival. Without them in place, countless species of plants and animals would perish, and we wouldn’t be far behind them.

When forests are destroyed, the delicate balance of these ecosystems is disrupted. This doesn’t simply threaten the countless species that call these forests home, it also threatens the essential services that forests provide to humanity.

Global Biodiversity at Risk

When we speak about biodiversity, we are referring specifically to the variety of life on Earth. This means every but of life that encompasses species, ecosystems, and genetic diversity the world-over. Forests, as one might imagine simply by looking or listening to one, are hotspots for biodiversity, containing over 80% of terrestrial species. Here is a list of how deforestation impacts biodiversity:

Habitat Loss

When trees are cut down, animals, plants, and microorganisms lose their homes. Birds and insects, some reptiles, and primates or other mammals rely on these trees for shelter. In addition, many of these species are highly specialized, meaning they can only survive in the specific environmental conditions provided by their forest habitats. Without the forests, many species face extinction.

For example:

• Orangutans in Indonesia and Malaysia are losing their rainforest homes due to palm oil plantations. This has led to rampant habitat loss and fragmentation, which is putting these intelligent primates on the very brink of extinction.
• Amphibians, such as the golden toad in Central America, are particularly vulnerable because of their highly-specialized habitat requirements. These increasingly rare amphibians rely on stable forest ecosystems for breeding and survival.
• Large predators like jaguars in the Amazon are losing hunting ground at an alarming rate. This pushes them ever-closer to human settlements, which results in conflict and likely severe losses on the side of the jaguars.

Loss of Food Sources

Deforestation doesn’t just eliminate the trees that animals use for shelter—it also destroys food supplies. Many forest species have adapted to eating fruits, leaves, or insects that can only be found in specific trees. When these trees are removed or destroyed, many species of animals struggle to find enough food to survive.

Take the koala, for instance. This native Australian marsupial has a highly-specialized diet in that it relies almost exclusively on eucalyptus leaves for sustenance. The near-constant logging of eucalyptus forests has left many koalas malnourished and homeless.

Fragmentation of Habitats

Forests aren’t just cut down in their entirety every single time, yet even when some patches of forest are left standing, they may be too small or isolated for a given species to thrive. This phenomenon is called habitat fragmentation. When habitats are fragmented, the animals that live there have trouble finding mates, dispersing or migrating to new areas, or accessing food. Additionally, habitat fragmentation can weaken animal populations by minimizing genetic diversity. Inbreeding occurs and when that happens, newer generations are more prone to disease, both genetic and pathogenic.

The Borneo pygmy elephant, for example, is an animal that requires vast acres of territory to roam. As its native forests are carved up by roads and plantations, the elephants’ movements become restricted, leading to rampant inbreeding and population decline.

Disruption of Ecosystem Services

We have spoken at length about how forests are homes and food sources for countless species, but they are more than just wildlife hotels. Forest regulate water cycles, stabilize soil, and support pollination and all of these are essential pieces of our continued survival on this planet. Deforestation disrupts these services, indirectly threatening biodiversity far beyond the forest itself. For example:

• Without tree cover, soils erode and rivers silt up, damaging freshwater habitats for fish and amphibians that live nearby. This also damages freshwater sources we humans use to drink, bathe, and water our crops.
• Loss of pollinators, like bees and bats, can reduce the reproduction of plants that depend on them. The loss of pollinators has been a hot-button issue for a number of years now and we already know that this loss affects entire food webs, all the way out to us!

Deforestation and Extinction Rates

According to some experts, it is estimated that species are going extinct 1,000 to 10,000 times faster than the natural rate in the modern age. We can lay the blame for this on a number of human-derived factors, but the true culprits are largely due to deforestation and habitat destruction. In fact, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists habitat loss as the leading cause of extinction risk for 85% of species on its Red List, which is the list of threatened to critically endangered species on the planet.

The Tipping Point

Many readers may not be aware of this fact, but many ecosystems have a tipping point. This is the point beyond which those ecosystems cannot recover. We have seen several ecosystems come close to this point in recent years, including the Great Barrier Reef, but so far none have gone over. Unfortunately, among our many vital natural habitats facing down this grim finish line, the Amazon rainforest is among them. The Amazon is approaching a critical threshold. If too much forest is lost, the region could transition into a savanna-like environment, which would permanently alter not only its climate and it’s biodiversity, but all adjacent ecosystems and many more beyond.

The Domino Effect of Species Loss

Deforestation doesn’t just impact individual species that call the forest their home—it triggers a chain reaction throughout all adjacent ecosystems. This phenomenon is known as the domino effect or cascading extinctions.

Keystone Species at Risk

Several keystone species, such as large predators or seed-dispersing animals, play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem balance. When those animals begin to disappear, the entire ecosystem can collapse down into itself.

• In African rainforests, elephants are key seed dispersers. Their loss due to deforestation would reduce forest regeneration at a time when that renewal is more necessary than it has ever been. This would affect countless other species that call the forest their home, including human beings who live in and around those ecosystems.
• In tropical rainforests, birds like hornbills spread the seeds of large fruiting trees. Without these birds, the remaining trees would fail to reproduce, altering the forest structure into something else entirely.

Insect Decline and Food Webs

Deforestation also affects insects, which are often overlooked but critical to ecosystems. In the book The Ends of the World, author Peter Brannen discusses how the end of insects would herald the end of humanity. Many mass extinctions before now have been predicated by the disappearance of insect populations, which serve important roles as pollinators, decomposers, or food sources for other animals. Their decline can disrupt the entire food web, leading to further biodiversity loss in the short term. or mass extinction in the long.

Deforestation’s Impact on Climate and Biodiversity

As you might expect by the title of this section, deforestation isn’t just a biodiversity crisis—it’s a climate crisis. Forests like the Amazon act as massive carbon sinks, absorbing CO₂ from the atmosphere and storing in the soil and their biomass. When trees are cut down or burned, this stored carbon is released, further contributing to global warming. Now, there is more CO₂ in the atmosphere and fewer trees to absorb it back, thus making climate change even harder to fix than it already is!

Climate Change and Species Survival

Climate change exacerbates the effects of deforestation on biodiversity. Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events already make it harder for species to adapt, that difficulty becomes even worse when those animals are already homeless, struggling for food, and headed to extinction. Many forest species are already living at the very limit of their tolerance, and deforestation removes their ability to migrate to cooler or wetter areas.

For example:

• In the Amazon, deforestation and warming are drying out the rainforest, increasing the risk of wildfires, which leads to further deforestation.
• In Southeast Asia, mangrove forests, which protect coastlines and provide habitat for fish and birds, are being cleared to make way for massive shrimp farms. As much as humanity needs shrimp, the destruction of the mangroves leaves ecosystems and human communities more vulnerable to the storms and rising seas that are already worsening because of climate change. Kind of makes you wonder if shrimp are worth it?

Deforestation’s Impact on Indigenous Communities

It isn’t just plants and animals that dwell in forests, these vital ecosystems are also home to millions of indigenous people. Human beings rely on these forests for food, medicine, and cultural identity. Deforestation threatens these communities in multiple ways:

• Loss of livelihoods: Hunting, fishing, and gathering become impossible when forests are destroyed.
• Forced displacement: Many indigenous groups are pushed out of their ancestral lands to make way for agriculture or mining.
• Erosion of cultural heritage: Forests are deeply connected to the spiritual and cultural practices of many indigenous peoples. Their destruction represents a loss that cannot be measured in economic terms.

Solutions to Combat Deforestation

There are some ways that human beings are working to address the rampant deforestation that other human beings are causing almost ceaselessly. Unfortunately, fighting this rising tide requires action at multiple levels—global, national, and individual. As difficult as it may sound, some key strategies have already been put into place:

Protected Areas

Governments and organizations can and should start designating forests as protected areas, where logging and development are prohibited. This has happened in several places already, including national parks, wildlife reserves, and UNESCO World Heritage sites. Nevertheless, the wheels of progress continue to turn and money is a more powerful motivator than a bleak, brown future that some aging politicians cannot see. Without more protections in place, forests will continue to be felled, contributing to extinction and climate change even more.

Sustainable Agriculture

Governments and policy makers should encourage sustainable farming practices, like agroforestry and crop rotation, both of which reduce the need to clear new forest land. Certification programs, such as Rainforest Alliance or Fair Trade, are already in place and promote responsible farming and forestry.

Reforestation and Afforestation

Planting trees to restore degraded forests (reforestation) or create new forests (afforestation) can also help offset deforestation’s impacts. However, it’s essential to prioritize native species and ecosystems when doing this. Moreover, this is a massive task that many individuals and communities are not equipped to undertake on their own. Thus, reforestation efforts should be subsidized and regulated more heavily by local governments so they go more smoothly and efficiently.

Reducing Demand for Forest Products

You may not think you have power in all this, but you do. Consumers can make a difference by choosing products with sustainable certifications or reducing their use of paper, palm oil, and other forest-derived goods. By supporting businesses committed to zero-deforestation supply chains, we can all take powerful steps towards ending rampant deforestation.

True Investigator Says…

Deforestation is one of the greatest threats to our planet, with far-reaching consequences for wildlife, ecosystems, and humanity. But it’s not too late to make a difference. By protecting forests, supporting sustainable practices, and raising awareness, each and every one of us can help preserve these irreplaceable ecosystems for many generations to come. We need to act quickly though, time is not a commodity that us or the forests can afford.