Clearing and burning of forests can cause irreversable arable damage to the soil, environment and can affect the climate. Deforestation increases the atmospheric C02 by removing the source Of C02 uptake. Commercial logging, establishment of new agricultural plantations, shifting agriculture, cyclones, fire, land and road developments, all contribute to deforestation of Pacific islands. Forests are important not only for their role in maintaining biological diversity, but also because of their role in global climate. This would contribute to the global warming effect.
Deforestation also affects the soil and local climate.
It reduces the evaporative cooling that takes place both from soil and from plant life. This can result in increased soil erosion and run off of rainfall, flooding and sedimentation of rivers, lagoons and reefs. In fact the total ambient near surface humidity is drastically modified. Moreover there are no longer the deep roots of the former forest trees to return it by transpiration to the atmosphere. Again the landscape is changed, and usually permanently.