They may increase the rate that rainwater recharges groundwater as well as control the rate that water is released in watersheds. Forests affect the climate and are an important source of oxygen, although they play a lesser role than was once thought. Tropical rainforests may contain over one-half the world s total species. Today, however, mankind threatens the forests that provide so much. Since so many are dependent on the world s forests, deforestation will have many social, economic and ecological changes.
Deforestation results in many negative consequences.
The loss of forestlands is connected to desertification, a widespread phenomenon. Forests store large amounts of carbon that are released when trees are cut or burned. People destroy or degrade forests because, for them, the benefits seem to outweigh the costs. Immediate causes are often concerned with a search for land and resources, including both commercial timber and fuelwood. Forest fires Throughout most of the world the worst enemy of the forest is considered to be fire.