what does clearing forests affect the environment
Deforestation has many negative effects on the environment. The most dramatic impact is a loss of habitat for millions of species. Seventy percent of Earthâs land animals and plants live in forests, and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes. Deforestation also drives climate change.orests still cover about 30 percent of the worldâs land area, but swaths the size of Panama are lost each and every year. The worldâs rain forests could completely vanish in a hundred years at the current rate of deforestation.