Deforestation

Deforestation means cutting down many trees in one place. People clear forests to get wood, grow food, or build roads. When trees are gone, animals lose their homes. Soil can wash away without roots to hold it. Forests also help clean the air, so losing them is a big problem.

Why It Happens

Wood from trees is used for paper, furniture, and houses. Farmers sometimes clear forests to plant crops or raise cows. Big roads and mines also cut into wild areas. In some places, fires are set on purpose to clear land. All of this makes forests smaller each year.

Why Forests Matter

Forests are home to more than half the world's land animals. Trees take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen we breathe. They help make rain and keep rivers full. Without forests, the climate can get hotter and drier. Protecting them helps plants, animals, and people.

Fun Facts

• An area of forest the size of a soccer field is lost every few seconds.
• The Amazon rainforest is sometimes called the lungs of the planet.
• Some animals, like orangutans, are in danger because of deforestation.

Did You Know?

Reading books on a tablet instead of paper can help save trees.