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The Water Cycle and Deforestation Alexis Wiffler, Scott Ireton, Olivia Welch and Karley Gomez Explanation of Concept With deforestation happening in a lot of major rainforests throughout the world there are less trees causing less transpiration. Transpiration is the process in which a tree releses moisture through their leaves, into the atmosphere. With less moisture being relesed into the atmosphere there is less rainfall each year. Deforestation can also cause erosion. This is the process where soil is loosened the can fall into water. If there is a lot of deforestation going on around smaller bodies of water, the soil will aventually fall into the water and can make it mucky because trees hold a lot of soil in place. Detailed Explanation (3) Deforestation causes erotion because the roots of the trees can't hold the soil there if the trees aren't there. The soil gets loose and is easily washed away by rain and rivers. With deforestation the water cycle could be interupted by the soil clogging up the rivers and creating floods and destrution. More about Deforestation (4) • • • • • 30 % Earth surface still forest mostly cut down for money less forest= less oxygen one of worlds most pressing land-use problems 20 football fields worth of forest is lost every minute Impact On Humans Deforestation: -creates more land to grow food for growing numbers of people -cash crops and cattle ranches form creating money for tropical countries -destroys trees, but adds to fire wood and building material -soil erosion Water cycle: -when there is not enough precipitation our plants that we use for food don't grow as well Together: -with not as much forest, there is more open land for precipitation, and since there are no trees to soak it up, the excess water causes soil erosion More about The Water Cycle (6) Cycle Order • • • • evaporation condensation precipitation collection Most of the water we drink every day has been around as long as the Earth has had water on its surface. Most of the water on the Earths surface (97%), is salt water. Bibliography "Deforestation." The Department of Biodiversity & Conservation Biology - UWC. 24 Feb. 2009 <http://www.botany.uwc.ac.za/envFacts/facts/deforestation.htm>. "Deforestation." The Global Change Program at the University of Michigan. 24 Feb. 2009 <http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange2/current/lectures/deforest/def orest.html>. "Earth Floor: Cycles." COTF. 24 Feb. 2009 <http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/water.html>. "The Water Cycle, from USGS Water Science for Schools. Diagram available in 60 languages." USGS Georgia Water Science Center. 24 Feb. 2009 <http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html>.