Every year, large areas of forest are cleared to make way for development. The formerly magnificent forests have been transformed to bleak landscapes. This is for the purpose of progress and man's advancement. What happens when trees are cut down? Firstly, the land is exposed to soil erosion. The rich topsoil is carried away by the heavy tropical rains, rendering the land unproductive. The lush vegetation gradually gives way to wasteland. Secondly, the flowing water not only washes away the topsoil but deposits it in the rivers. As a result, the rivers become shallower, causing floods to become frequent in the neighbourhood. Thousands of people suffer in these floods. Finally, forests are home to hundreds of different species of flora and fauna, all of which coexist in symbiotic relationships to maintain nature's balance. Man upsets this balance by levelling forests, killing both large and small forest dwellers. The food chain gets disturbed as a result of such act, and man ends up harming his own food sources. In short, unrestrained deforestation will trigger a chain reaction of negative consequences that can only be reversed through afforestation and reforestation.
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