Final answer:
Deforestation severely affects animal habitats, leading to biodiversity loss, increases soil erosion, and contributes to poor air quality by reducing the natural carbon dioxide absorption provided by trees.
Step-by-step explanation:
When too many trees are cut down across a wide area, several environmental impacts occur:
- Animal habitats are destroyed, leading to a loss of biodiversity and forcing wildlife to either migrate or face extinction.
- Soil erosion intensifies as there are no tree roots to hold the soil in place, which can lead to degradation of the soil quality and nutrient loss, especially in tropical areas.
- Air quality deteriorates since trees play a vital role in absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, contributing to global warming and climate change when forests are depleted.
Specific problems include destruction of habitat leading to biodiversity loss, interference with the water cycle, and contribution to climate change through increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.