Use your knowledge of the carbon cycle to indicate the effect of deforestation on the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, and the effect this change will have on the environment.

Atmospheric CO2 is used by trees for photosynthesis. Deforestation means that there are less trees undergoing this photosynthesis reaction, so less CO2 is taken from the atmosphere. The trees that are cut down are often burnt for fuel, which released CO2 into the atmosphere, as carbon in the plant is oxidised to form CO2. This increases the overall CO2 concentration in the atmosphere.  Increased CO2 concentration leads to global warming, as CO2 is a green house gas, with an insular effect on the planet and its temperature. The more CO2, the higher the earth's temperature. This leads to environmental issuessuch as climate change, habitat loss (melting ice caps, and expansion of the desert), and unpredicatable weather pattern, which make it more difficult for many species to survive.