The permanent destruction of forests so that land can be used for commercial and other purposes is known as deforestation. Scientists believe that around 18 million acres of land is deforested all over the world every year. If this continues, the world's rain forests will disappear in about a hundred years. Deforestation has been practiced since ancient times. However, there has been an increase in deforestation in the last fifty years. One of the major reasons for deforestation is trees being cut down for fuel. Trees are also cut down to make paper, houses, furniture, and ingredients for consumer goods. Sometimes, entire forests are burned out to clear the land for development. The deforested land is used for various purposes such as residential complexes or large-scale industries.
According to researchers at an institute in Massachusetts, climate change is one of the major consequences of deforestation. Trees serve to protect the environment from global warming by releasing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere and causes a rise in temperatures. Scientists believe that trees absorb about 300 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Also, as they release oxygen into the air, the air becomes fresher and more habitable. Therefore, deforestation begins a chain of events that leads to a negative effect on the world's climate. When trees are cut down, they release the carbon dioxide they have been storing into the air, which results in the rise of greenhouse gases.
Deforestation also leads to a shortage of natural habitat for various animal species. A majority of plant and animal species live in forested areas, and with increasing deforestation, these species are slowly becoming extinct. In addition, many medicinal plants that thrive in forested areas are becoming scarce because of deforestation.
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Which two pieces of evidence support the idea that deforestation contributes to climate change?
A.
the fact that forests are destroyed for housing and industrial purposes and that this results in changes in climate
B.
the fact that release of oxygen from trees helps to cut down global warming and that deforestation causes many plant species to become extinct
C.
the fact that trees store carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the air and that they release carbon dioxide when they are cut down
D.
the fact that greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, and that trapped heat leads to a warmer climate
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The two pieces of evidence that support the idea that deforestation contributes to climate change are:
C. the fact that trees store carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the air and that they release carbon dioxide when they are cut down.
This choice highlights the role of trees in carbon storage and oxygen release, as well as how cutting them down releases stored carbon dioxide, contributing to the rise of greenhouse gases and climate change.
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