Question
How will deforestation most likely affect the amount of groundwater in this ecosystem?
a
Deforestation will decrease the amount of groundwater because more groundwater will be exposed to evaporation.
b
Deforestation will increase the amount of groundwater because less surface water will evaporate from the deforested area.
c
Deforestation will increase the amount of groundwater because less groundwater will be absorbed by organisms that live in trees.
d
Deforestation will decrease the amount of groundwater because more surface water will run off of the deforested area.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The most accurate answer is:
**d. Deforestation will decrease the amount of groundwater because more surface water will run off of the deforested area.**
Deforestation can lead to reduced groundwater levels primarily because the trees and vegetation that usually help to absorb rainfall and promote groundwater recharge are removed. Without this vegetative cover, more water runs off the surface instead of infiltrating into the soil, resulting in decreased groundwater levels over time.
**d. Deforestation will decrease the amount of groundwater because more surface water will run off of the deforested area.**
Deforestation can lead to reduced groundwater levels primarily because the trees and vegetation that usually help to absorb rainfall and promote groundwater recharge are removed. Without this vegetative cover, more water runs off the surface instead of infiltrating into the soil, resulting in decreased groundwater levels over time.