How does deforestation increase the warming of Earth?(1 point)
It increases the presence of methane in the atmosphere.
It releases more oxygen into the atmosphere.
It decreases the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
It decreases the production of ozone in the atmosphere.
The correct answer is: It decreases the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Deforestation is the process of cutting down or removing trees from a forested area. When forests are cleared, the trees are no longer able to absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to the Earth's natural greenhouse effect, trapping heat in the atmosphere and warming the planet.
Trees play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by acting as carbon sinks - they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store the carbon in their trunks, branches, and roots. This helps to reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, slowing down the rate of global warming.
When forests are deforested, the carbon stored in trees is released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, increasing its concentration. Additionally, the removal of trees also reduces the overall capacity of the land to absorb carbon dioxide, as new trees are not being planted to replace the ones that were removed.
Therefore, deforestation contributes to the warming of the Earth by decreasing the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and releasing stored carbon back into the air.