Use the paragraph to complete the activity.

Forests cover about 31% of the land on Earth. Sadly, that number is decreasing at a rapid rate. Deforestation, which is human-driven and natural loss of trees, is one of the main causes of this depletion. A natural loss of trees might come from a fire, for example, but deforestation done by humans is more common and involves removing trees to make room for something else. This can include clearing land for farming or using the wood from trees for fuel, construction, or manufacturing. Despite these potential economic benefits, deforestation should be stopped because forests are too important for people, animals, and the environment.

Write 3-5 sentences explaining what the key concept of the paragraph is and how the author develops the key concept.

(4 points)

The key concept of the paragraph is the issue of deforestation and its impact on the environment. The author develops this concept by first establishing the extent to which forests cover the Earth and then highlighting the concerning trend of rapid deforestation. They detail the causes of deforestation, distinguishing between natural causes, such as fires, and human-driven causes, such as land clearing for agriculture or logging for raw materials. By concluding that the economic benefits do not outweigh the environmental costs, the author further underscores the importance of forests for ecological balance, signaling that deforestation's negative consequences surpass the immediate economic gains.