Question

How deforestation effects water cycle

Answer 1

Forests hold a huge quantity of water in both the trees themselves, but also in the soil and decaying organic matter in the leaf litter decomposition zone. This functions like a sponge.

Then trees and soils release water slowly. Trees through transpiration, and the soils through springs underground that feed rivers lakes and aquifers.

Weather generally makes rainy days and sunny days, rainy seasons and dry seasons. It is generally very sporadic.

So the forest is a moderator, absorbing like a sponge excess on rainy days reducing floods; and releasing slowly allowing a river to flow in the dry season. The canopy also keeps the soil moist during the hot sunny days. The transpiration keeps the humidity up even in dry times. If the forest is big enough, that transpiration can even trigger new summer showers.

Remove the forest and you remove the moderating effect.

On the other hand a mature forest has a near net zero effect on atmospheric CO2. It removes a lot, but later a lot decomposes releasing nearly as much.

It is actually the oceans and grasslands that have the primary ecosystem function of removing atmospheric CO2 long term.

Answer 2

deforestation affects water cycle by following ways;Forests transport large quantities of water into the atmosphere via plant transpiration. This replenishes the clouds and instigates rain that maintains the forests. When deforestation occurs, precious rain is lost from the area, flowing away as river water and causing permanent drying.

This is a truly global issue. Have a read of the below sourced from Cosmos Magazine that highlights the problem of deforestation in Somalia, where it threatens to turn the country into a desert

hope this helps markmebrainliest