It’s important to remember that the world’s many ecosystems are interconnected and what happens in one area can affect the lives of those living hundreds of miles away. One example of this interconnectivity is how deforestation affects the ocean. Cutting down swaths of forests certainly has an impact on the ocean, marine life, and people living on the coasts.
Ocean Problems Often Start with Runoff
Cutting down trees often leads to more runoff – meaning more water flowing from the land into the ocean. Having trees helps reduce runoff because the trees soak up rain and the tree roots help soil stay in place. Without forests, rainwater carries soil off into rivers which eventually flow into the oceans. This can lead to siltation and eutrophication.
Siltation refers to the addition of silt (dirt basically) into the ocean. Dirt that flows into the ocean can end up settling on delicate coral reefs; and if there’s too much, the dirt can suffocate and kill the corals. Eutrophication refers to the addition of nutrients in the water. Runoff carries important nutrients that plants need to grow, and runoff into the ocean can lead to algae blooms. These blooms can compete with coral growth – inhibiting the biodiversity of coral reefs.
It’s also important to keep in mind that 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based activities – including fertilizer runoff and storm-water runoff. In agricultural areas and in cities runoff may include pollutants such as fertilizers, toxic substances, and litter. Allowing this dirty water into our oceans can lead to sick beach goers and beaches are sometimes closed down to protect swimmers.
Deforestation and Ocean Acidification
Forests help counteract the large amounts of carbon dioxide humans pump into the atmosphere each year – trees take in carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. Deforestation however means more of that carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere causing problems such as ocean acidification. Trees are not the only carbon sink around –the ocean also takes in a large amount of our carbon emissions. Unfortunately this can lead to ocean acidification. The increased carbon dioxide affects the chemistry of the ocean which in turn affects marine life. Due to ocean acidification creatures that rely on calcium carbonate to create their skeletons, are finding it harder to live. Such creatures include corals, mollusks, and echinoderms.
Deforestation and Sea Level
Deforestation contributes to climate change and a warming planet leads to rising sea levels. According to The Nature Conservancy on their webpage “Saving Forest to Fight Climate Change”, deforestation and land use changes contribute to 20-25% of the carbon emissions causing climate change. Warming temperatures cause glaciers and ice caps to melt and sea water to expand – leading to rising sea levels. According to the EPA on its “Sea Level Changes” webpage the ocean has risen 4.8-8.8 inches worldwide in the past century. Scientists predict sea levels to continue rising in the future and this could have a dramatic impact on coastal cities.
Sources:
“Problems – Ocean Pollution”. WWF. 27 Nov 2010. .
“Catchments and Reefs”. Reef Education Network. 27 Nov 2010.
Megan Jungwi - Megan Jungwi started her freelance writing career in March 2009. Although new to online writing Megan has long been passionate about the ...
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