*2.3.1 Environmental dimension of deforestation*

As shown in the **Figure 2**, below, deforestation have a number of environmental impact. These are: loss of biodiversity, mass destruction of wildlife and high rate of wildlife migration, alteration in the composition and structure of vegetation, damage of flora and fauna, desertification, soil erosion, flooding and the hardening of iron-rich soils to form laterite.

Biodiversity refers to all the desirable and important variety of animal and plant life in a habitat. The variety of animal and plant life is also referred to as the fauna and flora. Biodiversity is also known as the foundation of the ecosystems linked to humankind [9, 20]. Furthermore, within an ecosystem, there are wide range of animals and plants that supports production of biomass, water and nutrient cycle and energy, as well as soil formation and maintenance [7, 16]. However, deforestation and the degradation of forests destroys the biodiversity. When the biodiversity is destroyed, animals may migrate while some animal species may be extinct.

Significantly, the loss of biodiversity, because of deforestation have harsh impact particularly, on human health. This is due to the fact that biodiversity supports and benefits human life in many different ways [16]. Conservation of nature, is therefore, threatened by the destruction of biodiversity [8]. Which also leads to human-animal conflict. Human-animal conflict happens due to the declines in the

**Figure 2.** *Impact of deforestation.*

agricultural productivity. These decline in agricultural productivity results from the effects of climate change which resulted from deforestation [23]. Thus, hunting, poaching and snaring becomes the way out of poverty for many rural people. Therefore, conservation approaches must be considered so to conserve the biodiversity that supports our health system and human existence.

Forests are not only the source of wood, but are important for human life support [15]. The trees growing in the forests make use of the carbon dioxide to produce the oxygen we need to sustain life [1]. In as much as trees are beneficial to human life, there is an ongoing threat to forest and plant life. This is because of all the natural and man-made processes resulting in deforestation. Deforestation has the ability to disrupt the normal weather conditions and create extremely hot and drier weather conditions [17]. Hence, it is believed that deforestation leads to the change in climate. Climate change manifest in increased temperatures, increased drought and prolonged drought seasons, delayed rain seasons, floods and displacement of vegetation cover, very heavy winds, and tropical storms [2–4, 16]. All these

#### *Delineation and Dimension of Deforestation DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.98290*

changes in climatic conditions have serious implications on human and animal life. The imbalances of the atmospheric nutrient cycle, reduction of atmospheric moisture, increase in the high concentrations of Chloro-Floro Carbons (CFSs) in the atmosphere [4]. All these are results of deforestation and have serious implications on human health and existence. Therefore, deforestation is not only a theoretical concept, but a reality with detrimental impact to human health and life. Hence, measures to replenish our existing forests are critical to be implemented with careful consideration for sustainable development.
