Deforestation is what it sounds like. A once forested area loses most, if not all, of its trees. This can take many forms, such as clear-cutting, selective cutting, and patch cutting, to name a few. Clear-cutting is when all the trees in the area are cut down. This is an extreme method of deforestation as it leaves no trees in the given space. Selective cutting is choosing specific trees to cut down. Similar to selective breeding, this method chooses to cut trees of a certain size, type, structure. The last method is patch cutting. This involves cutting down trees in a pattern (checkerboard, rows, patches). This creates some areas with dense forest and others with little to no forest.
Forests play a major role in an ecosystem. Trees are constantly converting the carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere into oxygen (O2). This provides air to all living things that need it. Trees also provide homes for many birds, insects, primates, and land mammals such as elephants, pandas, and large cats. Also, communities rely on trees for air, fuel, and possibly textiles.
To start, forests act as carbon sinks; this means they store carbon and a lot of it because they're constantly converting it. Losing trees is a problem for climate change as the carbon is released upon tree degradation; the environment loses a natural and key fighter in combating climate change and global warming. Removing trees would also affect what they stand in: the soil. Tree sizes and root systems lock the soil in and prevent erosion. Without them, the soil is free to blow around and potentially cause eutrophication. Also, deforestation decreases biodiversity. Even fragmentation of the forests can make life difficult for some species and could lead to the extinction of endemic species.
The National Forest Foundation (NFF) exists to engage the youth of America in forest conservation. They offer programs that are geared towards creating leaders and stewards for our National Forests and to nurture the human-environment connection. This helps to mend the "nature deficit disorder," which is a disconnect between us and nature and leads to a lack of knowledge/care for the environment. Other successful operations include the Green Belt Movement in Kenya. This was founded by Wangari Maathai and has since planted millions of trees in Kenya along with engaging young people. Similarly, the Canopy Project also engages the youth in tree planting and environmental education.