Land degradation
Forested areas are especially sensitive to population pressure and commercial exploitation. At a local level, once the trees are felled, the highly productive potential of that region is immediately threatened, since the quality of the soils is generally poor. It is in the mass of vegetation that the nutrients essential to fast growth are stored so that, if the vegetation cover is removed, organic breakdown is almost immediate and nutrients are quickly washed away. When large gaps in the forest canopy occur, the microclimate of the area is also likely to be changed and the forest floor becomes exposed to direct sunlight. Consequently, both air and soil become dry, to the direct detriment of the land's productivity. Because of these factors, not only has the forest's capacity to provide fuel, food, fodder and shelter been removed, but so has the land's capacity to regenerate them. Degradation is further increased through soil erosion.