Deforestation Forest clearance

Atmospheric
Further information: Deforestation and climate change

Biophysical mechanisms by which forests influence climate.^[57]

Per capita CO2 emissions from deforestation for food production

Illegal "slash-and-burn" practice in Madagascar, 2010

Mean annual carbon loss from tropical deforestation.^[58]
Deforestation is ongoing and is shaping climate and geography.^{[59][60][61][62]}
Deforestation is a contributor to global warming,^[63][64] and is often cited as one of the major causes of the enhanced greenhouse effect. Tropical deforestation is responsible for approximately 20% of world greenhouse gas emissions.^[65] According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change deforestation, mainly in tropical areas, could account for up to one-third of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions.^[66] But recent calculations suggest that carbon dioxide emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (excluding peatland emissions) contribute about 12% of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions with a range from 6% to 17%.^[67] A 2022 study shows annual carbon emissions from tropical deforestation have doubled during the last two decades and continue to increase. (0.97 ±0.16 PgC per year in 2001–2005 to 1.99 ±0.13 PgC per year in 2015–2019)^[68][58]
According to a review, north of 50°N, large scale deforestation leads to an overall net global cooling while tropical deforestation leads to substantial warming not just due to CO₂-impacts but also due to other biophysical mechanisms (making carbon-centric metrics inadequate). Moreover, it suggests that standing tropical forests help cool the average global temperature by more than 1 °C.^[69][57]