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Lesson 2 of 5
  • Year 9

Deforestation affects the carbon and water cycles

I can explain how deforestation disrupts the carbon and water cycles, and describe ways to reduce these impacts.

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View unit
Lesson 2 of 5
New
New
  • Year 9

Deforestation affects the carbon and water cycles

I can explain how deforestation disrupts the carbon and water cycles, and describe ways to reduce these impacts.

Download all

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Deforestation disrupts the carbon cycle because less CO₂ is absorbed from the atmosphere for photosynthesis
  2. CO₂ is a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere that enhances the greenhouse effect and contributes to climate change
  3. Deforestation disrupts the water cycle because less water is absorbed and transpired
  4. Deforestation leads to more surface runoff of water, increasing flooding and putting our food security at risk
  5. Mitigation strategies include reforestation and legal protection of forests to prevent deforestation

Keywords

  • Carbon cycle - a set of processes that transfer carbon between the atmosphere, organisms and Earth

  • Deforestation - the removal of trees, often to use the land for agriculture or building

  • Climate change - a long-term shift in weather patterns

  • Food security - having reliable access to enough safe and nutritious food to meet the needs of the human population

  • Water cycle - a set of processes that transfer water between the atmosphere, organisms and Earth

Common misconception

Thinking that we can chop down and destroy forests without affecting ecosystems.

The lessons explores how deforestation disrupts key processes in the carbon cycle and the water cycle, and how this can increase climate change, flooding, and put our food security at risk.


To help you plan your year 9 science lesson on: Deforestation affects the carbon and water cycles, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

To keep the cognitive demand manageable, not all stages of the carbon cycle and water cycle are included. The lesson focuses on some key stages of each cycle that are disrupted by deforestation.
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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
The removal of trees, often to use the land for farming or building, is called __________ .

agriculture
Correct answer: deforestation
reforestation
rewilding

Q2.
Human activities cause emissions of a gas with the formula CO$$_2$$ into the atmosphere. The name of this gas is dioxide.

Correct Answer: carbon

Q3.
Carbon dioxide is a gas.

Correct Answer: greenhouse, green house

Q4.
Deforestation leads to …

… just habitat loss.
… just biodiversity loss.
Correct answer: … both habitat loss and biodiversity loss.
… neither habitat loss nor biodiversity loss.

Q5.
In the carbon cycle which process moves carbon from fossil fuels into the atmosphere?

Correct answer: combustion
death
decomposition
respiration

Q6.
In the carbon cycle which process in trees and other producers uses carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to make biomass?

Correct Answer: photosynthesis

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
In the carbon cycle which process in trees and other producers uses carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to make biomass?

combustion
death
eating
Correct answer: photosynthesis

Q2.
Deforestation by burning trees …

… absorbs carbon from the atmosphere.
… has no effect on the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.
Correct answer: … releases carbon into the atmosphere.

Q3.
Who gives a correct reason why deforestation increases climate change?

Correct answer: Jacob: We are left with fewer trees to absorb human emissions of CO$$_2$$.
Sam: It destroys habitat for animals.
Aisha: Deforestation increases the movement of carbon out of the atmosphere.

Q4.
In the water cycle which process moves water from the ground, through plants, and into the atmosphere?

precipitation
photosynthesis
runoff
Correct answer: transpiration

Q5.
True or false? Deforestation increases the amount of water absorbed into the ground, reducing the risk of flooding.

Correct Answer: False

Q6.
Legal protection against can maintain the essential role of forests in the water cycle and support our food security.

Correct Answer: deforestation