Question

Give reasons why floods are more likely to occur in areas devoid of forests?

Answer 1

Hint: In the areas where deforestation occurs there is more sediment runoff as there are no trees to hold the soil. The roots of the trees absorb water from the soil and thus the soil becomes drier and it will be able to hold more of the rainwater.

Complete answer:
- There is an occurrence of floods in the areas where there is deforestation i.e. destroying trees for other purposes. The reason for the flood is that trees can retain the excess rainwater, can prevent the runoffs, and also reduces the damages due to flooding.
- The pavement of farmland contributes to the flood.
- Forests play a major role in flooding as it prevents the sediment runoff and also forests can use more water.
- Also, the rainwater that falls on the leaves gets evaporated into the air thus there is less accumulation of the water on the ground.
- The roots of the trees absorb the water and thus make the soil dry which then is able to store more rainwater.
- The roots of the trees also hold the soil which prevents the movement of the sediments
Trees also prevent soil erosion.

Note: Deforestation of the forests leads to lots of problems, one of them is flooding. As there are no trees to use up the water or to hold the soil, there will be more and more accumulation of water during rain and also the high flow of water will cause the sediment runoff. Thus, all these factors contribute to the flood.