Q.Deforestation does not lead to

Deforestation is the conversion of forested land to non-forested use, and it has proceeded far more severely in the tropics (about 40% forest loss) than in temperate regions (about 1%). In India, forest cover fell from roughly 30% of land area at the start of the twentieth century to 21.54% by its end, well below the National Forest Policy's (1988) targets of 33% for the plains and 67% for hill areas.

Major drivers include clearing forest for agricultural land to feed a growing population, felling trees for timber and firewood, and traditional shifting (Jhum) cultivation, which becomes destructive rather than sustainable once population pressure shortens the fallow recovery period between cycles. Consequences include rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (since trees store carbon in their biomass), loss o …