Deforestation's environmental impacts

Steps:

• Cutting trees releases stored carbon into the atmosphere as CO2.
• Burning vegetation further increases atmospheric CO2 through combustion.
• Habitat destruction reduces biodiversity, decreasing species numbers.
• Loss of tree roots erodes soil, decreasing stability.

Why C is correct:

• Deforestation and burning emit CO2 (carbon cycle disruption), destroy habitats (biodiversity loss per ecological definitions), and remove root systems (increasing erosion per soil science principles).

Why the others are wrong:

• A: CO2 increases (not decreases) from emissions; soil stability decreases (not increases) due to erosion.
• B: Species decrease (not increase) from habitat loss.
• D: Soil stability decreases (not increases) without roots.

Final answer: C