Deforestation's Long-Term Soil Impact

Steps:

• Tropical forests have dense root systems that anchor soil and prevent runoff.
• Removing trees exposes soil to heavy rains and winds in tropical climates.
• Without vegetation cover, soil particles loosen and wash away over time.
• This leads to increased erosion rates, especially in the long term as topsoil depletes.

Why C is correct:

• Soil erosion increases because deforestation removes protective tree cover, allowing rain to directly impact and displace soil particles, as defined by the process of surface runoff in geomorphology.

Why the others are wrong:

• A: Cloud cover decreases due to reduced evapotranspiration from lost trees.
• B: Humidity drops as forests no longer release water vapor into the air.
• D: Soil fertility declines from nutrient loss in eroded topsoil.

Final answer: C