 What is deforestation, degradation and climate changeDeforestation: involves long-term permanent loss of forest cover and involves transformation to another land use. Such loss can only be caused and maintained by continuous natural or human-induced disturbance (FAO, 2001). Forest degradation: the long-term reduction in the overall potential supply of forest benefits, including carbon, wood, biodiversity and other goods and services (FAO, 2003). Climate change: refers to a statistically significant change in both the average state of the climate and its variability, persisting for a prolonged period (typically decades or more). Climate change may be due to internal natural processes or external forcing, or to persistent anthropogenic changes in atmospheric composition or land use (IPCC, 2001). Effects of deforestation and degradation on climate change Forests have a vital role to play in the fight against global warming. Forests absorb and store carbon in trees and soil. But if forests are cut down or disturbed, this carbon is released in the form of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. “Up to a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation and forest degradation” (WWF Scotland, 2008). Importance of forests in climate change Each year, mature and growing forests store a quarter of total anthropogenic emissions in wood and soil. Deforestation is so bad for the climate that when trees are cut down they release the carbon they are storing into the atmosphere, where it mixes with greenhouse gases from other sources and subsequently contributes to global warming that further induces climate change. The tree timeline: Deforestation emits greenhouse gases... half of the paper... forests are also affected. Overall, this effect tends to decrease surface temperatures. Emissions resulting from deforestation and degradation involve the increase in carbon stored in forest ecosystems. The factors driving the increase in emissions are unsustainable agriculture, illegal logging, poor forest management practices and the lack of natural resource management institutions. Degradation poses a serious threat to biodiversity, the stability of ecosystems and the ability of a society to function. Due to the interconnectivity between large-scale ecosystems, degradation triggers destructive processes that can have cascading effects across the entire biosphere. The loss of biomass through the elimination of vegetation and increased soil erosion produces greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming and climate change. The impacts of degradation therefore extend well beyond the local or regional scale.