<P> Deforestation disrupts normal weather patterns creating hotter and drier weather thus increasing drought, desertification, crop failures, melting of the polar ice caps, coastal flooding and displacement of major vegetation regimes . </P> <P> Due to surface plant litter, forests that are undisturbed have a minimal rate of erosion . The rate of erosion occurs from deforestation, because it decreases the amount of litter cover, which provides protection from surface runoff . The rate of erosion is around 2 metric tons per square kilometre . This can be an advantage in excessively leached tropical rain forest soils . Forestry operations themselves also increase erosion through the development of (forest) roads and the use of mechanized equipment . </P> <P> Deforestation in China's Loess Plateau many years ago has led to soil erosion; this erosion has led to valleys opening up . The increase of soil in the runoff causes the Yellow River to flood and makes it yellow colored . </P> <P> Greater erosion is not always a consequence of deforestation, as observed in the southwestern regions of the US . In these areas, the loss of grass due to the presence of trees and other shrubbery leads to more erosion than when trees are removed . </P>

Where does most logging takes place in the us