<P> Deforestation causes the loss of habitat for millions of species, and is also a driver of climate change . Trees act as a carbon sink: that is, they absorb carbon dioxide, an unwanted greenhouse gas, out of the atmosphere . Removing trees releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and leaves behind fewer trees to absorb the increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the air . In this way, deforestation exacerbates climate change . When trees are removed from forests, the soils tend to dry out because there is no longer shade, and there are not enough trees to assist in the water cycle by returning water vapor back to the environment . With no trees, landscapes that were once forests can potentially become barren deserts . The removal of trees also causes extreme fluctuations in temperature . </P> <P> In 2000 the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) found that "the role of population dynamics in a local setting may vary from decisive to negligible," and that deforestation can result from "a combination of population pressure and stagnating economic, social and technological conditions ." </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article may be unbalanced towards certain viewpoints . Please improve the article by adding information on neglected viewpoints, or discuss the issue on the talk page . (February 2017) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article may be unbalanced towards certain viewpoints . Please improve the article by adding information on neglected viewpoints, or discuss the issue on the talk page . (February 2017) </Td> </Tr>

What environmental problems have been caused by plantation farming in zambia